Is the Gulen Movement opposed to the political, governmental or democratic system?

Fethullah Gulen

No. The fact that, as a thoroughly civic, autonomous initiative, the Gulen Movement is situated entirely outside the conventional channels of political representation – party, government, state, etc. – does not mean that it therefore stands in some way against the political, governmental or democratic system.

The non-profit-oriented management of its educational and cultural institutions distinguishes the Gulen Movement sharply from political actors and formal state institutions and agencies. Its forms of collective action do not contend for space with or in government or state institutions or agencies. They deal with human beings individually in the public space through independent, legally constituted civic organizations.

The Gulen Movement’s origin, source and target is the individual human being in the private sphere. The Gulen Movement’s approach is “bottom–up”, transforming individuals through education to consolidate a peaceful, harmonious and inclusive society as a result of an enlightened public sphere. It is not the “top–down” approach characteristic of state or government agency.

This reflects Fethullah Gulen’s rationale for the primacy of education among the Gulen Movement’s commitments: “As the solution of every problem in this life ultimately depends on human beings, education is the most effective vehicle, regardless of whether we have a paralyzed social and political system or we have one that operates like clockwork.”


Published on www.fgulen.com, 04 October 2012, Thursday

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Fethullah Gulen schools or Gulen-inspired schools?

First of all there no such definition as “Fethullah Gulen schools”. None of the schools have an official affiliation with Fethullah Gulen himself. There is no wayFethullah Gulen himself to involve in the establishment of such large number of schools which are scattered all over the world. And, it is humanly impossible to one person who lives in an isolated, remote region to manage the schools which are in different countries.

The missing part in this ordeal is not recognizing the influence of Fethullah Gulen in the world fast developing county, Turkey.

As the Turkish Secretary of State Davutoglu has mentioned, the biggest potential of Turkey is human capital. Turkey is not known for its everlasting natural resources. Turkey do not possess capital saving that was obtained through exploiting other nations. Turkey has not been known for its resources such as natural gas and oil as well. Nevertheless only one thing – the biggest resource of Turkey is the human capital – well-educated, young, and energetic but the most significantly human resource that is powerful belonging to their country, history and nation.

Fethullah Gulen has been extensively emphasising the importance of working hard to bring the society on to the higher levels of prosperity. In this bookPearls of Wisdom;

“Laziness and attachment to ease are among the major reasons for deprivation and humiliation. Inactive people who have abandoned themselves to (indolent) comfort one day will fall so low that they will expect even their basic necessities to be supplied by others.

For a human being, change and decay are usually slow and silent. Sometimes even a little heedlessness, a slight straying from the “caravan,” can cause a complete collapse and a total loss. However, because those who have fallen see themselves as still on the same line and in the same situation, they do not realize that they have plunged to the bottom of a deep well from a minaret-like peak.

Some people who leave the line of exertion and struggle with a feeling of guilt, which every fugitive and truant is bound to feel, are likely to defend themselves and criticize their friends who continue to serve. It is almost impossible for such people to escape their deviation and return to their original line.”[2]

People who were inspired by Fethullah Gulen have achieved autonomy from state power and has been able to play a significant role in society, the main characteristics of civil society organizations. Turkey is also a country which has undergone an economic transformation in recent years. And, the influence ofFethullah Gulen cannot be underestimated on this aspect of the Turkey’s economic growth.

In his book, Fethullah Gulen writes: “Those who want to reform the world must first reform themselves. If they want to lead others to a better world, they must purify their inner worlds of hatred and jealousy, and adorn their outer worlds with virtue. The words of those who cannot control and discipline themselves, and who have not refined their feelings, may seem attractive and insightful at first. However, even if they somehow manage to inspire others, which they sometimes do, the sentiments they arouse will soon wither.” [2]

In addition, thanks to the Turkey-EU Customs Union which came into force in 1996, Turkey has enjoyed customs-free exports to a market of over 500 million people. Apart from EU integration, Turkey is playing a leading role in several international bodies, such as the World Trade Organization, OECD, and Black Sea Economic Cooperation. Turkey has been promoting peace, stability, democracy and economic welfare in its region and beyond. Turkey is one of the three standalone countries, which was declared by the African Union as a strategic partner, after China and India, in January 2008. So far, development projects in 37 African countries have already been conducted. [3]. Turkey is a success story when the majority of the developed countries suffering from the economic turmoil. Today, Turkey is a secular state with no Islamic reference. It offers an open political space that allows for all political ideologies to compete free. [1]

Fethullah Gulen has been trying to encourage generations to come to improve themselves to better people to make their positive impact to the world around themselves... Fethullah Gulen wrote “ the generation who aim to give a better shape to the world should be equipped with mathematical thought. Mathematical thought implies a comprehension of the enigmatic connection between creation and the ‘laws’ of mathematics, and a discovery of the mysterious world of numbers. Without mathematics, it is not possible to perceive the mutual relations between man and things; it is mathematics which, like a source of light, illuminates our way along the line from the universe to life and shows us the depths of the world of possibilities beyond human imagination, thus enabling us to attain our ideals” [4]

Source:  http://gulenmovement.com/latest-news/143-fethullah-gulen-schools-or-gulen-inspired-schools

[1] http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Turkey-a-success-story-of-tripartite-coexistence-30181222.html

[2] http://en.fgulen.com/

[3] Mr Zafer Çağlayan, State Minister for Foreign Trade. http://www.biz-works.net/index.php5?&;;fl=y&pgid=ar&art=1001_08

[4] Towards the lost paradise

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