Articles

What is Fethullah Gülen’s position in the movement?

Fethullah Gülen is an opinion leader, an inspirer who encourages people to do service; he advises on plans and projects and provides guidance either through media or a press release when he deems appropriate and necessary. Since his early days, as an individual like all other fellow citizens, his involvement in the movement stems from his […]

The Hizmet Movement: A good partner in Dialogue

Thomas Michel, S. J. Many people see the need for interreligious and intercultural dialogue but are not sure where to begin. I have often been asked, “How do you go about starting up dialogue with others?” Especially because I am a Christian who has lived and shared life with Muslims for many years, they ask, […]

Gülen’s Rethinking of Islamic Pattern and Its Socio-Political Effects

In Turkey Fethullah Gülen’s community has been a powerful player in the national debate about the place of Islam in individual and collective life. Through emphasis on the importance of ‘secular education‘ and a commitment to the defense of both democratic principles and international human rights, Gülen has diffused a new and appealing version of how a ‘good Muslim‘ should act in contemporary society.

The Gülen Movement, Dialogue, and Tolerance

One of the basic aims of the global education activities [of the Gulen movement] is to form bridges that will lead to dialogue between religions and civilizations. According to Gülen, Muslims today should not shape their own cultural, social, and existential identities according to destructive values, which are rooted in conflict and fight

Brief history of the Gulen Movement’s educational activities

During his preaching years in mosques throughout Turkey, Gülen stressed education as the center of modernization and social progress. He emphasized continuously that peace, social justice and respect for diverse cultures and religions can be achieved by educated people who are grounded in modern science, strong morality and practical altruism.

Is Gulen Movement an Islamic or Turkish Nationalist Movement?

It’s not Pan-Turkish or Pan-Islamist. It is not a religious sect, fraternity, or cult; nor is it an extension or a branch of any of the above. The movement celebrates the universal moral dynamics and values that were exemplified by the Sufis of the early Islamic history and continue to be universally appreciated today.

Evolution of the Gülen Movement

By the 1990s, there is no doubt that the millions of citizens gathered around the ideas of Fethullah Gülen, along with the hundreds of service projects that they support, constituted a social movement. What is surprising, however, is the fact that the movement, rooted in a Turkish Islamic identity, was then and continues to be, as active in as many non-Muslim as well as Muslim countries.

Funding the Gülen-Inspired Good Works

The basic money-raising strategy in the movement consists in the establishment of local circles of businessmen, teachers, principals, professionals, and students who meet together regularly to discuss the works of Gülen and consider how his ideals can be applied in their local communities.

What is the Gülen Movement’s chief priority?

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.

Fundamentalism and Groundless Fears

A marginal group in Turkey lives with their groundless fears, and they perceive this movement in the same way. Their current situation bothers themselves before anyone else; they cannot help but think “what may happen tomorrow?” Nothing will happen, tomorrow is Wednesday, and then Thursday and Friday will come, and nothing will change.