There is so much to write about the Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement

Dr. Karen Fontenot* speaking at the dinner reception of the conference Mapping the Gülen Movement: A Multidimensional Approach in Amsterdam:

"This was one of the most informative and provocative and useful conferences on the issue I have been to up to date. I've been involved in the movement since 2005, and I'm fortunate to live with my coauthor, my husband Dr. Michael Fontenot, and we were asked to present a paper at that conference in 2005 at Rice University. After we were finished, I told Mike: 'This was such an interesting topic, it's a shame there is nothing more to write about.' Well five years ago, we were just finding out we just hit the surface.

There is so much to write about the [Gulen] Hizmet Movement; and in part I think it's because it's such a dynamic movement. It's a movement that is not static, it doesn't stay still, and as the panelists discussed today, it is a movement that is composed of individuals.

I think that Dr. Ebaugh had a very good point, and I will follow up on that, when she said that members of the Hizmet Movement (which I consider myself one as Fr. Tomas Michel -I agree with him; I am not a Muslim and I am not a Turk, but I believe I am a member of the Hizmet Movement, she said all the members seem to share something in common, you cold recognize them. I think we have to tribute that to Fethullah Gulen, because he is the one saw need, who communicated the vision, who has done it so eloquently, and also who has provided a place for every single member. He is also the one who has allowed the individuals to feel appreciated in every single effort, no matter what you do. Fr. Tomas Michel points out often that the people who greet us at the airport are serving a very important function, the people who contribute money are serving a very important function, and the women who provide the food for iftar dinners are often times unseen and unrecognized, they are providing a very important Hizmet. Although it is a vertical communication, certainly there is no one person that is a leader; there is somebody who has the vision and who has been able to inspire and transform the movement, we need to say that.

To conclude, I'll give a personal account: A few weeks ago, somebody that I work with on the [Gulen] schools, he looked me and said 'you'd make a very good Muslim wife', and I was immensely flattered; I came home and told my husband. But so flattered because I know these women, I worked with these women and they are among the most accomplished, intelligent, educated, hard-working women, I admire them so much. I don't know how they find those hours in a day and I asked one 'you're a professor, you're writing, you take care of the family, how do you do it?' and she said "Well, Fethullah Gulen is writing books and he doesn't sleep very much, so why should I?" So I conclude on that note. Thank you very much."

* Dr. Karen Fontenot is Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University and professor of communication. Before entering academia she worked as a newspaper reporter and magazine writer and editor. She received her Ph.D. in Communication Studies from Louisiana State University and her master's degree in journalism from the Manship School of Journalism at LSU. Her areas of expertise are cross-cultural communication, organizational communication, and interpersonal communication. She has published widely in these areas, and is the author or co-author of more than sixty articles and conference papers. She is particularly interested in the impact and influence that culture and religion have on human behavior.

Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lSMf_s6zBE

Businessmen, politicians, religious leaders come together at GYV iftar

Many prominent figures sat around an iftar table together on Wednesday night at an event held by the Journalists and Writers Foundation. (Photo: Today's Zaman)

Many distinguished figures, including Turkey's spiritual leaders, politicians, artists, diplomats, businessmen and journalists came together at the same iftar (fast-breaking dinner) table in İstanbul's Conrad Hotel on Wednesday night at an event held by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV).

GYV Honorary President Fethullah Gülen greeted the guests with a message he had written especially for the evening. Fethullah Gülen expressed his regret at not being able to attend the event and said he hoped the holy month of Ramadan would bring prosperity to the whole of humanity. “Regardless of our beliefs, we are the descendants of those who maintained their own distinctive lives and had respect and compassion for others and knew to share their happiness. However, it is with regret that we can observe that the arbitrary flow of events at such a high speed makes it difficult to correctly understand others and has led to an erosion of the ethical and moral values I mentioned above.

I think that national and international peace can be attained by reviving these manners and values,” Fethullah Gülen said in his message.

He went on to say that those who adopt these ethical values and good manners love and embrace everybody, ignore the mistakes of others in a magnanimous manner, forgive others even when they lose their tempers, get on well with even the most bad-tempered people and smile at everyone, including those who bear a grudge against them.

“They are not egocentric, arrogant. They are humble and magnanimous even when they have achieved great success,” Fethullah Gülen said and further stated that he believes in a better future with loving, caring, humane and compassionate human beings.

Among the guests at the foundation’s 18th annual iftar event were İstanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu, İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, Chief Rabbi of Turkish Jews İsak Haleva, Armenian Deputy Patriarch Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Yusuf Çetin, Deputy Patriarch of the Turkey’s Syriac Catholic Church Yusuf Sağ, Editor-in-Chief of the Zaman daily Ekrem Dumanlı, Today’s Zaman Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş, journalists Fatih Altaylı and Eser Karakaş, businessmen Süreyya Ciliv, Ethem Sancak, Ayhan Bermek, Ahmet Çalık and Nihat Özdemir, actress Açelya Akkoyun and singer Burak Kut.

Delivering the opening speech at the event, GYV Chairman Mustafa Yeşil said the iftar table of the GYV gathered people from different segments of Turkish society.

“Is there any platform other than this iftar table that has brought so many different people together? I do not think so. I hope these iftars, which have been held for 18 years by our foundation, will make history by bringing different people together and this will happen thanks to your efforts and contributions,” Yeşil further stated in his address to the guests.

Also speaking at the event, Dumanlı said GYV’s iftar dinners are reconciliation platforms where people from different parts of Turkey with different beliefs and ethnic identities come together and added that they have contributed a lot to the social peace.

“Nothing can exist without love and this foundation is striving to spread love among people. Union makes strength and I hope this union will prevail everywhere in the world,” Governor Mutlu said in his address to guests at the iftar.

Limak Holding Chairman and former Fenerbahçe Vice President Özdemir also praised the GYV’s event and expressed his happiness at being together with people from various quarters, adding that it was the third time he had attended GYV’s iftar.

Columnist Ali Bulaç who was also in attendance at the event, said he had come from Ankara to attend the iftar. GYV’s iftar is significant as it promotes tolerance, dialogue and mutual understanding, Bulaç noted.

Highlighting the tolerant nature of Turkish people towards others, Topbaş said that Turkish people with different ethnic and religious backgrounds are able to come together at the same table.

Also speaking at the event, journalist Mete Çubukçu said GYV’s iftar brought together people from different segments of society. “GYV gathers fasting and non-fasting people, who have the opportunity to eat and converse at the same time in a peaceful atmosphere,” Çubukçu went on to say.

Turkey has drifted apart over the past five months and there has been a change, polarization and disintegration of society, said columnist Emre Uslu during the event. “There was a need for something to say ‘stop’ to this fragmentation and it was ultimately the GYV that took on the task,” Uslu added.

The GYV was founded in 1994, and the mission and work of the foundation are inspired by GYV Honorary President Fethullah Gülen, known for his teachings of hizmet (service), tolerance and dialogue. The Turkish nongovernmental organization shapes its vision of national and global unity through its five independent platforms and research center. These independent platforms each specialize in a different field, contributing to both the GYV’s and Turkey’s intellectual wealth.

Source: http://www.gulenmovement.com/latest-news/142-businessmen-politicians-religious-leaders-come-together-at-gyv-iftar

What is Fethullah Gülen’s understanding of democracy?

Fethullah Gülen directly criticizes Islamist political thought in his many books and articles and argues in favor of democracy and the modernization and consolidation of democratic institutions in order to build a society where individual rights are respected and protected. He carefully makes clear his position that some forms of democracy are preferable to others and is cautiously optimistic about its development:

“Democracy has developed over time. Just as it has gone through many different stages, it will continue to evolve and improve in the future. Along the way, it will be shaped into a more humane and just system, one based on righteousness and reality. If human beings are considered as a whole, without disregarding the spiritual dimension of their existence and their spiritual needs, and without forgetting that human life is not limited to this mortal life and that all people have a great craving for eternity, democracy could reach the peak of perfection and bring even more happiness to humanity. Islamic principles of equality, tolerance, and justice can help it do just this."

Is Fethullah Gülen in favor of the principles of liberal democracy?

Fethullah Gülen has always been in favor of democratic institutions, free elections and other principles at the core of liberal democracy today. He maintains that the Qur’an addresses the whole community and assigns to it almost all the duties entrusted to modern democratic systems; he says that people ought to co-operate by sharing these duties and establishing the essential foundations necessary to discharge them, and that government is composed of all of these basic elements. He says, “Islam recommends a government based on a social contract. People elect the administrators and establish a council to debate common issues. Also, the society as a whole participates in auditing the administration.”

What is Fethullah Gülen’s attitude to the democratic initiatives in Turkey since 2000?

Rather than leave Turkey to remain a closed society, Fethullah Gülen has long supported initiatives for a democratic, pluralistic and free society. He states that the role of individual morality is pivotal in this perspective to build, strengthen, and preserve a just political order. In the same vein, he has supported ties to the West – on the basis that Turkish society has much to gain from the achievements of rational knowledge there – whereas many from both the religious circles and the dominant secularist elite have been opposed to such rapprochement. Fethullah Gülen was among the first and strongest supporters of full European membership and integration, although some Islamist political groups criticized his remarks and opposed such membership. To them, the European Union is a Christian club and a threat to Turkish national and Muslim identity.

Fethullah Gülen was gradually able to bring about changes in the public mentality and attitude in Turkey. He supports democracy and tolerance as the best way to govern and supports membership in the European Union as the best way of achieving economic prosperity. In addition, he has highlighted the need for peace, tolerance, and dialogue with ethno-religious minorities within the Turkish community and between nations as an integral part of Islam and Turkish

Source: http://www.gulenmovement.com/latest-news/141-fethullah-guelens-understanding-of-democracy
Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_GBTbKQOnc