Fethullah Gulen promotes democracy (CBS News)

Date posted: April 23, 2014

Fethullah Gulen promotes tolerance, interfaith dialog, and above-all: he promotes education. And yet he’s a mystery man — he’s never seen or heard in public — and the more power he gains, the more questions are raised about his motives and the schools.

Fethullah Gulen’s embrace of Western values has helped to modernize Turkey.

Abdulhamit Bilici, general manager of the Cihan News Agency in Istanbul said: Until early 90’s Islamic movement had the problem with the concept of secularism, democracy and other universal concepts.

So Fethullah Gulen was the one of the pioneers in the sense he said in the early 9o’s: “Turkey will not turn from democracy”
Democracy and Islam of course are compatible.

Tags: Democracy | Fethullah Gulen | North America |

Related News

AK Party gov’t spokesman confirms National Intelligence Organization profiling of faith-based movements

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government spokesman confirmed that the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) profiled some movements and groups, but rejected allegations that the government had taken action against those groups upon MİT profiling. AK Party government spokesperson Hüseyin Çelik raised the issue of government profiling of a large number of individuals who […]

Stay course in Gulen case

Ever since the failed July 15 coup attempt against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his government has applied all of the pressure it can muster to extradite exiled cleric Fetullah Gulen.

Family, friends losing hope as Calgary imam arrested in Turkey remains imprisoned

For a year, Calgary imam Davud Hanci has spent most of his days in solitary confinement in Turkey, accused of being a terrorist linked to failed 2016 coup attempt. “They’re just holding him there and they don’t want to release him because they don’t have any real evidence,” said Malik Muradov, executive director of Calgary’s Intercultural Dialogue Institute and a friend of Hanci.

Freedom House says security package undermines democracy in Turkey

US-based watchdog Freedom House has criticized Turkey’s controversial security package, which grants extensive powers to police officersand provincial governors, saying that the passing of the bill in Parliament is a move to undermine democracy in Turkey.

The Dutch Turkish community must speak out about the anti-Gülen violence

Labour MP Ahmed Marcouch calls on Turkish-Dutch organisations to speak out about violence and intimidation and to build bridges instead. There’s a silence and it’s hurting my ears. It’s the silence that surrounds the violence against the Gülen supporters. What happened to the organisations normally so quick to ask for protection against intolerance? Where are […]

Police raid business association in Malatya in new government-backed operation

Police teams entered and searched the premises of the Malatya Active Businessmen’s Association (MAKİAD) on Thursday in a new wave of government-led operations targeting institutions deemed to have an affiliation with the Gülen movement — a faith-based initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.