Fethullah Gulen’s Statement on Devastating Bush Fires in Australia


Date posted: January 9, 2020

I am shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the enormous bush fires in Australia that caused the deaths of 24 Australian citizens, burned over 1000 homes and took the lives of millions of animals.

My thoughts and prayers are with those across Australia who are continuing to face these devastating fires.

I had a chance to visit Australia in 1992 and was struck by the beauty of the land and the warm-heartedness of its people. It pains me to see the unprecedented damage to this beautiful land and its wildlife.

I am confident that the brave and energetic spirit of the Australian people will help them overcome this challenge and restore the damaged habitat.

May this tragic event be an occasion to reflect worldwide on the blessings we enjoy on this planet, strengthen our commitment to protecting the environment and wildlife and review our response measures.

I express my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives, to the country’s national and local leaders and to the people of Australia.

I invite everybody from around the world to help Australians and pray to God, the Most Compassionate, to help emergency service workers and all Australians at this difficult time.

– Fethullah Gülen

Source: Alliance for Shared Values , January 8, 2020


Related News

Being the conscience of a nation

Fethullah Gulen’s brother Hasbi Gulen, who passed away last October, wanted to visit his older brother in America in late 2000. He shares his intention with a friend before applying for a visa.
His friend told him that he needed to prove financial ability to support himself in the US to obtain a visa. Hasbi Gulen needed to show car and home titles, tax returns, and any other assets he had. When his friend asked “which one of these documents do you have?” Fethullah Gulen’s brother replied “nothing but my birth certificate.”

Fethullah Gulen: From Izmir to the Global Hizmet Movement

Gulen’s name has progressively reached a wider Western audience. But, let us note that most of news coverage paints Gulen within a political narrative — forgetting (or ignoring) four decades of civil society advocacy, education and dialogue activities and support for democracy and human rights. There is more to Gulen than this current political paradigm. Some history and perspective will help set the facts straight.

Fethullah Gulen and His Movement: A Brief Introduction

KASHIF HASAN KHAN July 1, 2012 We often talk about revivalism in education system so as to change the direction of our young generation, who seems to have forgotten the very fundamentals. Undoubtedly, our leaders have played a vital role and contributed a lot to it, but we can’t live up to that forever; we […]

New York Times interviews Mr. Gulen

John L. Esposito, a Georgetown University professor who has studied Mr. Gulen, said that if he were to compare Mr. Gulen to another public figure it would be the Dalai Lama.

Turkish Islamic scholar Gülen loses 72-year-old brother

Seyfullah Gülen, the brother of leading Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, died at the age of 72 on Friday morning at the private Şifa Hospital in Erzurum, where he had been receiving treatment after a heart attack.

Can the West believe in Islamic progress?

This means the [Gulen] movement’s Islamic core is intertwined with an internalization of Western Weberian and Calvinist worldviews, highlighting the interconnectedness of religious principles and economic applications, believing, in the spirit of Capitalism, that socioeconomic prosperity is the most favorable way to bring about and reflect God’s pleasure.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Tajik-Turkish Schools excel in Science Olympiads

Coexistence Awards largely honor Turkey’s minority groups

A Prayer to the Volunteers of Kimse Yok Mu from the Islands of Comoros

Sacked policeman’s grim death sparks debate on COVID-19 data in Turkish prisons

Joint mosque-cemevi project launched in Tokat

Erdoğan and Gülen: The Marriage of Convenience

Erdogan’s Turkey silencing dissent, abusing terrorism charges – HRW report

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News