Perhaps the most influential Islamic leader that most non-Muslims have never heard of is a Turkish preacher named Fethullah Gülen. Now living in the United States, he stands at the head of a broad movement that runs schools in Turkey and abroad as well as businesses and a publishing empire. His group also actively conducts dialogue with other religions. His supporters praise him as an important modern and moderate Muslim thinker, but some people in Turkey suspect he is trying to infiltrate the secular state there.
Alexandra Hudson, an Amsterdam staffer who was recently on secondment to Istanbul, has written a feature about the Gülen movement — you can read it here.
Gülen has an extensive website (in English and other languages) with his writings, videos and articles from conferences about his movement. The New York Times has also done an article on his movement recently, about its work running schools in Pakistan.
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7 comments so far
He dedicates his entire life for peace in Turkey and abroad among everybody without distinction and classification of people. We appreciate and support his ideas.
- Posted by muratLets We live our limited time in this world in peace and happiness, respect to others and accept them as they are and make this world small heaven for everybody.
The Turks, who are sceptical about Fethullah Gulen’s activities in Turkey, should try to understand his ideas and evaluate his actions after they free themselves from phobias that are rooted in political schemes. they also should try to look at Turkey from abroad because only in that way they can judge him universally.
- Posted by fatihesenbogaIt’s strange that those who fear Fethullah Gulen and his followers do not believe him when he says he believes strongly in secularism and democrasy. He proves this with the schools around the world. All he and his followers want to say is we can live in a world where everyone, whether Muslim or Christian or Jewish or atheist, lives in peace and hand-in-hand. If only we listen and understand each other…
I believe Fethullah Gülen is a good man who is interested in peace and democracy. But if he is so interested in Turkey, why is he living in America? If he trues to interfere with the secular nature of Turkey’s government he should be dealt with accordingly.
- Posted by Arslan KaplanbosogluHe is a big lier.
Why people believes him?
Who is he?
?s he a prophet?
He is nobody!He uses people by thier innocent religious beliefs.
Pepople believes him becouse of huge money!
He has a greate organisation based on money!
He tried to built an organisation as Opis deu which is in ?taly!
His idea= religion-money-politica
so simple!!!
- Posted by Egemen ErI think that he is the one express anatolian islamic beliefs to the humanity by peace and education in this era. The world needs him ideas.
- Posted by oguzFirst of all, people don’t believe him, or better said they are not following him as a prophet, they are believing in islam and prophet muhammed(pbuh), they believe in Fethullah Gulen’s guidance in understanding the Islam, which is the religion of dialogue and peace. And no one is following him for money because no one is getting money because they are the members of this movement, actually most of the teachers who are graduated from the best universities of the world and who could get a job which is paying thousands of dollars per month are accepting to get paid as little as 4-500 hunderds of dollars per month some of them are getting none. If you are suspicious about the movement, instead of accusing with things which are not true why don’t you try to spend a little bit time with them and see with your own eyes. I am sure all your bad opinions will change and you will believe that they believe in what they are doing which is trying to open muslims and non muslims eyes and make them accept each other the way they are. instead of having a war between each other we can live a peacefull life together…
- Posted by Halil YildirimThis ages are very interesting.Because US can war against islamic world,also it can manage millions of muslims in same time.How can US do this?Because They have very `intelligent policies` which are `peace and dialogue`.Why they don`t use these `dialogue and peace` for islamic world?Because They want to create an islam which is `half islam` which is light islam.
- Posted by neWIslam is a religion which already is way of peace and dialogue.Hey My friend who interested in islam or Muslim,please look for real islam.
God bless you.