No one can be a suicide bomber. No one can rush into crowds with bombs tied to his or her body. Regardless of the religion of these crowds, this is not religiously permissible. Even in the event of a war, during which it is difficult to maintain balances, this is not permitted in Islam, which states: "Do not touch children or people who worship in churches."…
To accomplish the educational projects that Mr. Fethullah Gülen envisioned required human and financial resources. Teachers and principals were needed who were dedicated and committed to quality education and who were willing to make sacrifices to enhance the education of their students. Parents had to be willing to work with teachers and school administrators for common educational goals. And to achieve these goals philanthropic giving through the establishment of charitable trusts was necessary. …
The role of the hizmet teachers is crucial in order to understand the ideational background of Gülen-inspired schools. Fethullah Gülen distinguishes between education and teaching and stresses the importance of not simply imparting knowledge but to be also responsible for building the characters of the students by teaching them moral values. According to Gülen, education will help to shape a new generation, a “golden generation” (altın nesil), that will be able to combine scientific knowledge and moral values in an effort to lead society toward its own betterment.…
The commitment and hard work of teachers in Hizmet schools is a significant factor behind their academic success. Teachers are willing to work harder and for longer hours than their counterparts in other schools, and are not paid any more to do so. This willingness is referred to internally in the [Gülen] movement as fedakarlık (self-sacrifice), and is highly prized and encouraged. …
Dogu Ergil Fethullah Gülen and his assistants have a long list of successes, ranging from sports to the Scientific Olympiads. The students of our schools abroad, in addition to winning the first places in the tests and contests held at…
One of the crowning achievements of Gülen in his activism was the establishment of the tripartite educator–parent–sponsor relationship. As his approach entailed serving the whole community, Gülen persuaded parents who were paying tuition and the business owners supporting the schools that the educational opportunities offered to the financially-able families needed to be extended to the economically disadvantaged.…
Perhaps the most crucial synthesis Gülen was able to achieve in theory and in practice was his proposal for a harmony of science and religion, reason and faith. The view of science and religion as categorically contradictory or antagonistic to each other, to him, is a shallow one: those who perceive religion and science in this way are unaware of the spirit of both religion and reason…
Gülen transmits Islamic tenets in a way that everyone can see a role for himself and herself in building a compassionate society where all human beings can co-exist with one another for greater causes based on sacrifice and altruism. …
Doğu Ergil Are there any countries, which do not allow the [Hizmet] schools to be opened? If so, which ones? Have schools been established in countries experiencing social or political problems, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Philippines, and Bosnia Herzegovina? If…
Yuksel A. Aslandogan, Muhammed Cetin One way to evaluate Gülen’s educational philosophy and its appeal for diverse societies from Turkey to South Africa, and from the Philippines to Romania, is to review what first motivated his philosophy and activism. Gülen…