At the event, the three Abrahamic religions’ representatives, namely, Sheri Schiff of the Holocaust Museum, Dr. Rubel Shelly, professor of religion and philosophy at Rochester College; professor of history at Wayne State University, Dr. Saeed Khan offered their remarks.
“Bases of Interfaith Dialogue” was this year’s theme in the event series, covering a weighty topic every year.
The consensus among the speakers was that more efforts should be paid in order for love and peace to be established in society. It is not only a social responsibility but also a religious duty for members of the three religions. It’s time for everyone to take an action as social transformations start with individuals, the speakers urged.
The choral performance by Rochester College students livened up the night as the conversations among over 100 guests extended through the hours.
Published [in Turkish] on Zaman Amerika, November 27, 2013
Niagara Foundation Nebraska bestows Peace and Dialogue Awards
Niagara Foundation’s Nebraska chapter honored the recipients of “Niagara Foundation 2013 Peace and Dialogue Awards” at an award giving ceremony at Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, on November 15th. The ceremony was attended by over 100 guests, including the state’s high profile figures, who also had the opportunity at the event to get informed on Turkey and Anatolian people.
Tamsil: The inadvertent overspill of internalization
Gülen says, “Where you are [your ego], He is not; where you are not [your ego], He is.” In the Naqshibandi Sufi order there are four steps to reaching spiritual enlightenment “forget [forsake] the world, forget the [rewards of] the afterlife, forget your ego, forget [all these acts of] forgetting,” lest being conscious of them risks making one proud. So forgetting, or in the case of tamsil, not being aware of or intending to show or guide from the outset is key.
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Dignitaries, clergy, and everyday citizens, Jews, Christians and Muslims gathered Thursday night at Tarrytown’s DoubleTree Hotel by the invite of the Turkish Cultural Center for a Ramadan dinner, speeches, and entertainment. State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins praised the far-reaching outreach and inclusivity of this group and the peacefulness of their mission.
Persecution of the Gülen Movement in Turkey
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Speaking at a conference titled “The Hizmet Movement and Peacebuilding” in Washington, D.C., at the weekend, prominent professors praised peace initiatives inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen as a great contribution to world peace. Numerous academics and scientists from more than 20 countries delivered speeches on various topics covering the impact of the Hizmet movement on society and its contributions to it as a whole.
Understanding of Muslims in US is limited, says scholar
“Part of what we are doing involves interfaith work,” says Turk, and he brings up the role of the Pacifica Institute in California that does similar work in accordance with the teachings of Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. “The same values are taught by Gülen,” Turk says, and adds that students from the Gülen-inspired Hizmet movement attend Bayan Claremont as well. “We are educating the next generation of Islamic scholars and community leaders,” Turk says.
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