The Movement’s chief priority is education. In Gülen’s view the establishment of justice is hindered by the lack of well-rounded education, as is the recognition of human rights and attitudes of acceptance and tolerance toward others: ‘If you wish to keep the masses under control, simply starve them in the area of knowledge.
They can escape such tyranny only through education. The road to social justice is paved with adequate, universal education, for only this will give people sufficient understanding and tolerance to respect the rights of others.’
Gülen holds that a new style of education is necessary. This education will fuse religious and scientific knowledge with morality and spirituality. It will produce genuinely enlightened people with hearts illumined by religious sciences and spirituality, and minds illuminated with positive sciences. The actions and life-styles of such people will embody humanity and moral values, and they will understand the socio-economic and political conditions of their time.
The education supported by the Movement is oriented to enabling people to think for themselves, to be agents of change on behalf of the positive values of social justice, human rights and tolerance. This sharply distinguishes the Movement from exclusivist organizations or cults which are oriented inward and demand conformity from group members (of which the private rites, insignia, etc., are a badge).
Related Articles
Graduates’ views on the effectiveness of Gülen-inspired schools in Azerbaijan
The findings of this study show the effectiveness of the Gülen-inspired educational institutions in Azerbaijan and their importance to the development of the country. Graduates of Gülen-inspired schools…
Understanding Structure and Hierarchy in the Gülen Movement – 1
Martin Taylor The Gülen Movement, also known as Hizmet (service), is a social movement inspired by the Turkish Islamic scholar and peace activist Fethullah Gülen.[1] It began in Turkey in the…
What is the Hizmet movement?
Hizmet is a faith-inspired civil society movement that seeks to create a culture of coexistence within universal, humanist values and is comprised of volunteers. The essence of volunteerism…