Opinions
The unwanted truth: the Muslim enemies of Islam
GÖKHAN BACIK Islamists (or Islamic groups) have to face a simple reality: There are radical religious Muslim groups around the globe with false interpretations of Islam. The threat of religious radicalism is not simply Western imperialist jargon devised to benefit self-serving Western strategies. It is a fact that various radical Islamic groups have paradoxically served […]
Journeys with the Gülen [Hizmet] Movement: 2008-2012 by James Harrington
James C. Harrington*, January 27, 2013 Journeys through life take strange twists and happen in mysterious ways – some would say providential, although I might not – but one does wonder at times. My journeys with the Gülen movement began one Summer Sunday morning in 2008, when a judge friend of mine announced from the back […]
Are Gülen’s remarks on talks with PKK really surprising?
ABDÜLHAMİT BİLİCİ When he said, “Peace is in itself goodness, and peace brings happiness,” Fethullah Gülen, a well-respected Turkish Islamic scholar, made a deep impact on the public debate revolving around the new peace process which started with the negotiations between the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, who […]
Today’s Zaman: six years of intense coverage
Yavuz Baydar Everybody should be thankful that Turkey proceeds the way it does. It has never disappointed us by keeping dull moments away from us and offering instead a constant stream of surprises. Often, a single day has meant a full year — 24 hours equaled to 365 days, in terms of events and developments. […]
Today’s Zaman celebrates sixth anniversary
BÜLENT KENEŞ On Jan. 16, 2013, Today’s Zaman’s sixth year will be complete. Since the very day this paper launched it has exerted great effort to promote the demilitarization and democratization of Turkey with the hopes that it will transform into a more transparent country governed by the rule of law. In this context it […]
Ideal human, ideal society in Gulen’s philosophy
Abdul Rauf I was introduced to the personality of Fethullah Gülen in 2010 when about 300 Turkish businessmen reached Lahore just a few days before Eid-ul-Adha. They announced that they would celebrate their Eid with the flood victims of Pakistan. It was a matter of amazement for us. Turkey is considered as one of the […]
Religion as a force for peace
ŞAHİN ALPAY One of the great advantages of Turkey, surely, is the dominance of religious scholars who have promoted conceptions of Islam promoting peace, socio-economic development and democracy. In this context, contributions of Said Nursi (1878-1960), a Kurd from Bitlis, and Fethullah Gülen, a Turk from Erzurum, are surely exceptional. In Turkey hopes for an […]
Who wants peace?
ORHAN MİROĞLU The Hizmet movement also wants peace. And peace is of course desired by the movement’s leader, Fethullah Gülen, who has worked for so many years to see the brotherhood between Turks and Kurds improved. Words of sincerity and courage spoken by Gülen should stand as examples for the leaders of our political parties. […]
Practicing Muslims and negotiating with the Kurdists
DR. İHSAN YILMAZ The Hizmet movement has taken the lead on several sensitive issues in Turkey, ranging from democratization and the EU process to interfaith dialogue. I think it must also take the lead in supporting the peace attempts. It does not have to give a blank check to everyone and can voice its concerns, […]
Turkish schools abroad: a global phenomenon
Dr. Seyfettin Gürsel Two weeks ago, I was in northern Iraq, the region controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), with my colleagues from Zaman. We had a very informative exchange of views with KRG personalities about the collaboration between Ankara and Arbil on the exploration of natural resources (see my article “Kurdish oil: a […]
Arbil closer to İstanbul than Baghdad
ŞAHİN ALPAY My first visit to the Kurdistan region of Iraq took place a year ago, on the invitation of the University of Duhok, to participate in an international conference on the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Awakenings. Last week I was once more in the region, this time upon an invitation […]
Discussing identity, multiculturalism and peace-building in Indonesia
Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz, JAKARTA Scholars and activists from all over the world and from all walks of life gathered in the lovely Indonesian resort city of Bogor to share their experiences on peace and peace-building activities. The 4th World Peace Forum (WPF) was organized in Bogor by the Indonesian Muhammadiyah movement, a loose social organization […]
Sacred, Secular, Twin Tolerations and the Hizmet Movement
Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz For me, the month of November is a month of conferences that I have to both endure but also enjoy. From New Orleans, I flew to Lahore to present a paper at another international conference titled “Ideal Human and Ideal Society in the Thoughts of M. Fethullah Gülen.” Scholars from many parts […]
‘Living Together’ under capital punishment
Yavuz Baydar An intensity of expectations and a fear of failure are now part of the peculiar process of Turkey’s transition towards democracy. It becomes rough and complicated, as days go by; it has hit serious snags. The heart of the matter is living together in peace and accord. When I watched a fresh manifestation […]
