Politicizing religion is always a reductionist endeavor: it turns the mysterious relationship between humanity and the Divine into an ideology. Gülen says, “Religion is the relationship between people and their Creator. The feeling of religion lives in the heart’s depths. … If you turn it into a display of forms, you’ll kill it. …
If a state, within the framework mentioned above, gives the opportunity to its citizens to practice their religion and supports them in their thinking, learning, and practice; this system is not considered to be against the teaching of the Qur’an. In the presence of such a state there is no need to seek an alternative state. …
In my opinion, people have either gone too far or not far enough with regards to understanding the relationship between Islam and politics. Some have said that the religion of Islam has no relationship with politics; others have perceived the religion as politics itself, ignoring the varied and rich aspects of religion.…