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Success and Recognition of Turkish schools in Australia

03 Sep

Isik CollegeIn a very important analysis Cemen Polat compares the educational standards of both Australia and Turkey. In particular she pays attention to the success of 17 schools inspired by the philosophy of Fethullah Gulen.

[Advancing in Education in an Advanced Democracy] Success and Recognition of Turkish schools in Australia  by  ÇEMEN POLAT

Australia’s education system is considered to have some of the highest standards in the world and enjoys international recognition.  Over the past decades, Australia has emerged as one of the top five providers of international education services, after the US, the UK, Germany and France. Hence, Australia is widely renowned as being among the world leaders in the field of education, and each year the country attracts more than 450,000 students from about 200 countries. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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A Statement from Ephesus

01 Sep

EphesusFrom the Participants in the Rumi Forum’s May 17-25, 2006, Tour of Turkey

We, the participants in the Rumi Forum’s May 17-25, 2006, visit to Turkey, come to Ephesus with a deep respect for the rich religious heritage it contains.  Sacred as a shrine for ancient Greeks and Romans, Ephesus was home to a thriving Jewish community in the first century, C.E.  Many in the city welcomed Paul the Apostle, and according to church tradition Ephesus became the home of John the Evangelist and Mary the mother of Jesus.  For centuries Ephesus has been an important place of pilgrimage for generations of Christians and Muslims coming to honor Mary, the only woman named by her own name in the Qur’an and the only woman for whom a sura (or chapter) of the Qur’an is named.  Mary, a Jewish woman of faith who became the revered mother of Christians and Muslims, calls us to worship the one God and to develop healthy relationships with followers of all religious paths. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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Interview with Helen Rose Ebaugh on the Gulen Movement

25 Aug

Helen-Rose-EbaughDr Helen Ebaugh offers a great insight in an interview with Qantara.de into the ideas of Fethullah Gulen and the movement that has formed around his ideas.

Helen Rose Ebaugh, an American professor specializing in the sociology of religion, sees the movement founded by the controversial Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen as both an opportunity for the West and a serious alternative to religious extremism. Matthias Daum asked for more details.
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The other face of Islam

20 Aug

istanbulSandy Wollschalger has experienced the hospitality of the Turkish people by way of a recent trip to Turkey. Themes she touches on i the article include culture and food, democracy and human rights and the Gulen Movement.

In mid-July I left for Turkey for a week with a group sponsored by the largest civic organization in the country, led by Fethullah Gulen. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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The Gulen-inspired Folks and Schools: Interviews with Tuncay Terzi and Nisa Terzi

18 Aug

Gulen inspired schoolsThe Institute for Cultural Diversity has dedicated an article and two interviews to the Gulen Movement.

The Gülen-inspired Folks and Schools: Interviews with Tuncay Terzi and Nisa Terzi

“As a social movement motivated by religious values and the ideals of selfless service, engaged in philanthropic endeavor and active in the civil sphere,” argues Greg Barton, a professor at Monash University, Melbourne, “the Gulen hizmet deserves comparison with other such movements around the globe.” It challenges “some of the ‘us and them’ barriers that divide … east and west, by allowing us to recognise common concerns, values and shared experiences.” … Read the rest of this entry »


 
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Fethullah Gulen and Poetry – The Broken Plectrum

06 Aug

“Poetry is the poetic expression of the universe’s hidden beauty and symmetry, and the heart-ravishing, smiling view of existence by sensitive, inspired souls. Among them are those whose hearts have become ink-pots and whose ink is the breath of the Holy Spirit.” This is M. Fethullah Gulen’s point of view regarding poetry.

For him “Poetry is the sound heard while delving into the beyond, and the moan coming from those so engaged. Its sounds and tunes are sometimes uproarious and sometimes fine, for they depend on the poet’s spiritual condition and inner depth. For this reason, poetry’s every word and sound can be comprehended fully only if the hearer knows the poet’s spiritual state at the time of his or her poem’s conception.”

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Fethullah Gulen, the most important figure of tolerance and dialogue

03 Aug

Heon C. KimIf properly presented, I believe the Islamic humanism of love, tolerance and dialogue that Fethullah Gulen teaches is the perfect antidote to the dialectical approach to humanity, which leads to endless conflict by continually creating tensional gaps among civilizations, nations, social classes and humanity itself” are the words of Korean Dr. Heon C. Kim, a specialist in contemporary Islam. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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Leeds University awarded M. Fethullah Gulen an honorary doctorate

31 Jul

M. Fethullah Gulen’s contribution to peace, education and dialogue has been recognized by Leeds Metropolitan University of UK. The University awarded Gulen an honorary doctorate at its Summer Graduation celebrations.

Fethullah Gulen has inspired a transnational civil society movement which mostly focuses on education and intercultural dialogue and aims to promote peace and better understanding. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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Dialogue instead of clash of civilizations

31 Jul

Australian Intercultural SocietyBefore coming to Washington DC’s Rumi Forum, I was heading the Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) based out of Melbourne. This article reflects the great contribution to social harmony and peace building as reflected in and inspired by the thoughts of Fethullah Gulen.

Governor of Victoria, Prof. David deKretser said, “Our capacity to live in cohesion is dependent in part on a mutual respect for each others’ faiths, recognizing and appreciating that each and every faith is founded on a belief that by nature cannot be logically proven. Many of us belong to faiths or religions that profess a belief in a god, although the pathways to reach that god vary. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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Addressing Global Needs and Respecting Local Environments

24 Jul

Gulen Movement has demonstrated a prominent activity by establishing a worldwide network of businesses, schools, foundations, institutions and media outlets. Despite of the cultural, economical, political and social differences among  countries, activity of Gulen Movement has been equally successful everywhere and in various spheres. The fair question is “What constitutes global popularity of Gulen Movement despite all political, cultural, linguistic, economic and social barriers?” Many factors can be brought to attention to explain the reason of such success. However, I would like to tease out the most important ones looking from theoretical point of view. One of the key factors that can be brought to attention to explain the reason of this success is the fact that Gulen Movement has always tried to adapt to the local environments by showing humane respect and appreciation to local culture. Read the rest of this entry »


 
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