Diagonal Dialogue from Turkey to Senegal


Date posted: April 29, 2013

Teranga is another name for Senegal. It means hospitable in the Wolof language. It is a door that opens from the West to Africa and from Africa to the West. Here, the vast sand sea of Great Sahara comes to an end; desert gives way to the giant waves of the Atlantic Ocean and scorching heat turns into a mild coolness.

While its neighbors are shaken with coup d’états, civil wars and violence; Senegal, which is ta symbol of peace, faith and security in its region, was the home to a very important symposium: “Finding Common Denominators in the Globalized World: Contributions of the Gulen Movement.” Senegal is one of the few exceptions to the violence and political turmoil plaguing the continent. In 2012 elections, the incumbent president Abdoulaye Wade turned over the presidency to Macky Sall with a maturity that is rarely seen in Africa. This was a strong indicator that democracy culture is thriving in this country. Moreover, the fact that the first president of Senegal Leopold Sedar—a Christian has served in that capacity for twenty years and is still well respected by most everyone shows the political and cultural tolerance of this Muslim majority country. What surfaces as relatively calm political governance periods stems from the country’s political culture, which is founded upon Senegal’s understanding of a moderate religion and Sufi groups that embrace the same values.

Students of a 20th century Muslim Saint Ahmadu Bamba’s movement Muridiyya has adopted a pacifist struggle against the colonial powers and never resorted to violence. Aside from their role in establishing Senegal’s culture of tolerance, these groups that appeal to millions have a direct effect on the religious devotion of the Senegalese, which can be seen in Dakar and its suburbs. This symposium was the first step that Ebru magazine took to share its values with the Francophone peoples. The program included a symposium with the participation of academicians and thinkers from Turkey, Europe, the USA, and Africa and an exhibition showcasing the holy trusts from Turkey’s Topkapi Palace. It included satisfying academic discussions and helped 800 people to get acquainted with each other.

The Atlantic Turk-Senegalese Intercultural Dialogue Foundation, Yavuz Selim Colleges, Senegal Education Ministry and Cheikh Anta Diop University organized the symposium together. Speakers from 12 countries talked about the fruits of Gulen’s ideas that are borne in their respective countries. Professor Suat Yildirim from Turkey said “it’s not a movement that was born yesterday and blown out of proportions by a marginal portion of the society” about the Hizmet movement. According to professor Irfan Yilmaz, Hizmet movement showed that it was possible to look at science from a religious perspective through publications like Ebru magazine.

Idesbald Nicaise from Belgium talked about contributions to education and dialogue of the Lucerna Schools, Filip Stanciu from Romania about Lumina University, Yasien Mohamed from South Africa about Star Colleges’ in their countries, all Hizmet movement institutions. Elena Biagi from Italy talked about how Fethullah Gulen’s thoughts on Sufism helped build universal values in multicultural societies. Marcia Hermansen from the US offered a general review of contemporary Muslim thinkers’ approach to pluralism and stressed that while maintaining a careful connection to traditions, Fethullah Gulen is in a position to embrace others. French professor Hervé Legrand said that despite the negative image portrayed by the media, Islam should be recognized as not being a religion of violence.

At the opening ceremony, Prime minister Abdoul Mbaye had this to say: “Gulen nurtured the research and learning demands in human beings to help them tackle the problems of the globalized world. Institutions that organized this conference and people who laid the foundations of this idea show a new way to find new common denominators for humanity with optimism.”

Turkish ambassador Sibel Algan also praised the contributions of Turkish schools to dialogue and said: “The Gulen Movement‘s contributions are obvious and full of merit. I have seen the same devotion, altruism, and collaboration exhibited by teachers of these schools in many other countries. ”

Source: FethullahGulen.Org, 26 April 2013


Related News

17 Nigerian-Turkish schools caught in Ankara coup crossfire

The Turkish president actually requested 170 countries where the schools are established and run for the same favour, but while only two, including Somalia, obliged on the grounds of their indebtedness to Turkey, the other countries have either refused or are undecided as they asked for proof of Erdogan’s claim.

Kimse Yok Mu to build 4 schools in Sudan

Turkish aid organization Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There) has laid the foundation for the Kimse Yok Mu Education and Culture Complex, which contains four schools, to be built in South Darfur, Sudan. 2 May 2011 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL South Darfur Governor Abdu-Elhameed Musa Kasha, Turkey’s Ambassador to Sudan Yusuf Kenan Küçük and Kimse […]

Erdoğan’s fight against education in Africa

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited a few African nations, among them Somalia and Ethiopia. When looking at his media mouthpieces’ coverage of the trip and his declarations, it seems the primary reason of his trip was to “tell” the African nations to close schools that were established by civil society groups and private companies affiliated with the Hizmet movement.

Ethiopian President receives Ethio-Turkish schools delegation

Board members of Nejashi Ethio-Turkish International Schools recently paid a courtesy visit to the newly elected Ethiopian President, Dr. Mulatu Teshome, in his presidential office. A former ambassador of Ethiopia to Ankara, Teshome warmly received the board members of the schools, which have been operating in the country for nine years, currently with 1,300 students […]

Somalian Ambassador, “We Felt the Eid with Turkish Aids”

Somalia, which is trying to relieve with Anatolian aid campaigns, thanks to Turkish people. Somalian Ambassador to Ankara, H.E. Mohamed Mursal Sheikh expressed his gratitude for the aid campaign organized by Turkey at Eid ul-Adha. He said: “We experienced the true Eid al-Adha by your friendship and great support.”

Ugandan FA Minister: Turkish schools paved the way for Turkey to reach out to Africa

Ugandan Foreign Affairs Minister Asuman Kiyingi said Turkish schools have paved the way for Turkey to reach out to Africa. “I would like to note that especially the Turkish schools underpin the outreach,” he said. The minister Kiyingi shared that they regard the local Turkish schools as the most significant investments Turkey has made in Uganda and that they offer an admirable service in moral education besides their academic achievements.

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

Where is Turkey going? (2)

A rising profile for Turkish Cultural Center Vermont

Blanket Drive for Syrian Refugees a Great Success

Turkey overshadows war-hit Syria in number of academics seeking asylum elsewhere

Turkish charities take benevolence across borders during Eid al-Adha

Turks in South Africa tell a different narrative about Erdogan

Der Spiegel: Turkish embassies pursuing Erdoğan critics in 35 countries

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News