Fethullah Gulen issued messages of condolence for victims of the ISIS attacks in Iraq and Bangladesh


Date posted: July 5, 2016

I condemn in the strongest terms the brutal terrorist attacks that took place in Baghdad, Iraq, and Dhaka, Bangladesh, that claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, including many children. These attacks are grave crimes against humanity and carve deep wounds in our society’s collective consciousness.

On this sad occasion, I must reiterate that any form of harm against civilians, persecution of minorities or sectarian violence completely contradicts the principles of the Qur’an and the Muslim Prophetic tradition.

ISIS reportedly claimed responsibility for both attacks. No matter how they name themselves and whatever claims they make, the perpetrators of such cruel attacks should be recognized for what they truly are: groups of people who, under the spell of a violent extremist mentality, have become monstrous terrorists that deny human beings their lives and dignity.

I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased in Iraq and Bangladesh. May God give them strength, patience and perseverance, and alleviate their suffering. I also pray for God to lead us all toward a day when the world may be free of the cancer of terrorism.

About Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gulen is an Islamic scholar, preacher and social advocate, whose decades‐long commitment to interfaith tolerance and altruism has inspired millions in Turkey and around the world. Gulen is the honorary chairman of the Intercultural Dialogue Platform, Brussels, Belgium; Foundation of Journalists and Writers, Istanbul, Turkey; and Rumi Forum, Washington DC.

About Alliance for Shared Values

The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for dialogue organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. Based in New York, the Alliance strives to promote peace and to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against any or all ethnic, cultural and religious communities. To learn more about the Alliance please visit www.afsv.org.

Source: The Alliance for Shared Values , July 4, 2016


Related News

Russian Diplomat Assassin’s Sister Says Police School, Not Gulen, Radicalized Him

The on-camera murder of Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov by 22-year-old Turkish police officer Mevlut Mert Altintas raised some disturbing questions about corruption and security in Turkey. In an interview with Hurriyet Daily News, Altintas’s step-sister Seher made those questions even more disturbing by claiming her brother was radicalized in police school.

Who is Fethullah Gülen?

The leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, rightly called it “a coup against democracy” when Zaman Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı and STV network executive Hidayet Karaca, together with a number of screenwriters and television producers, were detained on Dec. 14 on the incredible charges of founding or belonging to “an armed terrorist organization aiming to seize the sovereignty of the state.”

Fethullah Gülen expresses thanks for condolences extended after brother’s death

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has thanked those who expressed their condolences following the death of his brother, Hasbi Nidai Gülen, last week. Gülen’s brother died on Friday morning at a hospital in Ankara, where he was receiving treatment for lung cancer. He was 66. Hundreds bade him farewell at funeral ceremonies held in Ankara […]

Australian Catholic University announces Fethullah Gulen international scholarship

Australian Catholic University has announced Fethullah Gulen International Scholarship to be given to international students who will research Muslim-Christian relations at postgraduate level. Funded by the International Student Scholarship funds, the Fethullah Gulen International Scholarship was established in 2012 to support international students undertaking postgraduate research in the broad area of Muslim-Christian relations within the […]

The Turkish assassin is a product of Tayyip Erdogan’s incitement

Karlov’s murderer was Mevlüt Mert Altintas. He did not grow up in a vacuum. Five years ago, Erdogan acknowledged his goal was “to raise a religious generation.” Altintas is its product. He was seven years old when Erdogan came to power; his whole schooling was under Erdogan. If history is any pattern, the violence in Turkey is just beginning and Erdogan will not be able to contain it, even if he is inclined to try.

Poconos-Based Muslim Preacher Addresses Catholic-Muslim Dialogue Conference

Fethullah Gülen, the prominent Muslim scholar, preacher and peace advocate, today urged people of all faiths to come together to address global conflict at the first-ever US Muslim-Catholic Dialogue Conference, which seeks to promote interfaith dialogue and mutual respect worldwide.

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

Turkey’s Erdogan attempts to have Gambia close down Turkish schools

I object to AK Party’s ‘New Turkey’

US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee: Charges against Gülen not credible

Commemorations for former President Özal, supporter of Turkish schools abroad

Pro-gov’t journo says Gülen followers were abducted, illegally questioned by Turkey’s intelligence agency

Ramadan meal iftar helps Muslims break religious, cultural barriers with guests

Troubled Nigeria discusses Gülen’s ‘culture of coexistence’

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News