News
‘Gulen Movement is a civil society movement, rather than a religious one’
University of Utah professor of political science Hakan Yavuz, Ph.D, gave a lecture followed by a conversation on his latest book “Toward an Islamic Enlightenment: The Gulen Movement“. At the lecture hosted by Rumi Forum Washington D.C., Yavuz argued that the Gulen Movement should not be considered a religious movement, rather, a civil society movement. He […]
An Armenian lady, Hrant and April 24
There is a story that Hrant Dink used to tell on many different occasions that I would like to share with you. Let us listen to the story from Hrant: “An old Turkish man called me from a village in the region of Sivas and said: ‘Son, we searched everywhere until we found you. There […]
1915 tragedy to be commemorated with foreign delegation for first time
YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN, İSTANBUL On April 24 of this year, Turkish people commemorating the 98th anniversary of the tragic events of 1915 will be joined for the first time by a foreign delegation composed of 20 anti-racist and Armenian representatives from 15 countries. “The delegation consists of two main groups; one group is represented by […]
A headscarved woman at the April 24 commemoration
The Armenian issue has been a periodically recurring problem for all governments of the Turkish Republic so far. It has become a habit for us to react and voice national concerns via our Foreign Ministry when parliaments of foreign countries pass bills on recognition of the genocide, or as April 24 looms. Meanwhile, we have […]
The Armenian issue of 1915, Turkish politics and Israel
I am in Salzburg, Austria, for a week as an Erasmus visiting professor. I am mainly contributing to the ongoing seminar classes of other professors who have asked me to talk about Turkey, Islam, democracy, human rights, Turkey’s EU membership process and the Hizmet movement. The students of the University of Salzburg are highly interested […]
Lebanese-Swedish singer Zain says proud to sing Gülen’s poem
Lebanese-Swedish singer Maher Zain, who recently sang a poem written by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen for an album titled “Colors of Peace-Rise Up,” has said that he is very proud of singing a poem by Gulen. Artists from 12 countries composed music for poems written by Turkish Islamic scholar Gulen, who is known for […]
Turkish and Kurdish women meet to discuss media and peace in Sulaimaniya, Iraq
TUĞBA MEZARARKALI, SULAIMANIYA/IRAQ Kurdish and Turkish women met in the Iraqi town of Sulaimaniya on Sunday to discuss various issues including the role of the media in relation to women and coexistence and freedoms in the Middle East. Fifty female journalists from Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan joined the event, organized by the Medialog Platform of […]
Islamic scholars to discuss ‘Ijma’ at Istanbul symposium
OSMAN ÜNALAN, MUSTAFA KUŞEN, ORHAN YILDIRIM, ÖMER ÖZDEMİR, İSTANBUL Scholars from 80 countries will convene in İstanbul over the weekend for a two-day symposium during which they will exchange views about ijma, an Islamic term meaning religious consensus, and stress the unity of Muslims. The event, which is jointly organized by the Yeni Ümit and […]
Nine decades later, Hizmet gives back to Karachi
When Aynur Pazarci watched Benazir Bhutto on television, she would think of her as an elder sister. After spending her whole life in Turkey, Pazarrci felt connected to Pakistan long before she moved here seven years ago. Now, she serves as the vice principal of the Pak Turk International School’s guidance department. Tucked away in […]
An Experience of Co-Existence: Panel on the Example of Istanbul and Şanlıurfa
The Journalists and Writers Foundation Intercultural Dialogue Platform organized a panel entitled “An Experience of Co-Existence: The Example of Istanbul and Şanlıurfa”, which took place in the city of Şanlıurfa. Religious representatives from the Armenian, Jewish, Assyrian, and Catholic communities expressed their thoughts on Turkey opening its doors to dialogue. The panel brought together the […]
Nigerien Minister of Education at Kimse Yok Mu
Niger Minister of Education, MME Ali Marianna Elh. Ibrahim accompanied by a Nigerien delegation paid a visit to Kimse Yok Mu headquarters on April 19, Friday. Interacting with the foundation officials at the visit, a token of the bridge of friendship between Turkey and Niger, the Nigerien minister thanked Kimse Yok Mu for its humanitarian […]
Lamb-hunt in the Netherlands
“Once, a wolf drinking water from the river notices a lamb by the water and runs towards him. He is planning to eat up the lamb. But to block any likely help and to shift the blame onto the lamb by psychological pressure and thus eat it up comfortably, the wolf says, “Why did you […]
Scholars: The major problem of the Muslim World is shortage of educated people
The conference titled “Ideal Human and Ideal Society in the Thoughts of Prophet Muhammad” organized jointly by the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) and the journal Hira came to an end after the day-2 sessions on April 14. One of the speakers of the day, International African University Rector Prof. Hasan Mekki put an emphasis […]
How to Interview Fethullah Gulen
Turkey is in the spotlight (again) with TIME magazine’s choices for its 2013 list of the 100 most influential peoplein the world. Turkish spiritual leader Fethullah Gulen and the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan were both listed under the leaders section. Öcalan and Gulen are two enigmas. One lives in self-imposed […]
