On November 13th, 2013, Pacifica Institute’s Portland chapter held its 5th Annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner having the author-journalist Mustafa Akyol as its keynote speaker. The dinner was attended by Turkish and American academics and businessmen. In his keynote speech centered on his book “Islam without Extremes,” Mustafa Akyol pointed out the fact that Islam is misrepresented.
That’s hizmet: freedom from fear, secure in the ultimate mercy and grace of a compassionate God, yet freedom to serve: recognizing the needs and suffering of one’s neighbors, and the strength and joy found in solidarity and community. That’s hizmet. And yet it is also the path to a meaningful, rich life — rich in the things that matter, the things that endure, the things that aren’t things.
On October 24th, Niagara Foundation’s Michigan chapter held its 3rd Annual Peace and Dialogue Award ceremony with the participation of numerous distinguished guests. In attendance of the ceremony were a large number of politicians, religious leaders and prominent figures around the state. Niagara Foundation is a Hizmet (Gulen Movement) initiative, which has headquarters in Chicago.
Brooklyn Amity School has been crowned champion receiving 30 medals in 2013 Asckhar’s Kyodai Invitational Karate Championship held in New York. 320 competitors in total from four different countries participated the sport event. Brooklyn Amity School distinguished itself winning 13 golden, 5 silver and 12 bronze medals and thus ranking first in the total number […]
Latest stopover in promotion event series of Islam without Extremes by journalist-author Mustafa Akyol was Salt Lake City. The event by Pacifica Institute Utah Branch at Marriott City Center saw the attendance of highly prominent guests including President Pro Tempore at Idaho State Senate, Brent Hill; Utah Senators, Gene Devis, Jim Dabakis; Representatives Lynn Hemingway […]
Turkish Cultural Center Maine honors Governor LePage at its first friendship dinner. Speakers point to business and education ties and potential [between Turkey and State of Maine] as the governor and two others receive awards. Several state legislators who attended the dinner have gone on one of the three trips the Turkish Cultural Center has organized for lawmakers to visit Turkey. There also are educational ties between Maine and Turkey.
The Peace Islands Institute (PII) held a discussion panel on October 28, titled “A Year After Hurricane Sandy: Climate Change and Disaster Management” in order to raise awareness on climate change and disaster management, to highlight disaster management planning, to explore effective ways to respond to natural disasters during and after emergency and to handle the emergency situations.
The 54th annual meeting of the Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA), held in Denver in November 2012, included a panel discussion on “Faith-Based Conservative Activism in Turkey: Fethullah Gulen as a Social Movement.” The panel attracted research studies on the Hizmet movement and its various educational and social activities, conducted at various geographical locations.
Niagara Foundation, active across 11 states in Midwest, held its annual award ceremony on November 5th in Columbus, Ohio. Aimed to promote education and dialogue, the foundation’s annual event drew a large attendance of prominent guests including assembly members, academics and religious figures. Serkan Aykan, Niagara Foundation Ohio director, delivered the opening address of the […]
Today’s Zaman interviewed Wagner about his recent book and his insights about Fethullah Gülen. Prof. Walter Wagner says: “There was a Hitler, there was a Stalin, and there was an Osama bin Laden. We must be very careful and we must examine the heart. In Gülen’s case, the key is love. If the charismatic leader does not lead you to love, does not lead you to acceptance. People are hungry for such leadership.
Hizmet, or service, is one of the largest social movements in the world. The Rumi Forum organized an international symposium called the “Hizmet Movement and Peacebuilding for Global Cases” at the National Press Club Ballroom in Washington D.C. Academics and scientists from more than 20 countries presented topics covering the impact of Hizmet Movement to […]
Professors said that Hizmet is an anti-violence group that uses education and dialogue to achieve its goals. One of the highlights of the symposium was Dr. Martha Kirk’s presentation called Iraqi Women of Three Generations. There are 32 Hizmet schools in Iraq and she said these institutions teach Iraqi women self confidence.
Professors said that Hizmet is an anti-violence group that uses education and dialogue to achieve its goals. Dr. Amidu Olalekan Sanni, Lagos State University, Nigeria: “I think the Hizmet group has been very influential in terms of human development, basically in the area of education and health. The first Hizmet university is actually based in the Nigerian capital of Abuja.”
Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of Jewish community leaders on a Niagara Foundation sponsored trip to Türkiye (Turkey). Our mission: to provide the group with windows into the Jewish experience in Turkey. One of the trip participants would describe this as, “not a Jewish trip to Turkey but a group of Jewish people traveling to Turkey.”