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Fethullah Gülen

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M. Fethullah Gülen
Born1941
Erzurum, Turkey
OccupationIslamic scholar
Websitehttp://en.fgulen.com

Fethullah Gülen (born 27 April,1941) is a Turkish philosopher,[1][2] modernist Islamic scholar,[3] and leader of the Gülen movement. He is the author of over 60 books.[4][5]

Schools have been opened in a number of countries according to his philosophy.[6][7][8] and he has undertaken a number of interfaith dialog meetings with Jewish and Christian leaders.

Gülen has been the subject of a number of academic studies[2][9][10][11][12][13] resulting in Gülen and his movement receiving a mixture of praise and criticism

Gülen and his movement have been praised by Islamic and non-Muslim organisations.[14][15][16][17] These supporters tend to view the movement as a modernist and moderate form of the Islam; a potential counterbalance to extremism.[18][19] His movement has its base in Turkey and forms a significant factor in Turkish society.[20][21][22] There are also some controversies around Gülen. Some secularists claim that his objective is to abolish Turkey's secular state; although court rulings have not supported this.[23] On the other hand, some radical groups criticize his interfaith dialog efforts.

Biography

Gülen was born in Erzurum, Turkey in 1941. He started primary education at his home village, but did not continue after his family moved, and instead focused on an informal Islamic education.[24] In 1959 he was awarded a state preacher's license in Edirne.

In 1966 he was transferred to a post in İzmir where Gülen's recurring themes began to crystallize and his audience began to expand. He traveled the provinces of Anatolia giving sermons in mosques, town meetings and coffee houses. He focused his efforts on high school and college students, recruiting them for his movement.

Gülen retired from formal preaching duties in 1981. From 1988 to 1991 he gave a series of sermons in popular mosques of major cities. His long career had made him a well-known figure in Islamic circles, however, it was his interfaith dialog efforts, Islamic political activism and courtship with the center-right political parties in the 1990s that made him a public figure. In 1994, he helped found the "Journalists and Writers Foundation" and was given the title "Honorary Leader" by the foundation.[25]

Through his speeches, he gained a following in society. In particular, by adopting a theme that was previously explored by Said-i Nursi,[26] he envisioned a society of devout Muslims who nevertheless would adopt methods and technical knowledge that led to development in western countries.

Despite his large number of followers and significant influence in Turkish society and politics, he has been living in the US since 1998. Several months after Gülen had moved to the United States to receive better treatment for his health problems (he suffers from diabetes and a range of its side effects) a scandal developed. Gülen was claimed to have urged his followers in the judiciary and public service to "work patiently for the sake of the (Islamic) state."[27] In 2000 Gülen was prosecuted for inciting his followers to plot the overthrow of Turkey's secular government. He was acquitted unanimously in 2006.[28][29] The Supreme Court of Appeals has rejected the Chief Prosecutor's Office's objection to the acquittal of Fethullah Gülen.[30]

Awards

Gülen was recently listed among the top hundred public intellectuals by Foreign Policy magazine.[31] He got most of the votes in the online ballot in which more than half a million people participated, and finished in first place in the poll [32].

This unexpected result in favor of Gülen raised some controversies. Some commentators interpreted the results as "the poll is hijacked".[33]

Media Coverage

The ideas of Fethullah Gülen, and the schools opened by his followers in many countries have recently been the subject of articles by Forbes magazine and the French daily Le Monde. In the Forbes article entitled "Gülen Inspires Muslims Worldwide", the chief characteristic of the Gülen movement is identified as encouraging Muslims to use the opportunities those countries offer.[8]

With their belief in science, interfaith dialogue and multi-party democracy, they are viewed as modernists.[19][18][18] In Cutting Edge, Gülen is described as "An icon of universal peace" in an article with the same title.[34]

Gulen's schools have been closed in Tashkent and St. Petersburg, being accused of supporting Islamic groups (Tashkent) and diverging from the state curriculum (St. Petersburg).[35][36] The St. Petersburg school filed an appeal. Consequently, the school's founding rights were restored with a ruling handed down on March 25, 2008. The education committee referred the case to the 13th Appeals Court for a reversal of the lower court’s decision. The appeals court announced its verdict on July 1, upholding the ruling of the administrative court. The 13th Appellate Court also canceled all the bylaws made by the educational committee in the absence of the Turkish entrepreneurs[clarification needed] and returned the school’s license. International School No. 664, in St. Petersburg, was re-opened in July 2008 after having its license revoked for over a year.[37]

Academic Views

Gülen has been the subject of several academic studies.[10] In November 2006 one conference was held at the University of Oklahoma titled The Fethullah Gülen Movement in Thought and Practice, and in October 2007 a second conference was held at the House of Lords, under the sponsorship of the London School of Economics, and the University of London to study Gülen and his movement. Yet another conference[38] will be held in November 2008 at Georgetown University, which is titled Islam in the age of global challenges, Alternative Perspectives of the Gülen Movement.

Dr. B. Jill Carroll of Rice University compared the view of Gülen and those of Confucius, Plato, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Jean Paul Sartre on inherent human value, moral dignity, freedom, education and responsibility, in her book titled A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gülen's Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse.[2] She also stated in an Interfaith Voices program, an independent public radio show that promotes interfaith understanding through dialog, that it is surprising that the West knows little about Fethullah Gülen, a respected Turkish intellectual and scholar: "I am baffled by the fact that Gülen is not known adequately by the West though he has served a great deal to the improvement of dialogue between faiths and cultures for so many years". She described Gülen’s understanding of religion as: "Gülen’s understanding of religion has a liberal and democratic nature. His main objective is to contribute to the education of world children and improve inter-religious dialogue".[39] Another academic, Ann Munley, the president of Pennsylvania's Marywood University, has likened Turkish schools to islands of peace.[6][40]

Community perception

Gülen and his movement have won praise from many non-Muslim quarters, with their belief in science, interfaith dialogue and multi-party democracy. They are viewed as modernist and all-embracing Muslims, who can counterbalance extremism in the Muslim world. For instance, Sabrina Tavernise of New York Times has stated that they come from a 'moderate blend of Islam that is very inclusive.'[18][19] In the same newspaper, Turkish schools opened and operated by Gülen movement are accounted in an article titled, 'Turkish Schools Offer Pakistan a Gentler Vision of Islam' exclusively based on the Pakistan example.[18] In fact, in a prestigious weekly journal of Pakistan, Cutting Edge, Gülen and his movement is analyzed, recently. Gülen is described as 'An icon of universal peace' in an article with the same title.[34]


Philosophy and Theology

Gülen's theological views can be categorised as Turkish Sunni.[citation needed]. He has also adopted some views of founder of the Nur (light) movement, Said Nursi, among others.[41]

Gülen claims the modern world is plagued by individuals' lack of faith, and in particular, the failure to adopt scientific methods while in the same time preserving moral values and belief in God.[citation needed] Gülen argues science and faith are two different aspects of the truth, and that science requires a moral foundation from religion.[citation needed]

The Gülen movement

The Gülen movement consists of volunteer organizations that are ideologically connected under the leadership of Gülen.[42] The predominantly Turkish volunteers, who are educated or have received support from the institutions founded by the movement, run more than a thousand schools all over the world.[43] It has founded universities of its own, an employers' association,[citation needed] unions,[citation needed] and hundreds of sub-organizations including charities, real estate trusts, lobby groups, student bodies, radio and television stations, and newspapers. The movement as a whole counts several hundred thousand of members, possibly millions, making it one of the largest Islamic movements in Turkey.[44] According to some estimates, the movement controls about 25 billion dollars. [45]

One of the main characteristic of the movement is that it is faith-based but not faith-limited. There are many Christians, even at the community leadership level, in several countries feel themselves close to or inspired by the movement.

A recent article titled 'A modern Ottoman' says: 'Fethullah Gülen leads a global movement inspired by Sufi ideas. He promotes an open brand of Islamic thought and he is preoccupied with modern science.' It also states, 'He and his movement are at home with technology, markets and multinational business and especially with modern communications and public relations.'[20]

The military has identified Gülen's group as a threat to the republic. In 1986, a military court determined the existence of Gülen's supporters in the military academy and the group was purged. Subsequently, the it has repeatedly alleged Gülen's efforts to infiltrate its ranks and pressured politicians to take action against Gülen.[46]

Interfaith Dialog

Gülen's published works in the 1990s advocated dialog among communities and faiths, tolerance, and acceptance of others.[47] He personally met with religious leaders, including Pope John Paul II, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos, and Israeli Sephardic Head Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron.[48]

Views on Terrorism

Gülen rejects the use of terrorism [49] having written an article in response to the September 11 attacks saying:[50][51]

We condemn in the strongest of terms the latest terrorist attack on the United States of America, and feel the pain of the American people at the bottom of our hearts.

A question asked by Nuriye Akman of Zaman: It appears that al-Qaeda network has a cell in Turkey. You explained about the religious side of the matter. Does it have different meanings as well? Gülen's response was:[52]

One of the people in the world I hate the most is [Osama] Bin Laden, because he spoiled the bright appearance of Islam. He created a dirty image. Even if we try to fix that terrible damage with all our best, it would take years. We will tell about it everywhere in different platforms. We will write books about it. We will say, 'this is not Islam.' Bin Laden replaced Islamic logic with his feelings and desires. He is a monster, as are the men around him. If there is any one similar to them, they too are nothing more than monsters.

Works

Gülen has authored over 60 books[53][54] and many articles on a variety of topics: social, political and religious issues, art, science and sports, and recorded thousands of audio and video cassettes. He contributes to a number of journals and magazines owned by his followers. He writes the lead article for the Fountain, Yeni Ümit, Sızıntı, and Yağmur, Islamic and philosophical magazines in Turkey. Some of his books are available in English, German, Russian, Albanian, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean,Spanish and Kazakh.

Bibliography in Turkish

Some of his Turkish books[55] are as listed below:

Philosophy of religion: Asrın Getirdiği Tereddütler, Fikir Atlası, Kitap ve Sünnet Perspektifinde Kader, Kavramlar, Varlığın Metafizik Boyutu, Zihin Harmanı

Religion: Dua Ufku, Fatiha Üzerine Mülâhazalar, İ‘lâ-yı Kelimetullah veya Cihad, İnancın Gölgesinde, İrşad Ekseni, Kitap ve Sünnet Perspektifinde Kader, Kur‘ân‘dan İdrake Yansıyanlar, Ölüm Ötesi Hayat, Sonsuz Nur

Education: Ölçü veya Yoldaki Işıklar, Çocuk Terbiyesi, Prizma

Science: Yaratılış Gerçeği ve Evrim

Art: Beyan, Hüzmeler ve İktibaslar, Kalbin Zümrüt Tepeleri, Kırık Mızrap, Yeşeren Düşünceler

Social issues: Buhranlar Anaforunda İnsan, Çağ ve Nesil, Çekirdekten Çınara, Fasıldan Fasıla 1-4, Günümüzde Gençliğin Problemlerine Doğru, Günler Baharı Soluklarken, Işığın Göründüğü Ufuk, Kendi Dünyamıza Doğru, Kırık Testi, Örnekleri Kendinden Bir Hareket, Ruhumuzun Heykelini Dikerken, Yitirilmiş Cennete Doğru, Zamanın Altın Dilimi

Interviews: Amerika'da Bir Ay


Some of his English books[56] are as listed below:

Philosophy of religion: Questions and Answers, Essentials of the Islamic Faith, Questions and Answers about Faith, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism (3 vols)

Religion: Muhammad: The Messenger of God, Prophet Muhammed as Commander, The Infinite Light vol 1–2

Education: Pearls of Wisdom

Art: Truth Through Colors, Emerald Hills of the Heart

Social issues: Towards the Lost Paradise, Towards Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, The Statues of Our Souls

Controversies

Gülen is a controversial figure in Turkey perceived by secularists as a threat who aims to transform the country's secular system.[57] Radical groups critique includes his interfaith dialog efforts as a diversion from Islam, especially meeting with Pope John Paul II.

There have not been any court rulings against him in spite of various accusations. The conviction decision by the lower court in 1971 was abrogated by the higher court, and the case, which was being heard again, was dropped in view of a general amnesty.[58] Some sources claim that Gülen was convicted, likely referring to the lower court decision.[59]

The nationalistic wing of the secularists, are critical of his alleged affinity for a theocratic society and his strategic support from the US. For the elites, the ranks are broken by certain liberals, who point out that Gülen's group, at least in its public representation, has proven to be most willing to evolve and most open to international influence.

Gülen was widely criticized in 2004 when he, in contrast with his public calls for tolerance, commented that he considered terrorism to be equally despicable as atheism.[60] In a follow-up interview he declared he did not intent to equate atheists and murderers; rather, he wanted to highlight the fact that according to Islam both were destined to suffer eternal punishment.[61]

In June 2008, Gülen's application for a U.S. Permanent Resident Card, widely known as the green card, was refused by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services(USCIS). The U.S. Attorney said Gülen was a religious and political figure aimed to promote himself and his movement by paying academics to write about him.[62][63] The U.S. Attorney added, none of Gülen's books are about education or educational models; they are entirely religious works. Gülen filed a lawsuit for reconsideration of the verdict.[64] Among the names are a Graham Fuller - former CIA agent and deputy chair of National Intelligence Council[65] On July 16, 2008, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania found that Fethullah Gülen has extraordinary ability in education, and that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)' denial of Gülen's petition was contrary to law. The court has ruled that Gülen's visa application is improperly rejected and ordered the government to reverse the decision.[66][67][68] The court ordered that USCIS shall approve Gülen's petition for alien worker as an alien of extraordinary ability by August 1, 2008.[69] The judiciary process about his application is currently ongoing.

Michael Rubin (historian), a scholar from American Enterprise Institute, criticized the movement's political aspirations by drawing parallels between Khomeini's return to Iran in 1979 and Gülen's possible return to Istanbul in 2008.[70] Gülen responded saying, 'People claiming I will return like Khomeini will get embarrassed. If I return, I will do it like myself, and continue being as I have always been. I have always refrained others who shows respect to me from doing that.'[71] [72][73] Ziya Meral of Turkish Daily News classified this analogy as a 'faulty comparison' from historical and sociological points of view.[74]

In a recent interview, professor Izzettin Dogan expressed his respect and stated that he has never doubt about Gülen's openness and ideas, although he is not always agree with him. He commented further that Gülen aims to Islamise Turkey by democratic means using education.[75] Professor Hakan Yavuz from University of Utah, a long time Zaman (newspaper) contributor and author of Turkish Islam and the Secular State: The Gülen Movement published by Syracuse University, also stated in an interview that the movement has always been political, is powerful in the media, the education ministry and the police force.[76][77] Cemal Usak, a member of Journalist and Writer's foundation is stated in response that 'Our main problem is working with secular fundamentalists... They don't know us and they don't want to know us. They have great prejudice...They are suspicious of everything". Economist also claimed that many of Turkey's police are believed to be Gülen sympathizers—an interior minister once gave a figure of 70%. However, that the movement is 'apolitical' but has links with almost all Turkish political parties, save the main secular opposition.[78] Professor Thomas Michel from Georgetown University is also expressed belief that the Gülen movement is not political in nature.[40]

The claims such as Gülen is attempting to revert the secular state, trying to obtain bureaucratic offices for this purpose, etc. are investigated by the Turkish courts and end up in a recent acquittal decision taken unanimously.[79][80][81][82] It is stated that most of such claims are fabricated[83][84][85] by Ergenekon gangs[86][87] which has ties to Neo-Nazi organizations[88][89][90] and under investigation[91] recently for a military coup and infiltration to and illegal organization in the military ranks,[92] and by the media under their control.[93][94][95]

See also

References

  1. ^ Foreign Policy: The World’s Top 20 Public Intellectuals
  2. ^ a b c Carroll, B. Jill (2007). A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gülen's Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse. The Light, Inc. {{cite book}}: External link in |author= (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ The Top 100 Public Intellectuals: Bios, Foreign Policy
  4. ^ Fethullah Gülen's works: English books
  5. ^ Fethullah Gülen's works: Turkish books
  6. ^ a b Munley, Ann. "Contributions of the Gülen Community to Muslim Dynamism and Education" conference held on March 3rd, 2008 at Marywood University.
  7. ^ Guardian: Islamic scholar voted world's No 1 thinker
  8. ^ a b Forbes: Gülen Inspires Muslims Worldwide
  9. ^ Academic Conference Papers
  10. ^ a b http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=fethullah+gulen&hl=en&lr=
  11. ^ conference
  12. ^ Georgetown University: Gülen Conference
  13. ^ University of Oklahoma: Gülen Conference
  14. ^ Alevi respect to Gülen
  15. ^ Gülen movement invites people to unity, says famous rabbi, Today's Zaman
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference zaman146073 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Gursoy, Idris (2008-03-01). "Feb. 21 declared 'Gülen Institute Day' in Houston". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  18. ^ a b c d e Tavernise, Sabrina (2008-05-04). "Turkish Schools Offer Pakistan a Gentler Vision of Islam". New York Times.
  19. ^ a b c Interview with Sabrina Tavernise, World View Podcasts, New York Times, May 4, 2008
  20. ^ a b A modern Ottoman, Prospect, Issue 148, July 2008
  21. ^ Meria Journal: Fethullah Gülen and his liberal 'Turkish Islam' movement
  22. ^ http://tr.fgulen.com/content/view/15245/12/
  23. ^ Appeals court unanimously upholds Fethullah Gülen acquittal
  24. ^ An interview with Fethullah Gülen's primary school teacher
  25. ^ The Journalists and Writers Foundation Official Web Site
  26. ^ Gülen's answers to various claims made against him. See Claim 4.
  27. ^ BBC News | Europe | Turkish investigation into Islamic sect expanded
  28. ^ Appeals court unanimously upholds Fethullah Gülen acquittal
  29. ^ WorldWide Religious News-Gülen acquitted of trying to overthrow secular government
  30. ^ http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=145680
  31. ^ The Top 100 Public Intellectuals, Foreign Policy, May-June 2008
  32. ^ Foreign Policy: The World’s Top 20 Public Intellectuals
  33. ^ Schwartz, Stephen (2008). "The real Fethullah Gülen". Prospect Magazine. Retrieved 2008-07-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  34. ^ a b Cutting Edge: An icon of universal peace
  35. ^ Rashid, A. (Spring 2001). The Fires of Faith in Central Asia. World Policy Journal, 18, 1. p.45. Retrieved July 10, 2008
  36. ^ Cumhuriyet (2008-07-09). "The Gülen problem in Russia". Turkish Daily News. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  37. ^ Akkan, Faruk (2008-07-04). "St. Petersburg Turkish college wins case, resumes services". Zaman. Retrieved 2008-07-10.
  38. ^ Georgetown University: Gülen Conference
  39. ^ Cite error: The named reference zaman144511 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  40. ^ a b Bulut, Kadir (2008-03-14). "American university president likens Turkish schools to islands of peace". Today's Zaman. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  41. ^ See Claim 4
  42. ^ Qantara.de - Porträt Fethullah Gülen - Ein moderner türkisch-islamischer Reformdenker?
  43. ^ Turkish Schools
  44. ^ Guardian Unlimited | Archive Search
  45. ^ Turkey’s Turning Point, Michael Rubin, National Review
  46. ^ http://www.belgenet.com/mgk/mgk101999.html,
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/904576.stm,
    Army chief demands Islamist purge, BBC News
  47. ^ Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance, ISBN 1932099689
  48. ^ Advocate of Dialogue: Fethullah Gülen, ISBN 0970437013
  49. ^ [http://en.fgulen.com/content/view/1052/14/ Fethullah Gülen: A life dedicated to peace and humanity - True Muslims Cannot Be Terrorists
  50. ^ Fethullah Gülen: A life dedicated to peace and humanity - Fethullah Gülen's Response to the Sep 11 Terrorist Attack on US
  51. ^ Fethullah Gülen: A life dedicated to peace and humanity - Islam Abhors Acts of Terror
  52. ^ http://www.fethullahgulen.org/content/view/1727/24/
  53. ^ Fethullah Gülen's works: English books
  54. ^ Fethullah Gülen's works: Turkish books
  55. ^ Fethullah Gülen's works: Turkish books
  56. ^ Fethullah Gülen's works: English books
  57. ^ LubbockOnline.com - Mysterious Fethullah Gülen may yet merge Islam with West 01/22/05
  58. ^ Gülen's answers to various claims made against him. See Claim 9.
  59. ^ Turkey’s Turning Point, Michael Rubin, National Review
  60. ^ Fethullah Gülen and Atheist-Terrorist Comparison, Today's Zaman
  61. ^ Kaplan, Sefa (2004-04-21). "Ateist terörist değildir". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2008-07-06.
  62. ^ Gülen's lawyer explain visa application
  63. ^ The truth and distortions in Gülen's visa case
  64. ^ [1]
  65. ^ http://www.zaman.com.tr/yazar.do?yazino=707573
  66. ^ Court orders US to reverse immigration decision for Gülen
  67. ^ http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/world/9464001.asp?scr=1
  68. ^ The International Herald Tribune: US court backs Gülen's application
  69. ^ Fethullah Gülen v. Michael Chertoff, et al, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54607 Civil Action No. 07-2148 (United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania July 16, 2008).
  70. ^ Turkey’s Turning Point, Michael Rubin, National Review
  71. ^ [2]
  72. ^ [3]
  73. ^ [4]
  74. ^ A faulty comparison
  75. ^ http://w9.gazetevatan.com/haberdetay.asp?Newsid=184369
  76. ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/inDepthNews/idUSL0939033920080514?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
  77. ^ http://www.odatv.com/index.php?id=12570
  78. ^ http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10808433
  79. ^ Appeals court unanimously upholds Fethullah Gülen acquittal
  80. ^ Court rejects prosecutor's objection to Gülen's acquittal
  81. ^ Renowned Islamic scholar Gülen cleared of all charges
  82. ^ Court of Appeals clears Gülen of all allegations
  83. ^ We fabricated Gülen's video cassettes
  84. ^ Disinformation, bureaucratic manipulation and ‘new forces’?
  85. ^ Dugmeye basan Ergenekon muydu?
  86. ^ [http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=132507 Ergenekon investigation gets deeper]
  87. ^ Ergenekon Founding Document
  88. ^ Küçük, Nazi gazetesine darbe temennisi yapmış
  89. ^ Alman ırkçılarıyla birlik
  90. ^ [5]
  91. ^ Ergenekon investigation to shed light on Turkey’s dark history
  92. ^ Military probe starts into Ergenekon officers, paper reports
  93. ^ The road from Hitler to Ergenekon
  94. ^ Ergenekon proves litmus test for politicians and media
  95. ^ http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=109355 Hrant Dink, Ergenekon, and the saucy Turkish media

The Gülen movement

Other sources

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