The Gülen Movement arose among pious men and women who wanted a modern interpretation of religion. In the dynamics of the transformation of the movement, the social milieu also played an important role. The movement became a spiritual refuge for those who searched for an interpretation where Islam was in harmony with modernity. The followers of the Gülen Movement do not describe themselves as a political movement.…
Fethullah Gülen: Everyone can and should serve in their own way by remaining respectful to others. We do not have the right to open the door to conflicts and dissension. Once we have found what’s good for us we should not quarrel about what’s better.…
Yuksel A. Aslandogan, Muhammed Cetin One way to evaluate Gülen’s educational philosophy and its appeal for diverse societies from Turkey to South Africa, and from the Philippines to Romania, is to review what first motivated his philosophy and activism. Gülen…
Fabio Vicini Over recent decades Islamic traditions have emerged in new forms in different parts of the Muslim world, interacting differently with secular and neo-liberal patterns of thought and action. In Turkey Fethullah Gülen’s community has been a powerful player…
M. Hakan Yavuz* The question of just who Fethullah Gülen is has vexed many. According to his own declaration, he is a stranger in his own land, a political and spiritual exile in his birthplace, as well as not fully…
Fethullah Gülen I would like to make it very clear that any terrorist activity, no matter by whom it is carried out or for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy, and humanity. For this reason, no one—and…
Gülen, in many places and occasions, talks about “Ideal Person” and the “Golden Generation,” which is made of those ideal persons. The ideal persons or the golden generation will hopefully appear among us soon like flowers blossom in the spring. But…
Heon Kim Gülen’s perception of humanism is at the heart of his thought, so much so that it serves as the reason for the existence and activities of the Gülen movement. My attempt here is to lay bare some constructional and…
How does Gulen manage to oversee a network of schools, media companies and other for-profit or non-profit organizations that are run based on his teachings? First of all, the word “oversee” means, “supervising (a person or work), especially in official…
James Harrington Gülen has not involved himself directly in partisan Turkish politics, although his message clearly has political ramifications. He believes in addressing issues and values through the democratic system, but not in aligning with a specific parliamentary party. He…