gulen4peace: October 2011

FETHULLAH GULEN - A TRUE DEDICATION TO PEACE

THE GULEN MOVEMENT - PEACE AND DIALOG
Tolerance and dialogue are among the most basic and broad dynamics of the Gülen movement. These two concepts, first developed on a small scale, have turned into a search for a culture of reconciliation on a world scale. Today, the idea of different groups peacefully living together is a philosophical issue that modern states are trying to formulate. The international relations of past empires were founded on conflict and war. Different civilizations were separated by thick walls, which were supported by political, ideological, and religious identities.

The Gülen movement is a clear example of a search, a search that has reached international proportions. Gülen strengthens this search with religious, legal, and philosophical foundations. One of the basic aims of the global education activities is to form bridges that will lead to dialogue between religions and civilizations. The long-lasting wars of the past had to do with the problem of power balance that reigned in the international relations of the day. This was probably the case for all political empires and religious formations of the past. But today, humanity is not in a position to shoulder such a conflict on the global scale. According to Gülen, Muslims today should not shape their own cultural, social, and existential identities according to destructive values which are rooted in conflict and fight; these are not aligned with the universal value system of Islam, in which peace, dialogue, and tolerance are the basic principles. Today, humanity is not in a position to bear a conflict on the global scale.

Oct 13, 2011

Ethics in a Multifaith Society: Muslims and Christians in Dialogue

The conference “Ethics in a multifaith society: Muslims and Christians in Dialogue” [Tuesday-Wednesday, 22-23 November 2011] is held in honour of M. Fethullah Gülen, from whom the Australian Catholic University Chair in the Study of Islam and Muslim-Catholic Relations, established in 2007, takes its name.

For Fethullah Gülen, dialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims is imperative, not only because of what followers of these three monotheistic religions have in common, but also because of their shared responsibility to make our world a more peaceful and safer place. According to Gülen, the dialogue to which adherents of these religions are necessarily summoned offers “an alliance of the great worldwide faith traditions against the violent abuse of religion on the grounds that ‘Peace is better and is the name of God.’ More importantly, it is a call for a dialogical intellectual encounter among the great cultural and religious traditions to design a common path for a new humanism, consisting of a doctrine of love, humanity, tolerance, forgiveness and compassion.” In Gülen’s view, these values are central to Islamic ethics, at the very heart of which lies humility. For practising Muslims, therefore, dialogue will flow naturally as an ethical imperative from their living faith in God – a dialogue that will form an important stepping stone to a new world order of peace and justice for all.

This understanding of dialogue has its counterpart in the teachings and practice of the Catholic Church since Nostra Aetate (1965). To take just one example, Pope Benedict XVI at his address at the King Hussein Mosque in Amman on 9 May 2009 called upon Christians and Muslims to work together “to cultivate for the good, in the context of faith and truth, the vast potential of human reason.” For Pope Benedict also, as for Fethullah Gülen, dialogue is indispensable, not just as a matter of political necessity, but especially in that it derives from the core of faith itself.

The inspiration for this conference on ethics in a multifaith society derives from the vision expressed by both Fethullah Gülen and Pope Benedict XVI. The challenge to participants will be to put this dialogue into practice so as to enable a well reasoned contribution from Christians and Muslims, working together, toward the development of a durable and sustaining ethics for a pluralist society.

The conference begins with a consideration of the good life from philosophical and religious perspectives. On this basis it will move, in turn, to examine ethical questions concerning the beginnings and end of life, the identification of common ethical goals towards which Muslims and Christians can strive together, how business should be done in a global environment, war and peace, and the place of religious faith in public decision-making. The overall aim is not only to uncover emerging questions but also to recommend new directions for collaboration in promoting the common good of society.

Australian Catholic University - Last Update on 30 September 2011, Friday

Importance and power of the Gülen movement

Cengiz Çandar, Radikal

The Gülen community is currently the most influential Turkish lobby in the US. They work in the right way and obey the rules of the game in the US perfectly.

They are engaged in commercial activities, which have enabled them to develop their relations with state officials, mayors and governors. Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen had to leave Turkey due to the atmosphere of the Feb. 28, 1997 postmodern coup. He settled down in the eastern part of the United States, in Pennsylvania. He became a more influential global actor after he settled in the United States. Turkey needs the help of the Gülen movement, not only for Turkish lobbying in the United States but also to resolve major national issues such as the Kurdish question and the Armenian question.

Published on Today's Zaman, 12 October 2011, Wednesday
This is an excerpt of the original [Turkish] version. You may click here to read the full commentary.