2013 Annual Peace and Dialogue Awards by the Chicago-based Niagara Foundation were presented to their honorees at an event on September 16th in University Club of Chicago, a historic building of the city. At the ceremony emceed by Rob Stafford of NBC 5, the awards were given in the categories “Commitment”, “Public Service” and “Fethullah Gulen Award.” […]
A world-renowned scholar who has written numerous books on Islamophobia has urged Muslims living in the West to integrate into mainstream society, which he says is the most effective way to defeat the Islamophobia that is taking hold in the West, particularly in Europe.
Terrorism cannot be used to achieve any Islamic goal. No terrorist can be a Muslim, and no true Muslim can be a terrorist. Islam demands peace, and the Qur’an demands that every true Muslim be a symbol of peace and work to support the maintenance of basic human rights; any terrorist activity, no matter by whom it is carried out or for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy, and humanity.
Ben Burdick “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” —Rumi This fall, the Lakewood Public Library will be hosting a series of programs that will bring to light the cultural, historical and spiritual lives of Muslims in […]
ORHAN AKKURT, NEW YORK While speculation and news reports among some national media outlets have claimed that prominent Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen lives in a luxurious mansion in Pennsylvania, close friends and lawyers of the opinion leader said Gülen lives in what they call a social facility belonging to a charity. In response to […]
Hizmet Relief, shortly after changing its name, starts aid campaigns one after another. It finishes the “Cataract Campaign” and rushes to finalize “Water Wells Campaign.” The cataract campaign started in July, the Hizmet Relief had targeted to collect $10,000 to treat 100 people. $300 more was collected, which will give 103 people their eyesight back.
In an exclusive interview, Fethullah Gulen speaks on anti-Semitism, his particular brand of Islam, and why he’s been in hiding for 14 years. The reclusive spiritualist keeps to his home in the Poconos, attended by believers, praying, lecturing, and claiming his influence is not as wide-ranging as his critics claim it to be. He is sickly and doesn’t travel, yet secular Turks worry his influence in political ranks will grow Islamist influence there.
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights: “We have to understand that we have common issues in our communities that we can work together to improve our schools, we can work together for immigration reform and that these are issues of shared concern that are things we feel passionately about.” Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster believes that […]
The Turkish American Society of Chicago inaugurated its brand new culture center. The event was attended by prominent politicians, artists and businessmen from the windy city. The TASC supports multiculturalism and is dedicated to establishing good relations between the American -Turkish diaspora. Fatih Yildiz, the Turkish Consul General in Chicago, encompassed the philosophy of the […]
The Peace Islands Institute (PII) is ten years old now. Its 10th Anniversary and 6th Annual Award Ceremony was held on June 2, 2013. Over 200 guests and many dignitaries joined the PII to applaud the accomplishments of the honorees and to celebrate PII’s 10th anniversary. The honorees and guests all applauded the PII for becoming an agent of dialogue, love and peace-building within a short span of time.
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Rabbis for Human Rights: “We have to understand that we have common issues in our communities that we can work together to improve our schools, we can work together for immigration reform and that these are issues of shared concern that are things we feel passionately about.” Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster believes that […]
The Turkic American Alliance in Washington, D.C. hosted a traditional iftar dinner, inviting the community to break the day’s fast together. Rep. Keith Ellison, (D) Minnesota: “Ramadan represents an opportunity for us to come together. And everyone is welcome to the iftar. People of all faith traditions. And it’s a chance for us to get to know each other a little bit better.”
This year the most inspirational and memorable event for me was the PII’s iftar, not only because of Imam Shareef’s moving speech but also because I witnessed a wonderful experiment. A great friend of mine, Bergen County Sheriff Michael Saudino, was there, too. He has been attending the PII’s iftar dinners for three years. He decided to fast that day for the first time in his life to experience what fasting is really like in the Islamic way.
The Turkic American Alliance (TAA), which is an umbrella organization with more than 200 member organizations, and its component organization Rumi Forum came together to host a Ramadan Iftar for many dignitaries in the Washington, D.C. area on Tuesday, July 30th. Several ambassadors, congressmen, diplomats and leaders of the Turkic community and organizations attended the dinner.