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Opinions

Gulen: Dervish of our times

Why it is that Gulen, despite having been rated by the Foreign Policy Prospect as one of the highly acclaimed 100 top intellectuals of the world is still a lesser known public figure in the Muslim world. It may be because of his low profile and a moderate Turkish version of Islam.

Toward a culture of coexistence

Nigeria is an important and relevant place for this conference because it is where volunteers of the Hizmet Movement inspired by Fethullah Gülen’s ideas have established 16 schools, a university and a hospital.

Fethullah Gulen and the Kurdish Issue

Fethullah Gulen ponders over many issues that range from faith to ethnic problems in Turkey. Furthermore, through faith and cultural values, Gulen is able to mobilize wide and influential segments in the society. I think, his words should be paid attention and listened.

‘Inception,’ the Gülen community and the PKK

Kurtuluş Tayiz I have been following anti-Fethullah Gülen broadcasts in the Kurdish media for some time now. Television stations, newspapers and Internet sites known for their closeness to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have incessantly been spreading hostility amongst its readers against Gülen. It wouldn’t be so difficult to understand if most of these publications […]

A February 28 tactic from the PKK

The people of the nation know Gülen, who has spoken for years from the lectern at mosques, and they know those on the other side, too. If the shadows of the weapons cast over these people were only to be lifted, we would see whose side they would stand on.

Out of the rubble, a chance to mend relations

It is imperative to note that the Gulen Movement, which supports interfaith dialogue and has played a critical role in the social and political history of Turkey, does not support hostilities between Israel and Turkey. The movement encourages the two countries to repair their relations as soon as possible.

Gülen and a new paradigm in the Kurdish issue

The Muslims, over the past nine years, have been the main dynamic of the change in Turkey. They have questioned their ties with nationalism, militarism and the status quo. These points that Gülen underlined are extremely important. He clearly and precisely identifies the reason of the problems and offers advice.

I see real patriotism in the Gülen movement

Serdar Turgut* 18 October 2011, Tuesday Patriotism, according to the ideology imposed on this country, was understood differently for me and people like me. In this approach, fighting against religious people was part of patriotism. Combating movements like the Gülen movement was imposed as a condition for patriotism. Many people believed these lies. When I […]

The Anatolians are coming

This inclusion of the Armenian and Jewish cultures in the “Anatolian” concept is worth pondering, for it tells something about the cultural codes of some of the makers of “New Turkey” and how they differ from the codes of “old” (i.e., Kemalist) Turkey.

Anatolia in Los Angeles

We can build better tomorrows by not discounting historical truths, and instead face these truths and reconcile with them when necessary. While doing so, we can of course pay the tribute necessary to the cultures and the peoples that have helped us arrive at this point.

Gulen-Inspired Schools Promote Learning and Service: A Response to Philadelphia Inquirer

Dr. Jon Pahl and Dr. John Raines A Response to Philadelphia Inquirer Article 03.20.2011 The recent article “U.S. Charter-School Network Draws Federal Attention” by Martha Woodall and Claudio Gatti can shed light on the existence of schools around the globe founded and led by individuals inspired by Muslim public intellectual Fethullah Gülen. Unfortunately, the article […]

The intra-Turkish debate on the Mavi Marmara

But this does not mean that all Turks think the same way about the Turkish activists on the Mavi Marmara, and the particular course of action some of them took. In fact, an interesting debate has just begun – and within a very interesting place: the Islamic camp.

The Islamic case for a secular state

‘Abant Platform,’ as it became known, declared the compatibility of Islam with a secular state based on liberal democracy. This was a milestone not only because the participants included top Islamic thinkers, but also because the organizers were members of Turkey’s strongest Islamic community, the Fethullah Gülen movement.”

Book Review: Faith, Theology and Service in Peacebuilding

This book, bringing together key papers from three conferences, offers refreshingly varied, critically nuanced views of Gulen’s thinking and shows the profound impact hizmet has had on particular individuals and societies.