Fethullah Gülen calls for ‘bridges of peace' in Eid al-Fitr remarks

30 August 2011, Tuesday / SEZAI KALAYCI, PENNSYLVANIA 4 6Share

Fethullah Gülen.

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, currently residing in the US, has issued a call for peace and dialogue, warning that failure to address enmities through dialogue could lead to a large-scale devastation for humanity.

Gülen, speaking at a breakfast with members of the Turkish community visiting him on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday, said some people nurture hostilities towards other people because these people happen to be Christian, or Jewish or Muslim and underlined that such approaches will never bring peace or friendship to the humanity. He said occasions such as Eid al-Fitr when hearts are filled with warmth should be used as an opportunity to improve dialogue, warning that the humanity would otherwise have to pay dearly. “At a time when … nuclear bombs are used against humanity ... if [dialogue] is not established at a world scale, if those who endeavor for peace in the Muslim world and the world in general do not address this problem, half of the humanity may die,” Gülen said.