'Movement's Schools One of the most Promising Education Enterprises'[Summaries of the Articles Published in The Muslim World Special Gulen Edition] Sept. 14, 2005 from Zaman
Dr. Thomas Michel, who studies how “Sufism” and “modernity” are reconciled in Fethullah Gulen’s thoughts, points at an educational philosophy that is reflected in the hundreds of schools established in Turkey and throughout the world as the most efficient evidence for this.
Michel says that given the lack of integration between scientific knowledge and spiritual values, Gulen and his companions introduced a new style of education which reconciles the two. According to Michel, Gulen neither proposes rigid traditionalism that completely rejects modern values, nor a nostalgic return to the madrasah type education of Ottoman times. Rather he finds an Islamic middle ground that stands in a critical engagement with modernity. In opposition to modernist social planners he regards the real goal of the nations as the renewal or “civilization” of the individuals and the society through moral action and mentality. Michel characterizes the schools established with this philosophy in mind as one of the most impressive and promising educational enterprises that is currently taking place.
Gulen will have played a part if humanity lives for another century
Professor Lester Kurtz, who starts with the supposition that loyalty to faith and tolerance are distant and contradictory notions, concludes that Gulen has managed to reconcile these. Noting that Gulen encouraged others to practice tolerance, not in spite of, but as a consequence of his loyalty to Islam, Kurtz points at the schools as one of the most important areas in which this reconciliation has taken effect. Indicating that these schools constituted a form of humanitarian service, designed for education in the general sense of the term and in order to avoid Islamic propaganda, and he says that if humanity is to live for another century, the voices coming from such faith communities as Gulen’s, would undoubtedly play a part in that.
Those opposing the inter-religious dialogue launched by Gulen are a minority
In the article he co-authored with Dr. Saritoprak, Professor Sidney Griffith indicates that Fethullah Gulen’s ideas have the utmost importance for Muslim-Christian dialogue in the world. The article notes that those who oppose the inter-religious dialogue activities headed by Gulen were rigid secularists and a tiny group of radical Islamists who made up a small minority. The authors determine the basic notions of Gulen’s teachings as “mercy” and “love” and note that Mohammad’s (PBUH) teachings lay at the source of these themes. The authors regard Gulen’s efforts as bearing outstanding importance for contemporary humanity.
Gulen seeks dialogue between religious men and scientists
Professor Osman Bakar describes Gulen as a religious scholar, whose roots lay in the traditional religious sciences and who at the same time is quite familiar with modern Western science. Bakar notes that Gulen’s ideas on this matter have been shaped by its deep faithfulness to Sufi intellectualism, even though he is not an initiate of any Sufi order. Pointing at Gulen’s efforts to reconcile religion and science, Bakar indicates that Gulen’s teachings seek a sincere dialogue not just between Islam and Christianity, but among religious men and scientists from different societies as well. In this regard Gulen’s views are important for the contemporary world in numerous respects, notes Bakar.
‘Settled Ones’ exclude Gulen’s ‘revival movement’ fearing loss of power
Complaining about the shift of hatred in the West towards the non-militant Islamic organizations and congregations after September 11, Professor Elisabeth Ozdalga wrote an article on the Gulen movement to attract attention to the “other faces of Islam”.
Ozdalga examines the Gulen phenomena, which she terms as “the most influential revival movement in modern Turkey” from the theoretical framework discussed in Sociologist Norbert Elias’ book titled ”Modernization Process”.
Ozdalga sees the Gulen movement as being one of the civil interim networks undertaking the role of “mediatorship” and filling the gaps where public institutions have difficulty in integrating citizens with the system during the process of being a modern nation-state.
Terming the Gulen congregation as a “social network” being different from other traditional congregations, Ozdalga says, “The Gulen movement, which attaches so much importance to education, makes a remarkable contribution to the formation of values and identities, which lead to a deepening of the roots of the construction of the nation-state process.”
According to Ozdalga, it is not religion but the fear of “settled ones” regarding the change in the balance of power in favor of “those coming from outside,” just as Elias mentioned on the basis of the reaction towards Gulen, which reached a climax with an audio cassette case (trial) in July 1999.
‘Gulen, major representative of anti-violence Islamic tradition’
In the article, which Associate Professor Zeki Saritoprak examines the theological roots of the peace and anti-violence attitude in Islam; gives examples of the representatives of this tradition in Turkey such as Suleyman Hilmi Tunahan, Mehmed Zahid Kotku, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi and Fethullah Gulen.
These people made an important contribution to the formation of a safer and more peaceful atmosphere in the country thanks to their loyalty to the principle of “being against violence despite the pressures imposed by extreme secularists,” according to Saritoprak
Indicating Gulen’s personal experiences that he gained during the “anarchy and military coups” processes that play an important role in his anti-violence attitude, Saritoprak says, “For a peaceful world in the future, Gulen encourages his fellow citizens to establish schools in Turkey and abroad.”
Gulen strongly defends “freedom of faith” for non-Muslims as well, says Saritoprak, concluding that Turkey’s experience of an anti-violence attitude in the frame of Islamic teachings is a valid solution in a period when Islam is identified with violence and barbarism.
‘Lausanne Islam’ Loses Competition with ‘Civilian Anatolian Islam’
Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz examining the secularism process in Turkey explains in his article how non-official Islam is being lived although the Turkish state claiming a “secular mujahidin” role wanted to establish the understanding of Lausanne Islam. He exemplifies the National View’s movement of political Islam and Fethullah Gulen’s movement of Anatolian Islam. Advocating that the Gulen movement that he also defines as the largest civilian movement in Turkey made transformative influences on society, nationalist Islam and political Islam as well, Yilmaz considers Gulen’s discourse in the “moderate Islam” category. Yilmaz depends on Gulen’s use of a flexible language on some issues relating to the authoritarian state not showing tolerance to any rival in the social arena. He exemplifies the efforts of secularist and nationalist circles that could not digest Gulen’s meeting with Pope John Paul II under the context of dialogue among religions, to make the Department of Religious Affairs take on that role.
Ali H. Aslan, Washington: Why a special edition for Fethullah Gulen?
Doctor Ibrahim M. Abu-Rabi who is one of The Muslim World’s chief editors explained to Zaman why they prepared a special edition titled “Islam in Modern Turkey: Fethullah Gulen’s contributions”: “The Gulen phenomena is significant for current Turkey. The success of the Gulen education model is one of the reasons explaining its significance. Gulen has a global perspective. His interest for dialogue among religions, cultures and civilizations are perfect. Muslim world has many things to learn from this model.”
Associated Professor Zeki Saritoprak, the Said Nursi Department Chair of the John Caroll University and guest editor of the special editioni said there is a gradual interest in Gulen within the academic world. Associated Professor Hakan Yavuz from the University of Utah, who is known for his studies on Islam in Turkey and the Gulen movement, in particular, found The Muslim World’s special edition significant for two reasons: “Firstly, the Gulen model provides a major opening in a period where Islam is read with a reductionist understanding of terrorism after September 11 in the US. Secondly, the Gulen movement offers a moral system that will cover not only Turks or Muslims; but also all of humanity.”
According to Yavuz, Gulen appears in the articles published in the magazine as a Muslim Turkish intellectual who carried the Islamic understanding shaped around Yunus’ love, Mevlana’s tolerance and Haci Bektasi Veli’s rationality in Anatolia to a universal level and as the leader of a social and moral movement who has turned his thoughts into action. In short, Turkey carries its locality to a universal level with Gulen’s interpretations.
Professor Dale Eickelman from Dartmouth College, a leading figure among academics studying the Muslim world in the US and participated in the publishing council of the magazine, also disclosed: “While most scientists who try to understand the Muslim world focused on Iran, South and Southeast Asia, they underestimate the developments occurring in Turkey. This special edition attracts the attention of a wide academic circle in a period when studies and practices inspired by Gulen’s tenets embark on effects beyond the borders of Turkey and Turkish communities living in foreign countries.
Originally published in Zaman, Sept. 14, 2005.
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