Scholars to discuss tolerance at Hizmet Movement conference in Taiwan


Date posted: December 6, 2012

The China Post news staff — Scholars from Taiwan, Turkey, the United States and Japan meet in Taipei this weekend for a conference on the Hizmet Movement, a faith-inspired social movement that calls for tolerance. The Hizmet Movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish native Fethullah Gulen, began in the late 1960s as an initiative to build dormitories for university students. Today, followers build schools, charities and platforms for interfaith and intercultural communication.

The movement differentiates itself from extremist Islamic beliefs with its emphasis on peaceful intercultural dialogue and respect, said Osman Cubuk, Vice Chairman of the Taipei-based Formosa Institute.

Formosa Institute organizes seminars, conferences, panels and luncheons and interfaith dialogue dinners to promote diversity and multiculturalism in Taiwan. The institute is co-organizing this weekend’s conference with National Taiwan University’s College of Social Sciences.

The “International Conference on the Hizmet Movement and the Thought and Teachings of Fethullah Gulen: Contributions to Multiculturalism and Global Peace” takes place Dec. 8-9 at National Taiwan University’s College of Social Sciences.

Scholars from Taiwan, Turkey, the United States and Japan are to discuss issues such as Gulen’s contributions to democracy, modern Islamic theology, science, education and charity as well as the structure, development and finance of the movement.

Source: The China Post , December 6, 2012

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Govt Brushes Of Claims Of Terrorism At Afghan-Turk Schools

Officials said students at Afghan-Turk Schools do exceptionally well at international Olympiads and this year alone they have won 170 medals.

Turkey’s post-coup crackdown moves overseas

In several cases, Turkey has offered to run the seized institutions, although it is expected to face legal challenges. Kimse Yok Mu, which had more than 200,000 volunteers in 100 countries before being forcibly closed after the coup attempt, is understood to be preparing to take the decision to international courts. Joshua Hendrick, an expert on the Gulen movement said Ankara faced a big challenge when it came to stepping into the shoes of its former allies.

Erdogan’s critics in Germany living in fear of his long arm

When Ercan Karakoyun goes to a restaurant in Kreuzberg or Neukölln, Berlin’s boroughs with a large migrant population, he never sits with his back to the door. When he leaves, he looks left and right before exiting, to make sure no one is waiting for him. He also stopped visiting Turkish mosques, fearing an attack.

Hizmet movement demonized by Erdogan regime but loved abroad

South Africa is a good example of a country that has not been pressured into adopting the narrative touted by the Turkish government. Local politicians, students and academics regularly acknowledge the Hizmet Movement’s altruistic activities in the country.

Who staged a coup against whom on Dec. 17?

When its involvement in corruption and bribery became public, and that this seemed like the tip of an iceberg, the government thought that it must cover up the subsequent investigation, fearing that yet more investigations would be started — and so crushed the police force and the judiciary like a steamroller.

‘Islam and I’

The number of books written by Western academics on Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s ideas and Hizmet, the faith-based social movement he has inspired, is growing.

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

Kimse Yok Mu provides vocational training for Palestinian orphans

Kimse Yok Mu’s Ramadan packages for Filipino families

Brazilian Intellectuals and Artists Defend Turk against Demands for Extradition to Turkey

Liberian Government: Turkish school to remain open

Erdogan’s hunt for Gülenists, at home and abroad, includes abductions, torture and disappearances

‘Removal of Gülen’s books from NT shelves offends the public’

Establishing a Culture of Coexistence and Mutual Understanding Conference Kicks off in Nigeria

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News