Troubled Nigeria discusses Gülen’s ‘culture of coexistence’

Prof. Mohammed A. T. Suleiman, Mr. Hakan Yeşilova, editor-in-chief of The Fountain magazine, Mr. Tamer Çopuroğlu, president of the Ufuk Dialogue Foundation and Mr. Yavuz Zemheri from the conference secretariat at a press conference at the Ufuk Dialogue Foundation’s Abuja headquarters on Wednesday, 16 Nov. 2011. (From left to right)
Prof. Mohammed A. T. Suleiman, Mr. Hakan Yeşilova, editor-in-chief of The Fountain magazine, Mr. Tamer Çopuroğlu, president of the Ufuk Dialogue Foundation and Mr. Yavuz Zemheri from the conference secretariat at a press conference at the Ufuk Dialogue Foundation’s Abuja headquarters on Wednesday, 16 Nov. 2011. (From left to right)


Date posted: November 18, 2011

KERİM BALCI

Nigeria, which has been plagued by interfaith and intercultural conflict for some time now, is hosting a conference today and tomorrow discussing Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen‘s ideas and activities on establishing a culture of coexistence and mutual understanding.

Co-organized by the Abuja-based Ufuk [Horizon] Dialogue Foundation and The Fountain magazine in cooperation with several Nigerian and Turkish universities, the conference will feature scholars from 13 countries from around the world. The conference will have sessions about coexistence with positive action and peace building, contemporary legal thought, civil society and religion, globalization and dialogue, education and Gülen-inspired schools, religion and perspectives on mutual understanding and finally tolerance and Gülen’s philosophy. Participants will discuss issues ranging from the philosophical origins of globalization to the lessons that can be taken from Gülen’s thought for managing communal conflicts in Nigeria.

The Abuja-based Ufuk [Horizon] Dialogue Foundation and The Fountain magazine representatives informed the local media about a conference at which Fethullah Gülen’s ideas and activities on establishing a culture of coexistence and mutual understanding will be discussed

“Gülen-inspired schools have been operating in Nigeria for over 13 years now. This conference will put Mr. Gülen’s thought on the social and cultural map of this country,” Tamer Çopuroğlu, president of the newly founded Ufuk Dialogue Foundation, told Today’s Zaman.

According to Çopuroğlu, Nigeria, with over 200 ethnic groups and languages, is both a perfect laboratory for testing Gülen’s peace ideas and for putting them into practice, also because Nigeria is badly in need of peace, given recent interreligious conflict in the country.

“We have been contributing to the solidarity among Nigerians with our schools for over a decade now. Last Ramadan our schools provided free iftar dinners to over 3,000 people every day and during Eid al-Adha we distributed sacrificial meat to Muslims, Christians and animists in order to create an environment of peaceful coexistence,” Çopuroğlu said. There are already 17 Gülen-inspired primary and high schools in Nigeria as well as a Nigerian Turkish University and a hospital.

Hakan Yeşilova, editor-in-chief of The Fountain magazine, is particularly impressed with the readiness of the Nigerian authorities to cooperate with the conference. “Nigeria is a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa and we will be hosting several statesmen from neighboring countries. I have been editing a journal on Gülen’s ideas for years now. For me this is like a dream come true and it gives energy for future dreams,” he told Today’s Zaman. The Fountain is planning to organize similar conferences in countries like Pakistan and India, where multiculturalism is a fact of life and where establishing and nurturing a culture of coexistence is a basic necessity.

The conference “Culture of Coexistence and Mutual Understanding: Exploring Fethullah Gülen’s Thought and Action” will be broadcast online on the official website of the conference, www.nigeriaconference2011.org and its mirror, www.cultureofcoexistence.org. The broadcast will start at 9 a.m. (GMT+2) today (Friday, Nov. 18) and at 17:30 p.m. (GMT+2) on Saturday.

Source: Today’s Zaman, November 17, 2011

 

 

Tags: | | |


Related News

Embrace Relief Worldwide Qurban (Feast of Sacrifice) Campaign

As part of their Hunger Relief program, Embrace Relief administers qurban organizations all over the world to bring joy to the table of people in need, while helping Muslims take care of their religious obligations. In 2015, qurban donations have been distributed amongst countries such as Bangladesh, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, and the United States. This year, qurban donations will be distributed to those in need in the United States, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

11 Gülen sympathizers held hostage at Saudi hotel deported to Turkey

Eleven Turkish nationals who were reportedly detained in Saudi Arabia on March 15 have been kept in a hotel in Madinah for weeks, waiting to be deported to Turkey, according to a letter sent to Turkeypurge.com.

Kenya Embassy Donates Food & Warm Clothes to Syrian Refugees

Kenya Embassy donations were channelled through Kimse Yok Mu (or ‘Is Any One there’), a Turkish Non-Governmental Organisation on 29th January, 2013. It is noted that Kimse Yok Mu is one of the international NGOs that actively responded to the Horn of Africa humanitarian crisis in 2011 that saved the lives of thousands of Somali refugees from imminent death due to prolonged drought.

Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu helps the homeless after floods in Zimbabwe

One of the largest charity organizations in Turkey, Kimse Yok Mu, has launched a massive aid campaign to extend help to nearly 20,000 people hit hard by floods that have devastated the border areas of Zimbabwe.

Hizmet movement in the spotlight at MESA 2012

The 54th annual meeting of the Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA), held in Denver in November 2012, included a panel discussion on “Faith-Based Conservative Activism in Turkey: Fethullah Gulen as a Social Movement.” The panel attracted research studies on the Hizmet movement and its various educational and social activities, conducted at various geographical locations.

Turkey: Erdogan’s macabre dance in Africa

What is the sense in advocating for the transfer of investments of private individuals to a government backed NGO? Is President Erdogan indirectly telling African leaders that his empire in Turkey extends to African countries hence the outrageous demand? From the preceding, it is clear that President Erdogan has little or no respect for African nations hence this anomaly. I also beg to state here that the politics of Turkey should be left in Turkey.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Who is Fethullah Gülen, why is the Gülen movement currently being targeted by the Turkish government?

High court accepts indictment against Cihaner and Gen. Berk

Obama is the real turkey in this scenario

EU denies claims of designating Gülen group as ‘terrorist org’ in report

Sending Fethullah Gulen to Turkey would be a national disgrace

Erdogan – Turkey’s desperate president

EP kills parallel state lies

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News