I am seized with anxiety. Regardless of when, or if, I return to Turkey, those who have created controversy, made allegations, signed the execution of my death sentence [so to speak], will do so again the very same day I return. I made the logical choice and stayed here. I stayed despite myself. I stayed by burying the longing in my chest.
As for the movement; neither now, nor in the future should our friends have any ambition for government, they should not be engaged in politics, even if all the power and pomp of the world is laid at their feet; my friends who love me and heed my advice should not show a moment’s hesitation to push all this away with the back of their hand.
The key reasons behind the success of Gülen-inspired schools is the unique and unprecedented educational philosophy of Fethullah Gulen which is followed by the unparalleled and devoted teachers who sacrifice their time and efforts to realise Gülen’s philosophy, and hence strive for academic perfection while imparting moral values to the students.
In a written statement Gülen indicates that the major terrorist activities of the past few years not only set back the prospects for peace in the locations where they took place, but in the world as a whole. “First of all terror is a threat against the most sacred and global of values, human life. In the same way that it murders human life, terror abolishes social trust.
Please let me assure you that Islam never approves of any kind of terrorism. Terrorism cannot be a means for any Islamic goal, and a terrorist cannot be a Muslim, nor can a true Muslim be a terrorist. Islam orders peace and a true Muslim can only be a symbol of peace and the maintenance of basic human rights.
Politicizing religion is always a reductionist endeavor: it turns the mysterious relationship between humanity and the Divine into an ideology. Gülen says, “Religion is the relationship between people and their Creator. The feeling of religion lives in the heart’s depths. … If you turn it into a display of forms, you’ll kill it.
Q: The relationship between men and women in Islam is one of the controversial topics debated in the modern day. What are your thoughts of the place of women in society? Fethullah Gulen: The Qur’an invites people to form a family life and points out many wisdoms and benefits of marriage. “And Allah has given you […]
I regret to say that in the countries Muslims live, some religious leaders and immature Muslims have no other weapon on hand than their fundamentalist interpretation of Islam; they use this to engage people in struggles that serve their own purposes. In fact, Islam is a true faith, and it should be lived truly.
There is no doubt that the Islamic world lacks intellectuals who are aware and knowledgeable about their own existence and able to interpret and understand the creation correctly. It is a great loss for the Islamic world to lack intellectuals who are aware of the time in which they live and ready to question it and able to voice with no hesitation what they know.
What would you say about headlines like “….. he was discharged from the army due to connections with the Gulen community” which appear from time to time? This institution (the army) has certain conditions when admitting, as well as discharging, their staff. This needs to have a more lawful structure. Mr. Suleyman Demirel (former president […]