Rumi Forum Blog - Dedicated to Interfaith & Intercultural Dialogue, inspired by Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gulen's new book: The ideal of living for the sake of others

2012-01-27T18:59:00.000-05:00

Gulen has inspired many through his sermons and videos. Another way to 'dialogue' with Gulen is through his writings, and a new opportunity has arisen with the launch of his new book: The ideal of living for the sake of others

Many people were at the launch at Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel including İstanbul Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and Assyrian Catholic Church leader Chorepiscopus Yusuf Sağ. Gulen is World renowned for his teachings of tolerance, acceptance and understanding. His works always encouraged dialogue with the 'other' and it is for this reason that many people from numerous ethnic and faith backgrounds show support of Gulen's work.

Gülen's latest book launch celebrated at İstanbul forum

Journalists, politicians and writers gathered together for a forum in İstanbul on Tuesday to mark the launch of renowned Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen's latest book, “Yaşatma İdeali,” (The Ideal to Let Others Live).

The event, organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV), was held at the Ceylan Intercontinental Hotel. Among the participants of the event were GYV President Mustafa Yeşil, İstanbul Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, Assyrian Catholic Church leader Chorepiscopus Yusuf Sağ, Zaman Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı, Media Association President Salih Memecan, former Democrat Party (DP) leader Süleyman Soylu and Fatih University Rector Şerif Ali Tekalan, in addition to many high-profile journalists.

Gülen sent a message to the participants of the gathering in which he dwelled on the importance of self-sacrifice for others.

“As you will agree, a person who only thinks of himself is not a human at all, but a human with a deficiency. The way real humanity can be achieved is through self-sacrifice for others. The value of a person in the eyes of God can be measured by the level of their benevolence. The most obvious sign of a high level of benevolence is sacrificing one's personal pleasures and joys for the happiness of others,” Gülen said in his message.

A panel discussion sharing the name of Gülen's book was organized for the event.
Professor Mehmet Altan, also a journalist and writer, presided over the panel. Delivering a speech to the panel, journalist Şahin Alpay talked about the contribution made by Gülen's followers through the opening of schools all around the world. He said these schools are of great benefit to humanity and will play a significant role in raising new generations.

The Gülen movement is a group of volunteers engaged in interfaith and intercultural dialogue, inspired by the ideas of Fethullah Gülen, whose teachings promote mutual understanding and tolerance between cultures. Now residing in the US, Gülen has pioneered educational activities in a number of countries, along with efforts to promote intercultural and interfaith activities around the world.

Former DP leader Soylu said, having read Gülen's latest book, it could be described as a guide for the world which diagnoses the “the diseases of this era” and proposes treatments for them.

Media Association President Memecan said: “Recently, the identity of the individual has been highlighted while being a human being has been placed on the back burner. We should not forget humanitarian values just for the sake of promoting individual identity. People are thirsty for dialogue, but despite this we have become a society in which we are alienated from each other. I have learned much from the speeches made here. It is obvious that I will learn much from the book, too.”

Professor Altan said the most difficult thing in life is to become a human being; hence intellectuals should open dialogue on the importance of being one. “The 'ideal to let others live' is a crucial concept for me, for it looks at life from above the human and accepts that humans are the most valuable and sacred beings. Culture injects into us the notions of a religion, ethnicity or a religious sect more than the feelings of humanity. We cannot cope with problems when we divide people into religions, languages and ethnicities. This panel discussion is a step forward to overcoming these problems,” he said.

SOURCE:

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-269554-gulens-latest-book-launch-celebrated-at-istanbul-forum.html

FETHULLAH GULEN: A modern Ottoman - Prospect Magazine

2012-01-14T22:38:00.001-05:00

Fethullah Gulen is the Honorary President of the Rumi Forum. Below is an article that dates back to 2008. It is an important article that explains and introduces the reader to both Gulen and the reasons so many have been inspired and motivated by his ideas. Currently, it is said that the Gulen (Hizmet) Movement is active in more than 120 countries

A modern Ottoman

EHSAN MASOOD

26th July 2008

The Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, winner of our intellectuals poll, is the modern face of the Sufi Ottoman tradition. At home with globalisation and PR, and fascinated by science, he also influences Turkish politics through links to the ruling AK party

Click here to view the results of the Prospect/FP global intellectuals polls

Is it possible to be a true religious believer and at the same time enjoy good relations with people of other faiths or none? Moreover, can you remain open to new ideas and new ways of thinking?

Fethullah Gülen, a 67-year-old Turkish Sufi cleric, author and theoretician, has dedicated much of his life to resolving these questions. From his sick bed in exile just outside Philadelphia, he leads a global movement inspired by Sufi ideas. He promotes an open brand of Islamic thought and, like the Iran-born Islamic philosophers Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Abdolkarim Soroush, he is preoccupied with modern science (he publishes an English-language science magazine called the Fountain). But Gülen, unlike these western-trained Iranians, has spent most of his life within the religious and political institutions of Turkey, a Muslim country, albeit a secular one since the foundation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s republic after the first world war.

Unusually for a pious intellectual, he and his movement are at home with technology, markets and multinational business, and especially with modern communications and public relations—which, like a modern televangelist, he uses to attract converts. Like a western celebrity, he carefully manages his public exposure—mostly by restricting interviews to those he can trust.

Many of his converts come from Turkey’s aspirational middle class. As religious freedom comes, falteringly, to Turkey, Gülen reassures his followers that they can combine the statist-nationalist beliefs of Atatürk’s republic with a traditional but flexible Islamic faith. He also reconnects the provincial middle class with the Ottoman traditions that had been caricatured as theocratic by Atatürk and his “Kemalist” heirs. Oliver Leaman, a leading scholar of Islamic philosophy, says that Gülen’s ideas are a product of Turkish history, especially the end of the Ottoman empire and the birth of the republic. He calls Gülen’s approach “Islam-lite.”

Millions of people inside and outside Turkey have been inspired by Gülen’s more than 60 books and the tapes and videos of his talks. Why? A combination of charisma, good organisation and an attractive message. What Gülen says is that you can be at home in the modern world while also embracing traditional values like faith in God and community responsibility—a message which resonates strongly in Turkey.

Gülen (pictured, right) insists that he is not a Sufi leader, but his thinking is certainly influenced by Sufi ideas: he says, for example, that a reader who wants to truly understand the Koran needs to invest his heart as well as his intellect. Another belief he shares with Sufism is the idea that God, humanity and the natural world are all linked, and might even be part of a single entity, a sort of cosmic trinity. This idea has practical consequences. For example, it suggests that a believer will love and respect humanity and the natural world as they would God. It also means that no one should be seen as an outsider. Hence Gülen’s insistence on friendship among people of all faiths and none.

Hakan Yavuz, co-editor of Turkish Islam and the Secular State: the Gülen Movement (Syracuse), describes the Gülen movement as comprising a small inner cabinet along with a network of perhaps 5m like-minded volunteers and sympathisers, rather than an organisation with a hierarchy or formal membership. Others say it is more like a cult, with no deviation from Gülen’s word allowed. The network’s largesse has meant that the movement now boasts newspapers and magazines, television and radio stations, private hospitals and, by some estimates, more than 500 fee-paying elite schools in dozens of countries. These schools are mostly in Turkey and the Turkic-speaking ex-Soviet republics like Azerbaijan, but a few can also be found in Africa, China and the US.

The Gülen movement sponsors international conferences to debate his ideas. (The most recent one in Britain was held at the House of Lords.) These ideas cover three main areas: Gülen’s attempts to marry science and religion; his large body of work on interpreting Islam for the modern age; and his role in Turkish politics through his influence on the governing Justice and Development (AK) party.

***
Fethullah Gülen was born in 1941 in a village near Erzurum in eastern Anatolia, near the border with Iran and Armenia. After a period of Islamic education, in 1959 he began work for the religious ministry as an imam—imams in Turkey are public servants—a post he held until 1981 when, shortly after a military coup, he struck out on his own. The life of a government imam will not have suited someone with his creativity and charisma—those who have heard his sermons say he frequently reduces audiences to tears—and Gülen did well to last over 20 years.

While still an imam, Gülen joined the Light movement, a Sufi-inspired network for followers of the Turkish thinker Said Nursi, who died in 1960. Gülen later broke away, but continued to be influenced by Nursi’s ideas on accommodating Islam to modernity and finding harmony between scientific reason and religious revelation.

Science and technology are important to Gülen for two reasons. First, he attributes the underdevelopment of many Muslim nations to a neglect of modern knowledge. For Gülen, a failure to study science is a dereliction of Islamic duty, as learning is repeatedly emphasised in the Koran. More controversially, he says there can be no conflict between reason and revelation, and that science should be used as a tool to understand the miracle of the Koran.

Gülen does not follow those Muslims who believe the Koran contains all that is necessary for scientific understanding. He knows that scientific discoveries are mostly provisional and that science is an incremental business. But he also believes that as researchers refine their understanding of physics or biology, they get closer to revealed Koranic truths, such as the existence of a creator. His approach has a parallel in the west in the Templeton Foundation, with its generous grants and prizes to scientists sympathetic to religion.

***
Sufism is integral to Ottoman as well as wider Islamic history, and in spite of attempts at repression, it remains popular and powerful in many Muslim countries. In its most traditional sense, it is marked by a master-disciple relationship in which a Sufi master is linked through a chain of living and dead Sufi masters to Muhammad himself. These days, however, Sufi leaders are more mentors than svengalis, particularly in the west.

Two of Turkey’s leading Sufi networks are the Mevlevis and the Naqshbandis. The Mevlevis were founded by the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, and they include among their network the famous whirling dervishes. The Naqshbandis, founded in 1389 in central Asia, retain Sufism’s hierarchical structure but adhere to a more orthodox brand of Islam. The Naqshbandis were the leading Sufi order in the Ottoman empire’s last years. Many in the ruling AK party are members of Naqshbandi lodges. Some, however, have a higher regard for Gülen than for their Naqshbandi co-religionists.

Gülen has not involved himself directly in Turkish politics, and has always set his face against political Islam. Religion for him is about private piety, not political ideology. He was a stern and public critic of Necmettin Erbakan, the leader of the Welfare party—the forerunner to AK—who in the late 1990s briefly led a coalition government with the conservative True Path party. Gülen even backed the army’s “soft coup” of 28th February 1997, which forced Erbakan to resign.

After the tense period of the 1980s and 1990s, Gülen and the AK leaders have now become closer, although they have different social bases: AK’s base is the urban poor, Gülen’s the provincial middle class. Encouraged by Gülen, the AK party has softened its Koranic literalism, embraced the idea of human rights and given up dreams of introducing sharia or re-establishing the Ottoman caliphate. Its abandonment of Islamism has in turn emboldened Gülen to become more critical of the Turkish military. Gülen’s media outlets, above all the popular newspaper Zaman, give their backing to the AK government.

***
And the government needs all the backing it can get. Despite winning a landslide election victory last year, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, President Abdullah Gül and many AK parliamentarians are fighting for their political lives in a battle with the Kemalists over, among other things, the wearing of headscarves in universities.

About 32 per cent of Turkish boys and 43 per cent of girls leave education after primary school. Polls indicate that five in ten women cover their hair, and the government argues that girls are put off staying on in education by hijab bans. In February, parliament voted by a large majority to amend the constitution and repeal the headscarf ban in universities, which had been in place since 1989. Yet on 5th June, this decision was annulled by Turkey’s constitutional court. (Turkey has a grand tradition of legislating for headwear: the turban was outlawed in 1829 and the fez introduced, only to be banned in turn by Atatürk in 1925).

Separate, but related, is the recent decision by the constitutional court to hear an application from the chief prosecutor to have AK shut down on the grounds that party members have violated the constitutional principles of secularism. The case could last eight months, during which time what little progress has been made on EU accession will effectively grind to a halt.

The banning of political parties is not new in Turkey—26 have been dissolved since 1960. AK was created from the embers of the Virtue party (banned in 2001), which itself was formed by former members of the Welfare party (banned 1998). Anticipating such a move for the third time, the chief prosecutor has asked for any AK members found guilty to be banned from politics for five years. If that happens, Turkey is headed for years of political unrest.

Many Kemalists see the repeal of the headscarf ban as just the first step towards an Iranian-style revolution. “Khomeini is alive and well in Ankara and being supported by the EU,” a senior member of the nationalist Republican People’s party told me. (And Michael Rubin, a leading American neoconservative, recently predicted that as political tensions in the country become unbearable, Gülen would make a triumphant return to Turkey, Khomeini-style, and trigger an Islamic coup.)

Yet Gülen himself is in favour of compromise on the headscarf ban. And outside the Ankara political village, the issue is not such a big deal. One poll found that in 2006, proportionately fewer women were wearing headscarves than in 1999. And just 3.7 per cent of respondents said it was one of Turkey’s most pressing issues.

***
The AK party is a sophisticated organisation surrounded by a cluster of think tanks and thinkers—men such as Ibrahim Kalin, a philosopher of science who heads the SETA think tank, and Ahmet Davutoglu, a former international relations professor, now Erdogan’s chief foreign policy strategist.

AK leaders, and Gülen too, have been pushing hard for EU membership for Turkey, partly to entrench religious freedom. (The Kemalists want membership for the opposite reason—to put a secular brake on the religious parties.) But now that Turkey’s prospects of accession are receding, some AK thinkers are downplaying the economic benefits of membership, and Davutoglu talks about a global, rather than just a European, role for Turkey.

Even in the event of EU-enthusiasm returning in Turkey, there remain many objections in Brussels to Turkey’s political norms. One of them, of course, is the continuing involvement of the military in politics. There is also the issue of minority rights, only now being tackled. The republic has hitherto functioned on the basis that all Turks are Turkish-speaking Sunni Muslims. All other expressions of faith, language and culture have been suppressed. Even AK, in favour of more religious freedom, has been slow to promote the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish and Alevi minorities.

Gülen has always publicly supported the establishment and its organs of state, including the National Security Council. He has had the backing of both former centre-right president Süleyman Demirel and Bülent Ecevit, hero of the Turkish left in the 1970s. However, many Kemalists do not trust him, and see his support for the AK government as vindication of their stance that he is a Trojan horse for political Islam. Gülen has been indicted on anti-secularism charges, but was acquitted in 2006.

For the past several years, he has lived in self-exile in the US, where he has not been in good health. Rumours persist that he is ready to return to Turkey, though in the current climate, with talk of political bans in the air, this seems unlikely. Meanwhile, he has used his time abroad to build his overseas support and his network of schools—the latest has just opened in Pakistan.

Traditional Sufi leaders anoint a successor before they die. Gülen has not done so. Perhaps there is no need, as his ideas will live on through his books, DVDs, MP3 recordings and websites in 21 languages. Whether or not he returns to the country of his birth, Gülen’s legacy as a thoroughly modern Sufi is secure.

SOURCE : http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/2008/07/amodernottoman/

FURTHER READING:

Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service - Dr. Alan G. Merten, President, George Mason University

2012-01-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

2011 Rumi Peace and Dialogue AwardsExtraordinary Commitment to Educational Service - Dr. Alan G. Merten, President, George Mason University

http://www.rumiforum.org, http://rumiforum.blogspot.com,
http://www.youtube.com/user/RumiForum, http://twitter.com/#!/rumiforum
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rumi-Forum/270743316210
http://picasaweb.google.com/110222538312634006729/RUMIFORUM

The Honorable Joshua DuBois, executive director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and an advisor to US President Barack Obama, said he was greatly honored to receive the Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award while praising the Rumi Forum for being at the forefront in advancing interfaith cooperation and understanding in the United States and around the globe since 1999.
"We look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country and around the world motivated by the president's belief, as he stated in his inaugural address, `that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers; we are shaped by every culture and language`," DuBois said.

The Forum's Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Through Media Award went to Diane Rehm of the Diane Rehm Show, who spoke about the politicization of the US Congress in her speech. "I wished every single member of congress were sitting in this room to see that grand film and to hear the comments of Archbishop Tutu's daughter," she said.

Archbishop Tutu's daughter, Nontombi Naomi Tutu, accepted the Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation Award on behalf of her father, which she said her father accepted as a great honor. In a speech, she said: "It is a great honor, and when I spoke with my father about the award, one of the things that we talked about was some of the poetry of Rumi, and one line in particular, 'Move outside the tangle of fear thinking,' which he [Archbishop Tutu] believes has been what has led him in his life to recognize the common humanity of all. When we can move beyond fear thinking and see in one another brothers and sisters who share fears, hopes and dreams, our move for a peaceful and just world will come about."

Dr. Alan Merten, president of George Mason University and recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service Award, offered his thanks to the Forum for presenting him with the award. Dr. Merten said his university has students from more than 140 countries, a fact that he says he feels most proud of.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and the recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award, sent a video acceptance message since he was not able to attend the ceremony due to travel abroad. He stated that it was a great honor for him to receive this award, and praised the efforts of the Rumi Forum to seek a "common ground" among people.

The Rumi Forum`s president, Mr. Emre Celik, spoke at the event:

The Rumi Forum was founded in 1999 around the ideals of the famous Sufi thinker and poet Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, and hopes to bring together people of different backgrounds around the ideals of serving society and increasing social harmony through projects of engagement, education and dialogue while overcoming ignorance and prejudice both at an intellectual and grass roots level.

Mr. Fethullah Gulen, our Honorary President has motivated similar organizations around the world that espouse these very same shared values within the framework of democracy and respect for all humanity.
. . . Tonight we are here to commemorate and reflect upon the successes and the example of our award recipients. These awards reflect the sincere efforts of each one of the recipients service to their fellow human being. We are proud of their achievement, and congratulate each of them for their good work. It is my hope that we all can incorporate into our lives the motivation that drives such success and service.

FULL VIDEO

NEW BOOK:Mastering Knowledge in Modern Times, Fethullah Gülen as an Islamic Scholar

2011-12-24T11:09:00.014-05:00

Fethullah Gulen, Rumi Forum's Honorary President is well known for encouraging educational and dialogue
activities. Unfortunately to date, his expertise in the Islamic sciences has gained little attention in the English language. Below is a new book that places Fethullah Gulen amongst the great thinkers in Islamic thought, and the reason so many around the world are inspired by his ideas.

The book comprises of 6 chapters:

Fethullah Gulen's Approach to Quranic Exegesis by Ismail Albayrak

Fethullah Gulen's Thought on Hadith by Halim Calis

A Classical Scholar with a modern Outlook:Fethullah Gulen and His Legal Thought by Ismail Acar

Fethullah Gulen and His Theology of Social Responsibility by Zeki Saritoprak

Sufism and Fethullah Gulen by Mehmet Yavuz Seker

Gulen's Teaching Methodology in his Private Circle by Ergun Capan

Visit Amazon.com

Mastering Knowledge in Modern Times Fethullah Gülen as an İslamic Scholar

A number of conferences have been organized in recent years emphasizing the social, civic, and educational activities of the Gülen Movement (aka Hizmet), as well as Gülen's contribution to interreligious dialogue. However, very little attention has been paid to his formal and informal education, his scholarly works, and his interpretation of basic Islamic sources and disciplines in

the modern period. In fact, his expertise goes beyond the limitations of modern academic compartmentalization of Islamic studies. This edited book aims to explore Gülen's personal and theological
profile in relation to Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), Prophetic tradition (hadith), Islamic law (fiqh), Islamic systematic theology (kalam), and Islamic mysticism or Sufism (tasawwuf). Gülen's
private study circle and the texts and style of education that he continues to teach is also separately covered in order to reflect his mastership over Islamic disciplines.

Professor Ismail Albayrak is the Fethullah Gülen Chair in the Study of Islam and Muslim-Catholic Relations, School of Theology, Australian Catholic University in Melbourne.

Author:	İsmail Albayrak
ISBN:	978-1-935295-10-5
Trim:	15 x 22,5
Page Count:	169

Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award: The Honorable Joshua DuBois

2011-12-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award
Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award: The Honorable Joshua DuBois, Executive Director, The White Office House of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

http://www.rumiforum.org, http://rumiforum.blogspot.com,
http://www.youtube.com/user/RumiForum, http://twitter.com/#!/rumiforum
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rumi-Forum/270743316210
http://picasaweb.google.com/110222538312634006729/RUMIFORUM

The Honorable Joshua DuBois, executive director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and an advisor to US President Barack Obama, said he was greatly honored to receive the Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award while praising the Rumi Forum for being at the forefront in advancing interfaith cooperation and understanding in the United States and around the globe since 1999.

"We look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country and around the world motivated by the president's belief, as he stated in his inaugural address, `that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers; we are shaped by every culture and language`," DuBois said.

The Forum's Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Through Media Award went to Diane Rehm of the Diane Rehm Show, who spoke about the politicization of the US Congress in her speech. "I wished every single member of congress were sitting in this room to see that grand film and to hear the comments of Archbishop Tutu's daughter," she said.

Archbishop Tutu's daughter, Nontombi Naomi Tutu, accepted the Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation Award on behalf of her father, which she said her father accepted as a great honor. In a speech, she said: "It is a great honor, and when I spoke with my father about the award, one of the things that we talked about was some of the poetry of Rumi, and one line in particular, 'Move outside the tangle of fear thinking,' which he [Archbishop Tutu] believes has been what has led him in his life to recognize the common humanity of all. When we can move beyond fear thinking and see in one another brothers and sisters who share fears, hopes and dreams, our move for a peaceful and just world will come about."

Dr. Alan Merten, president of George Mason University and recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service Award, offered his thanks to the Forum for presenting him with the award. Dr. Merten said his university has students from more than 140 countries, a fact that he says he feels most proud of.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and the recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award, sent a video acceptance message since he was not able to attend the ceremony due to travel abroad. He stated that it was a great honor for him to receive this award, and praised the efforts of the Rumi Forum to seek a "common ground" among people.

The Rumi Forum`s president, Mr. Emre Celik, spoke at the event:

The Rumi Forum was founded in 1999 around the ideals of the famous Sufi thinker and poet Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, and hopes to bring together people of different backgrounds around the ideals of serving society and increasing social harmony through projects of engagement, education and dialogue while overcoming ignorance and prejudice both at an intellectual and grass roots level.

Mr. Fethullah Gulen, our Honorary President has motivated similar organizations around the world that espouse these very same shared values within the framework of democracy and respect for all humanity.
. . . Tonight we are here to commemorate and reflect upon the successes and the example of our award recipients. These awards reflect the sincere efforts of each one of the recipients service to their fellow human being. We are proud of their achievement, and congratulate each of them for their good work. It is my hope that we all can incorporate into our lives the motivation that drives such success and service.

FULL VIDEO

TESTIMONIALS - Guests talk about their travels in Turkey (2)

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Wendi See | BUSINESSWOMAN

TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND
Six months ago, I knew next to nothing about Islam. Any knowledge I thought I had
was based primarily on the media’s portrayal of Islam since September 11th, 2001, a
predominately Arabic and militant version. Thus, I knew even less about Turkish Islam.
Therefore, I set out on a path of enlightenment without realizing that such knowledge
would require change as well.

I decided to spend the summer of 2008 pursuing an increased understanding of
Islam and of dialogue between Christians and Muslims, an activity I also had no
understanding of. My journey began in June when I was accepted to participate in the
4th Annual Institute on Christian-Muslim Relations sponsored the Prince Alwaleed bin
Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, involving
seven Muslim and twenty-three Christian scholars and religious professionals. While
Christian participants of the Institute were introduced to the Qur’an, the life of
Muhammad and the early history of Islam, Muslim participants, in separate session,
were offered an introduction to Christianity, particularly through a selection of New
Testament passages. The participants came together for studies on both Christianity
in America and Islam in the West, facilitating a better understanding of the basic tenets
of each faith and how they are practiced in today’s society and political climate.
Because of my participation at Georgetown, I was selected as one of four Institute
participants (three Christian and one Muslim) to travel to Turkey on an intercultural
exchange sponsored by the Rumi Forum, a Washington D.C non-profit organization,
founded in 1999 with the mission of fostering interfaith and intercultural dialogue. This
8-day exchange began with an awe-inspiring evening harbor tour on the Bosporus. We
visited the magical city of Istanbul, simultaneously ancient and strikingly modern. Our
trip featured tours of Izmir, Kayseri and the ancient cities of Ephesus and Cappadocia.
The sights, sounds and smells were at times overwhelming and difficult to process.
The joy of walking where others, especially our Christian forefathers walked, was
unexpected and fitting.

What I did not know prior to the start of the trip was that the founders of the Rumi
Forum and the facilitators of the trip were all supporters of the Gülen Movement,
a particularly tolerant form of Islam practiced by followers of M. Fethullah Gülen, a
Turkish Muslim preacher, intellectual, author and poet. Prior to this trip, I had never
heard of Gülen or the movement which bears his name. It still seems strange to me
that I learned of this great man through the fruits of his work before ever hearing the
words which inspired them, which is usually the preferred method.

During our trip, we visited a private preparatory school in Istanbul and later, had a
luncheon with the faculty and administration of a private university. Both institutions
were founded by supporters of the Gülen Movement and put into action his ideas on
social justice through education.

In Gülen’s mind, education remains the last solution to society’s problems. He asserts
that controlling the masses is easy when they are starved of knowledge; escape from
tyranny comes only through learning. True social justice is created through “adequate,
universal education”, which replaces fear with information, leading to tolerance and
respect for the rights of others. Via the Gülen model, only education can defeat all
three of the most plaguing problems facing the world today: ignorance, poverty,
and division. Of course, ignorance is automatically defeated through knowledge, but
learning also promotes productive work and possession of capital, which decimates
poverty and eradicates internal schisms by replacing fear with tolerance.

The main focus of his movement is the positioning of Turkish Islam in the globalized
world as a bridge to the West, presenting a “face to the world with an emphasis on
tolerance, dialogue and respect”. He instills in his adherents the duty as a member of
this community to learn several languages, to travel widely, to study the social sciences
and humanities in different educational and scientific settings and to actively engage
in universal and interfaith dialogue.

Gülen has been a pioneer of interfaith dialogue for over thirty years, believing that
“dialogue is not a superfluous endeavor, but an imperative…that dialogue is among
the duties of Muslims to make our world a more peaceful and safer place.”
According to Carroll, “Dialogue is the means by which we maintain our focus on the
humanity of others, even when, or perhaps especially when, we strongly disagree with
their ideas. Finding commonalities amidst racial difference is a proven strategy for
peaceful coexistence among people who largely disagree. Dialogues, when difficult,
are some of the most important conversations to have.”

Commons sense would cause any reader to wonder where these idealistic, tolerant,
all-virtuous people of such high moral character come from. Carroll wonders if they
are divine beings sent from God to live among us. No, they are entirely human. I
found them in Turkey, in the Gülen Movement. They are teachers in schools like the
one we visited which are run by the supporters of the movement all over the world,
breaking through walls of hate and fear. They are university students who volunteer
their valuable free time educating the generation behind them, so that the chain
of love never ends. They are businessmen and economic success stories who “pay
it forward” by financially supporting the work of the movement, people I came to
love as new brothers and sisters over a shared meal and laughter. They are children,
diligently studying science, math, history, language, literature, and the natural, social
and cultural sciences, so they can be the next generation’s success stories. These are
the people who will “usher in a new social reality that will mend the false bifurcation
between science and religion, [finally] meshing the East [with] the West”.

Great leaders in history often appear in the most strange of places. Jesus, the Christian
Messiah, was born to a virgin mother in the most pitiable of conditions, a stable
surrounded by animals and hay. The Prophet Muhammed was an orphan, raised in the
middle of the desert, distrusted by those in Meccan power because of his adherence
to monotheism. This man Gülen is such a person, although he adamantly disavows
any greatness. “I’ve never called myself a leader. I’m an ordinary man. A leader is
someone with capabilities, genius, charisma and high performance. I don’t have any
of these. I insist on saying, ‘I’m not a leader’. A person is not a leader just because [he]
has expressed [his] thoughts for thirty years in pulpits and some people who share the
same feelings and thoughts [have] responded.”8 But, no matter his personal humility,
millions of people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, hear his words and are forever
changed.

I admit I was a skeptic. When I began to educate myself about Islam, I found it difficult to
reconcile what I ‘knew’ about the Islam of the twenty-first century with this moderate,
tolerant version I was being shown in Turkey. Most people, if asked, would immediately
espouse peace, love and tolerance. Gülen, presupposing my difficulties, says “Many
speak beautiful words about loving humankind, and these are indeed pleasant words.
But I wonder how many of those who speak such words are able to put into action and
represent in their characters what they have verbalized?”9. I wondered too.

I found the synthesis of words and action I sought in Turkey and the Gülen Movement.
My many, now dear, Turkish friends embody love and tolerance as daily duties required
of them as a form of worship, not just as empty speech. My Bible extols love as the
greatest of all virtues.10 In the Gospels, Jesus indicates that love of one’s neighbors
is second only to love of the Father. I have been called to love by my Christian faith
and nothing in it refutes Gülen’s message of being “hand-less to those who hit us and
tongue-less to those who curse us”11. Quite the opposite. Tolerant Christians and
loving Muslims have much to dialogue about and to teach each other about living in
peace—together. It is for this reason that I join millions of others around the world in
calling M. Fethullah Gülen my ‘Hocaefendi’.

Extraordinary Commitment to Peace: The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington

2011-12-02T18:25:00.000-05:00

2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award
Extraordinary Commitment to Peace: The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington

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The Honorable Joshua DuBois, executive director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and an advisor to US President Barack Obama, said he was greatly honored to receive the Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award while praising the Rumi Forum for being at the forefront in advancing interfaith cooperation and understanding in the United States and around the globe since 1999.

"We look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country and around the world motivated by the president's belief, as he stated in his inaugural address, `that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers; we are shaped by every culture and language`," DuBois said.

The Forum's Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Through Media Award went to Diane Rehm of the Diane Rehm Show, who spoke about the politicization of the US Congress in her speech. "I wished every single member of congress were sitting in this room to see that grand film and to hear the comments of Archbishop Tutu's daughter," she said.

Archbishop Tutu's daughter, Nontombi Naomi Tutu, accepted the Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation Award on behalf of her father, which she said her father accepted as a great honor. In a speech, she said: "It is a great honor, and when I spoke with my father about the award, one of the things that we talked about was some of the poetry of Rumi, and one line in particular, 'Move outside the tangle of fear thinking,' which he [Archbishop Tutu] believes has been what has led him in his life to recognize the common humanity of all. When we can move beyond fear thinking and see in one another brothers and sisters who share fears, hopes and dreams, our move for a peaceful and just world will come about."

Dr. Alan Merten, president of George Mason University and recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service Award, offered his thanks to the Forum for presenting him with the award. Dr. Merten said his university has students from more than 140 countries, a fact that he says he feels most proud of.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and the recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award, sent a video acceptance message since he was not able to attend the ceremony due to travel abroad. He stated that it was a great honor for him to receive this award, and praised the efforts of the Rumi Forum to seek a "common ground" among people.

The Rumi Forum`s president, Mr. Emre Celik, spoke at the event:

The Rumi Forum was founded in 1999 around the ideals of the famous Sufi thinker and poet Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, and hopes to bring together people of different backgrounds around the ideals of serving society and increasing social harmony through projects of engagement, education and dialogue while overcoming ignorance and prejudice both at an intellectual and grass roots level.

Mr. Fethullah Gulen, our Honorary President has motivated similar organizations around the world that espouse these very same shared values within the framework of democracy and respect for all humanity.
. . . Tonight we are here to commemorate and reflect upon the successes and the example of our award recipients. These awards reflect the sincere efforts of each one of the recipients service to their fellow human being. We are proud of their achievement, and congratulate each of them for their good work. It is my hope that we all can incorporate into our lives the motivation that drives such success and service.

FULL VIDEO

Extraordinary Commitment to Peace through Media - Diane Rehm, Host, The Diane Rehm Show

2011-11-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards
Extraordinary Commitment to Peace through Media - Diane Rehm, Host, The Diane Rehm Show

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The Honorable Joshua DuBois, executive director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and an advisor to US President Barack Obama, said he was greatly honored to receive the Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award while praising the Rumi Forum for being at the forefront in advancing interfaith cooperation and understanding in the United States and around the globe since 1999.

"We look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country and around the world motivated by the president's belief, as he stated in his inaugural address, `that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers; we are shaped by every culture and language`," DuBois said.

The Forum's Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Through Media Award went to Diane Rehm of the Diane Rehm Show, who spoke about the politicization of the US Congress in her speech. "I wished every single member of congress were sitting in this room to see that grand film and to hear the comments of Archbishop Tutu's daughter," she said.

Archbishop Tutu's daughter, Nontombi Naomi Tutu, accepted the Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation Award on behalf of her father, which she said her father accepted as a great honor. In a speech, she said: "It is a great honor, and when I spoke with my father about the award, one of the things that we talked about was some of the poetry of Rumi, and one line in particular, 'Move outside the tangle of fear thinking,' which he [Archbishop Tutu] believes has been what has led him in his life to recognize the common humanity of all. When we can move beyond fear thinking and see in one another brothers and sisters who share fears, hopes and dreams, our move for a peaceful and just world will come about."

Dr. Alan Merten, president of George Mason University and recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service Award, offered his thanks to the Forum for presenting him with the award. Dr. Merten said his university has students from more than 140 countries, a fact that he says he feels most proud of.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and the recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award, sent a video acceptance message since he was not able to attend the ceremony due to travel abroad. He stated that it was a great honor for him to receive this award, and praised the efforts of the Rumi Forum to seek a "common ground" among people.

The Rumi Forum`s president, Mr. Emre Celik, spoke at the event:

The Rumi Forum was founded in 1999 around the ideals of the famous Sufi thinker and poet Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, and hopes to bring together people of different backgrounds around the ideals of serving society and increasing social harmony through projects of engagement, education and dialogue while overcoming ignorance and prejudice both at an intellectual and grass roots level.

Mr. Fethullah Gulen, our Honorary President has motivated similar organizations around the world that espouse these very same shared values within the framework of democracy and respect for all humanity.
. . . Tonight we are here to commemorate and reflect upon the successes and the example of our award recipients. These awards reflect the sincere efforts of each one of the recipients service to their fellow human being. We are proud of their achievement, and congratulate each of them for their good work. It is my hope that we all can incorporate into our lives the motivation that drives such success and service.

FULL VIDEO

Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation - The Most Reverend Desmond Mpilo Tutu

2011-11-23T15:00:00.005-05:00

2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award
Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation - The Most Reverend Desmond Mpilo Tutu

http://www.rumiforum.org, http://rumiforum.blogspot.com,
http://www.youtube.com/user/RumiForum, http://twitter.com/#!/rumiforum
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rumi-Forum/270743316210
http://picasaweb.google.com/110222538312634006729/RUMIFORUM

The Honorable Joshua DuBois, executive director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and an advisor to US President Barack Obama, said he was greatly honored to receive the Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award while praising the Rumi Forum for being at the forefront in advancing interfaith cooperation and understanding in the United States and around the globe since 1999.

"We look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country and around the world motivated by the president's belief, as he stated in his inaugural address, `that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers; we are shaped by every culture and language`," DuBois said.

The Forum's Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Through Media Award went to Diane Rehm of the Diane Rehm Show, who spoke about the politicization of the US Congress in her speech. "I wished every single member of congress were sitting in this room to see that grand film and to hear the comments of Archbishop Tutu's daughter," she said.

Archbishop Tutu's daughter, Nontombi Naomi Tutu, accepted the Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation Award on behalf of her father, which she said her father accepted as a great honor. In a speech, she said: "It is a great honor, and when I spoke with my father about the award, one of the things that we talked about was some of the poetry of Rumi, and one line in particular, 'Move outside the tangle of fear thinking,' which he [Archbishop Tutu] believes has been what has led him in his life to recognize the common humanity of all. When we can move beyond fear thinking and see in one another brothers and sisters who share fears, hopes and dreams, our move for a peaceful and just world will come about."

Dr. Alan Merten, president of George Mason University and recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Educational Service Award, offered his thanks to the Forum for presenting him with the award. Dr. Merten said his university has students from more than 140 countries, a fact that he says he feels most proud of.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington and the recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award, sent a video acceptance message since he was not able to attend the ceremony due to travel abroad. He stated that it was a great honor for him to receive this award, and praised the efforts of the Rumi Forum to seek a "common ground" among people.

The Rumi Forum`s president, Mr. Emre Celik, spoke at the event:

The Rumi Forum was founded in 1999 around the ideals of the famous Sufi thinker and poet Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, and hopes to bring together people of different backgrounds around the ideals of serving society and increasing social harmony through projects of engagement, education and dialogue while overcoming ignorance and prejudice both at an intellectual and grass roots level.

Mr. Fethullah Gulen, our Honorary President has motivated similar organizations around the world that espouse these very same shared values within the framework of democracy and respect for all humanity.
. . . Tonight we are here to commemorate and reflect upon the successes and the example of our award recipients. These awards reflect the sincere efforts of each one of the recipients service to their fellow human being. We are proud of their achievement, and congratulate each of them for their good work. It is my hope that we all can incorporate into our lives the motivation that drives such success and service.

FULL EVENT VIDEO

MEDIA - State Department Uses Facebook to Fight ‘Against Hate’ and ‘Stop Bigotry’

2011-11-23T14:38:00.004-05:00

Rumi Forum's luncheon appears on CNS News web site. Full article below with link to source page.

State Department Uses Facebook to Fight ‘Against Hate’ and ‘Stop Bigotry’

By Penny Starr

November 22, 2011

Farah Pardith, special representative to Muslim communities for the U.S. Department of State, said on Nov. 22, 2011 that she wants to recruit youth around the world to stop hate. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr).

(CNSNews.com) – Two State Department officials are promoting a Facebook page, “2011 Hours Against Hate,” as a tool to help young people around the world “push back against hatred.”

Speaking at an event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Farah Pardith, a special representative to Muslim communities, said getting young people involved requires “using tools that are going to work for this generation.”

Hannah Rosenthal, special envoy and head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, said young people are “a little more action oriented” and want guidance for fighting hate.

“So we wanted to do something that wasn’t brought to you by the U.S. State Department; we didn’t want to do anything that said, ‘This is what you must do,’” Pardith said, “but really give you a – just sort of catalyze a vision.”

“And that is, to push back against hatred, to amplify the importance of mutual respect,” Pardith said.

“We didn’t ask for permission,” Rosenthal said of the “2011 Hours Against Hate” Facebook page that was launched in February. “We just did it.”

The information portion of the Facebook page states: “2011 Hours Against Hate is a campaign to stop bigotry and promote pluralism and respect across lines of culture, religion, tradition, class, and gender. We are asking people around the world to pledge their time to stop hate—to do something for someone who doesn’t look like you, pray like you, or live like you.”

Hannah Rosenthal, special envoy and head of the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism for the U.S. Department of State, spoke on Nov. 22, 2011 at the Rumi Forum in Washington, D.C. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)

The Facebook page asks visitors to sign a pledge to document how many hours they will volunteer “to stop hate” and to describe their volunteer activity.

A separate pledge is available for the media, where publishers can sign (by e-mail) a pledge that states: "Because of the influence of the media I publish, I will choose my words to facilitate an inclusive world where differences are respected."

In a video on the Facebook page, Pardith and Rosenthal explain the campaign by saying “anti-Semitism, prejudice, racism, Muslim hatred, sexism” are “all words for hate.”

“Hate is hate, no matter who the target is,” Pardith says in the video.

A video of Secretary Hillary Clinton speaking about the campaign is also on the Facebook page and links to the State Department Web site are included.

The page also features videos promoting the acceptance of homosexuality, such as “An Honest Conversation,” which is about Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. “We hope to open minds and educate the community to break the taboo!” reads the video description.

The women spoke at a discussion at the Rumi Forum, described on its Web site as an organization with a mission “to promote peace in the world and contribute to a peaceful coexistence of the adherents of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities and races.”

SOURCE: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/state-department-uses-facebook-fight-against-hate-and-stop-bigotry

WHITE HOUSE Celebrating Interfaith Collaboration with the Rumi Forum

2011-11-16T13:28:00.001-05:00

The Rumi Forum was mentioned on the White House blog today. A graphic of the White House web page is below with the full text thereafter and the source link

PHOTOS from the quoted event - click here
VIDEOS from the quoted event - click here

Celebrating Interfaith Collaboration with the Rumi Forum

Rumi Forum President Emre Celik and award recipients (l-r) Nontombi Naomi Tutu, receiving on behalf of Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Diane Rehm; Dr. Alan G. Merten; Karen Chane, receiving on behalf of Rev. John Bryson Chane; and Joshua DuBois.

Launched in 1999, the Rumi Forum has consistently worked to foster interreligious and intercultural understanding at a pivotal time in our human history. Recently, we were honored to attend the 2011 Rumi Peace and Dialogue Awards, the Turkish American organization’s annual celebration of leadership towards global harmony.

The Director of our Office, Joshua DuBois, received the “Extraordinary Commitment to Public Service Award” for his work as Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Also recognized by the Rumi Forum were Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Alan G. Merten, Diane Rehm, and Rev. John Bryson Chane. Each was commended for his or her work to promote peace and dialogue through service in government, church, higher education, or media.

Joshua DuBois reflected on President Obama’s formative experience working across religious lines on the South Side of Chicago. Today, this commitment to interfaith collaboration is reflected in the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, in which more than 250 colleges, universities, and theological schools are participating in the first year. The Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group, recently launched by the State Departmentand our Partnerships Office, engages the expertise of diverse religious and civil society leaders to explore the role of religious understanding and engagement in US foreign policy.

Joshua and his office “look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country, and around the world, motivated by the President’s belief as stated in his inaugural address that, ‘our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth.’”

Upon accepting the award on her father’s behalf, Nontombi Naomi Tutu shared a quote from Rumi, the 13th-century Sufi mystic whom Archbishop Tutu often cites, saying, ‘Move outside the tangle of fear-thinking.’ The Rumi Forum awardees are among those leading our world in doing just that.

Turkey suffered several powerful earthquakes recently. Our thoughts and hearts are with the people of Turkey in this difficult time.

Jonathan Amgott is an Intern at the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/11/15/celebrating-interfaith-collaboration-rumi-forum

5 years of Rumi Peace and Dialogue Awards - Washington DC

2011-11-11T10:54:00.004-05:00

The Rumi Forum has been bestowing the awards to individuals and organizations that have contributed to the social fabric of society. Below is a historical review of the first 5 years.

2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award

The Rumi Forum honored their 2011 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Award honorees last evening at the National Press Club Ballroom in Washington DC. The 2011 RUMI Awards gala honored extraordinary individuals and organizations who have greatly contributed their time, energy, leadership and dedication to the cause of dialogue, peace, community service and understanding.

2010 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards

The Rumi Forum presented its 2010 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards at the dinner and ceremony held in the National Press Club. At the ceremony, extraordinary individuals and organizations who have greatly contributed their time, energy, leadership and dedication to the cause of dialogue, peace, community service and understanding were awarded.

2009 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards

The Rumi Forum gave its traditional awards of the RUMI Peace and Dialogue at the dinner held at Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill. At the ceremony, extraordinary individuals and organizations who have greatly contributed their time, energy, leadership and dedication to the cause of dialogue, peace, community service and understanding were awarded.

2008 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards

The Rumi Forum gave its traditional awards of the RUMI Peace and Dialogue at the dinner held at Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill.

2007 RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards

The Rumi Forum, in cooperation with the Center for Peace and Security Studies at Georgetown University hosted the RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards Ceremony and Dinner on March 12, 2007 at Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill (Washington, DC).

SEE ALSO

Rumi Forum official web site

Rumi Forum Corporate Video

Rumi Forum Newsletters

Rumi Forum Videos & Photos

Learn Turkish at Rumi Forum

The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue by F. Gulen

Cynthia P. Schneider-Repairing, Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East and Southeast Asia

2011-11-01T18:37:00.008-04:00

Culture and politics are inextricably linked in Muslim majority regions around the world. Cultural diplomacy
offers an untapped resource for increasing understanding between East and West, as well as for helping to strengthen and stabilize countries emerging from revolutions and conflicts.

SEE ALSO

Rumi Forum official web site

Rumi Forum Corporate Video

Rumi Forum Newsletters

Rumi Forum Videos & Photos

Learn Turkish at Rumi Forum

The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue by F. Gulen

MEDIA Rumi Forum bestows peace and dialogue awards

2011-10-26T13:12:00.011-04:00

The 2011 Rumi Peace and Dialogue Awards held at the National Press Club, Washington DC were held last night, below is a media item about the event.

More info about the event on our website:
http://www.rumiforum.org/media-releases/rumi-peace-and-dialogue-awards2011.html

Rumi Forum bestows peace and dialogue awards
The Rumi Forum, an international organization promoting interfaith dialogue and peace, presented awards celebrating peace and dialogue initiatives at their annual Peace and Dialogue Awards ceremony in Washington on Tuesday.

The prestigious awards were presented to South African activist and retired Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu, Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Director Joshua DuBois, leading American public radio talk show host Diane Rehm, George Mason University President Alan Merten and John Bryson Chane, the eighth bishop of Washington in the Episcopal Church.

Dubois, an advisor to US President Barack Obama, said he was greatly honored to receive the Extraordinary Commitment to Service Award while praising the Rumi Forum for being at the forefront in advancing interfaith cooperation and understanding in the United States and around the globe since 1999.

“We look forward to working with the Rumi Forum to advance intercultural understanding in our government, in our country and around the world motivated by the president's belief, as he stated in his inaugural address, that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and non-believers; we are shaped by every culture and language,” DuBois said.

Tutu's daughter Naomi accepted the Extraordinary Commitment to Dialogue and Reconciliation Award on behalf of her father, which she said her father accepted as a great honor. In a speech, she said: “It is a great honor, and when I spoke with my father about the award, one of the things that we talked about was some of the poetry of Rumi, and one line in particular, ‘Move outside the tangle of fear thinking,' which he [Archbishop Tutu] believes has been what has led him in his life to recognize the common humanity of all. When we can move beyond fear thinking and see in one another brothers and sisters who share fears, hopes and dreams, our move for a peaceful and just world will come about.

”The Forum's Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Through Media Award went to Rehm, who spoke about the politicization of the US Congress in her speech. “I wished every single member of congress were sitting in this room to see that grand film and to hear the comments of Archbishop Tutu's daughter,” she said.

Chane, the recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Peace Award, was unable to join the ceremony as he was abroad, but sent in a video message instead. He said it was a great honor for him to receive this award, and praised the efforts of the Rumi Forum to seek a “common ground” among people.

The recipient of the Extraordinary Commitment to Education Award was Merten, who offered his thanks to the forum for presenting him with the award. Merten said his university has students from more than 140 countries, a fact that he says he feels most proud of.

SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-261025-rumi-forum-bestows-peace-and-dialogue-awards.html

Rumi Forum'un ödülleri sahiplerini buldu

ABD'de faaliyetlerini sürdüren düşünce kuruluşu Rumi Forum'un geleneksel ''Barış ve Diyalog Ödülleri'', Washington'daki Ulusal Basın Kulübü'nde düzenlenen törenle sahiplerini buldu.

Beyaz Saray bünyesindeki Komşuluk ve Din Temelli Ortaklıklar Ofisi Direktörü ve ABD Başkanı Barack Obama'nın özel asistanı Joshua DuBois, ''Kamu Hizmetine Olağanüstü Bağlılık'' ödülüne layık görüldü.

DuBois, törende yaptığı konuşmada, Rumi Forum tarafından böyle bir ödüle layık görülmekten büyük onur duyduğunu belirterek, Rumi Forum'un, hem ABD'de hem de dünya genelinde dinlerarası işbirliği ve anlayışın geliştirilmesinde ön saflarda yer aldığını söyledi.

Obama'nın, farklı dinlere mensup insanlar arasında iş birliğine çok büyük önem verdiğini ve bu iş birliğinin artırılmasına kendisini adadığını vurgulayan DuBois, şu anki ABD yönetimi olarak da dünya genelindeki dini liderlerle yeni bir diyalog çağını başlattıklarını belirtti.

ABD'nin her dinden, kültürden ve dilden insanları bünyesinde barındırdığını ifade eden DuBois, ülkedeki dini çeşitliliklerin zafiyet değil, bir güç olduğunu gerçekten anlayan bir yönetim anlayışına sahip olduklarını kaydetti.

DuBois, ABD'de ve dünyada kültürlerarası anlayışı ilerletme yolunda Rumi Forum ile birlikte çalışmayı arzuladıklarını sözlerine ekledi.

''Diyalog ve Uzlaşıya Olağanüstü Bağlılık'' ödülüne de, Güney Afrikalı Nobel Barış Ödülü sahibi başpiskopos Desmond Tutu değer görüldü. Törende Tutu'nun ödülünü, kızı Naomi Tutu teslim aldı.

Tutu, babasının bu ödüle layık görülmesinin kendileri için büyük bir onur olduğunu belirtti.

Washington'daki George Mason Üniversitesi'nin Rektörü Dr.Alan Merten'e de, ''Eğitim Hizmetine Olağanüstü Bağlılık'' ödülü verildi.

Merten, yaptığı konuşmada, ödülden dolayı Rumi Forum'a teşekkür ederken, George Mason Üniversitesi'nde 140'dan fazla ülkeden öğrencinin eğitim gördüğünü ve bunun üniversitenin en fazla gurur duyduğu husus olduğunu söyledi.

''Medya Üzerinden Barışa Olağanüstü Bağlılık'' ödülü de, ABD'de en çok sevilen radyo programları arasında yer alan ''The Diane Rehm Show''un sunucusu Diane Rehm'e verildi.

Rehm, konuşmasında, başkalarının görüşlerine kulak vermenin önemini vurgulayarak, bu sabahki programında yaşadığı bir olaydan bahsetti. Programına, ''Amerika'nın çok fazla farklı sesi bağrına basarak intihar ettiğini savunan'' aşırı sağ eğilimli yorumcu ve siyasetçi Pat Buchanan'ı konuk ettiğini hatırlatan Rehm, ''Orada kendimi zor tutarak oturduğum halde, söylemeyi tercih ettiği şeyi söylemesine imkan vermeye çalıştım'' dedi.

Washington Piskoposu John Bryson Chane de, ''Barışa Olağanüstü Bağlılık'' ödülüne layık görüldü. Yurt dışında olması nedeniyle törene katılamayan Chane,
videodan yayınlanan konuşmasında, böylesine önemli bir ödülün kendisine takdim edilmesinden duyduğu mutlululuğu dile getirerek, Rumi Forum'un ''ortak zemin'' arayışında önemli bir ses olduğunu ve Rumi Forum ile birlikte çalışma fırsatına erişmekten onur duyduğunu kaydetti.

Ödüllerin takdiminin ardından, Rumi Forum Başkanı Emre Çelik ve ödül sahipleri birlikte fotoğraf çektirdi.

SOURCE: http://www.aksam.com.tr/rumi-forumun-odulleri-sahiplerini-buldu--75439h.html

9/11 Commemoration Series 2011

2011-09-09T15:11:00.006-04:00

The Rumi Forum with various partners has organized numerous 9/11 commemoration events through out Washington DC, Delware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. Below are videos of the ones that have been held to date, more to follow :

Fairfax, Virginia

Rockville, Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland
Washington, DC
Lexington, Kentucky
Norfolk, Virginia

VIDEO - Annual Ramadan Iftar Dinner Series - 2011

2011-09-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

The Rumi Forum organized numerous Ramadan Iftar Dinners in August 2011. Amongst the speakers was Ziad Alahdad, former World Bank Director, Ambassador David Newton, Ebrahim Rasool, Ambassador for South Africa, Paul Monteiro, White House, Johan Viber, Deputy Chief of Mission, Norway Embassy, Namik Tan, Ambassador for Turkey, Daniel Madigcan, Georgetown University, Tom Block, author/writer.

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MEDIA - Interfaith dialog advocated at iftar dinner in Washington

2011-08-24T16:55:00.007-04:00

Interfaith dialog advocated at iftar dinner in Washington

23 August 2011, Tuesday / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL

Guests from different countries, cultures and religions gathered around the same iftar table Monday night in Washington, D.C., for the special Muslim tradition of the daily fast-breaking during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan.

The Rumi Forum and the Turkic American Alliance (TAA) of Washington, D.C., organizations in the Washington metropolitan area promoting interfaith dialog and peace, organized the Annual Intercultural İftar Dinner.

Turkish Ambassador Namık Tan was in attendance along with ambassadors and embassy officials from various countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Norway, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Bahrain, Senegal, Fiji, Indonesia and Sweden. White House and State Department officials and some business leaders gathered around the iftar table as well.

Guests from a myriad of religious and cultural backgrounds sat down to share iftar, during which they had the opportunity to taste the unique flavors of Turkish cuisine prepared by skilled hands.

The dinner commenced with the traditional evening call to prayer, which was accompanied by the English translation projected on a screen.

Following the iftar, the evening’s speakers called for dialog and cooperation to combat religious and cultural discrimination.

Ambassador Tan, noting the shrinking of the world through globalization, said, “Everyone should work together to cooperate and understand one another.”

Merely talking is not enough, Tan said. To achieve true dialog, everyone must be able to love, respect, aid, forgive and apologize, he said. Referring to the “smart power” approach put forward by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Tan added that Turkey has found an alternative strategy to solving problems, called “soft power.”

Tan said that Turkey considers “soft power” to be the best tool in conflicts because of its central geographic location.

The Rumi Forum was founded in 1999 with the mission to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue and to provide a common platform for education and information exchange. The Rumi Forum endeavors to foster the noble ideals of Rumi, bringing people and ideas together for a more peaceful coexistence.

The TAA is established as a broader umbrella organization for federations, councils and similar entities which bear the qualities and share the objectives of establishing closer relations with the Turkic American community and the community at large and also with the members of other ethnic communities in the US.

SOURCE: http://www.todayszaman.com/news-254713-interfaith-dialog-advocated-at-iftar-dinner-in-washington.html

The Key Factors behind the Success of Gülen-Inspired Schools

2011-08-20T05:00:00.014-04:00

An important article about the reasons why Gulen inspired schools have been successful the world over. Fethullah Gulen is the Honorary President of the Rumi Forum

The Key Factors behind the Success of Gülen-Inspired Schools

Ahmet Orhan Polat *

ABSTRACT
Fethullah Gülen is an innovative Islamic scholar and educator who encouraged education as the path to building a peaceful future. In light of Gülen’s philosophy, the fruits of this educational investment are seen around the globe as these schools distinguish themselves in acquiring academic excellence and moral values in home and host countries. The Gülen-inspired schools, both in their originating country Turkey and abroad, have attracted the attention of scholars due to their continuous academic accomplishments and emphasis on universal ethical values. The provision of quality educational service is evident not only in less developed countries, but also in advanced economies which have an internationally comparable advantage in supplying high standards of education.

This paper examines what success is in accordance with Gülen’s educational philosophy; and investigates to what extent Gülen-inspired schools have achieved the educational aspirations ofFethullah Gülen, delving into quantitative and qualitative aspects of learning success. An analysis of academic achievements, significant accomplishments in the International Science Olympiads, student graduation and matriculation rates, and nurturing students who possess moral values that benefit the society will be studied to illuminate the subject. The second part of this paper probes the key factors behind the success of Gülen-inspired schools around the globe, which have increased parental school choice for families by providing alternative education choices.

BACKGROUND

Fethullah Gülen is one of the most well-known Islamic Turkish contemporary scholars. He advocates a moderate Islam rooted in modern life, and his teachings and writings have motivated and inspired many Turkish people to dedicate their time and money to groups active in publishing, charity and educational activities around the world (Said 2006).

One of the main goals of Gülen is to reach universal values and he believes these to be paramount to the human experience. Gülen followers believe that education, love, mutual respect and philanthropy are the only approach to building peace and harmony among humankind. Thus, one of the important factors in minimising conflicts is respecting human kind for what they are. This can only be achieved through information, interaction and mutual understanding. Therefore, Gülen firstly spread his educational philosophy in Turkey and he wanted the followers to take this to other regions of the world. To Gülen, a school’s language should be one of heartfelt love, compassion and teaching through example with special references to common human values and morals and accepting people for what they are. This unique vision of education was imperative as the Muslim world and humanity in general face ignorance, poverty and disunity resulting in conflicts, insecurity, moral decay and clashes around the world. To Gülen, the only solution to combat ignorance is through education, and an end to poverty and disunity through dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation (Aymaz 2009).

He believes that ignorance is the public enemy, and in order to minimise this problem, he advised those around him to open schools and educational institutions founded on modern science and morality.Gülen believed that the existing education system in Turkey did not offer the knowledge and values for the holistic development of each student. Hence, it was Gülen’s dream to build private schools in which students were given the opportunity to equip themselves with modern science at the same time as they were also being infused with morals, ethics and love for humanity. Gradually, people started to comprehend the immensity of his vision and came with passion to encourage his vision.

SUCCESS IN ACCORDANCE TO GÜLEN’S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

The success of education is not only dependent on the academic accomplishments of a student, but must also include emphasis on the character of an individual student, as well as his/her moral and ethical values. Hence, differentiating education from teaching and cultivating students who possess scientific knowledge along with moral values are key factors that produce successful schools.

Gülen states that many people can be teachers, but only a limited number of people can be educators (Gulen 2004). This is because Gulen defines education as different from teaching. Although the educator and teacher can impart information and teach skills to students, educators have the ability to assist the personalities of students and build their character through the development of self-discipline. Gulen states that those who simply teach for the purpose of gaining a salary have no interest in the character formation of students, and thus cannot assist their student’s educations. Therefore, Gulen offers a new style of education which will fuse religious and scientific knowledge together with morality andspirituality in order to generate enlightened individuals with hearts illumined by religious sciences and spirituality. Minds illuminated with positive sciences called “The Golden Generation” (Michel 2002; Said 2006). Spirituality in Gulen’s lexicon means ethics, tolerance, openness, acceptance of plurality, psychological health and logic.Gülen’s educational vision would be accomplished through building a golden generation who are ideal universal individuals, citizens who love truth, who integrate spirituality and knowledge, and who work for societal benefit (Michel 2003).

Gülen considers that human needs and the solving of human problems are educational activities. However, he was convinced of the need for a new kind of education in the formation of youth in Turkey. He felt that the existing education systems did not provide students with opportunities for holistic growth and personality development. Thus, he desired to build a new type of education system which would accommodate the following ideas: that the mind and soul are to embrace each other, that conscience and logic are to become complementary depths, that physics and metaphysics are to work together, that schools and homes are to be established to allow the flow of happiness, that purity is not to be damaged, that honesty is not to be abused, that the heart is to pump respect and esteem, and that individuals are to be in harmony with everyone regardless of ethnic, cultural or religious affiliations (Said 2006).

The educational perspective of Gülen is the illumination of the mind to science and knowledge, and the lighting of the heart in faith and virtue. This can be accomplished though teachers who are committed to devoting their lives, time and knowledge to teach the younger generations in these educational institutions (Michel 2010). Thus, the inspired teachers pervade the inspiration of Gülen’s educational philosophy as volunteer educators around the world; since teaching is a sacred activity and teachers help students to develop their capacity to bring about positive change. Teachers are responsible for teaching knowledge with the wisdom to use it. As a result of Gülen’s teachings and his moral example, teachers are inspired to take action, to sacrifice and to serve human beings rather than themselves. Besides this, the teachers provide knowledge, wisdom and moral guidance through embodying spirituality rather than preaching values.

According to Gülen, through the new educational style, the students are to be given non-material values such as the profundity of ideas, clarity of thought, and depth of feeling. Thus, Gülen’s educational vision aims to embrace societies throughout the world, and would be a solution for various societal problems (Michel 2005). Furthermore, Gülen describes this as a duty to serve humanity particularly in the field of education with no expectation of material or political gains.Gülen’s education philosophy does not include utilitarian, social and political activity. Besides this, the teachers in the Gülen-inspired schools do not seek to maximise the advantages of the actor in political decisions, as Gülen emphasises that sincerity and purity of intention should never be harmed (Williams 2007).

Gülen states that a good school is not only a building where students learn theoretical information, but also an institution or a laboratory in which students are to be prepared for life by educators (Said 2006). Besides this, a school is a safe place where students are to be protected from bad habits and learn important concepts for this life and the next. Also, a school is to shed light on important notions and events, and help students to clearly understand their natural and human environment.

In the late 1960’s as people began to consider educational philosophyand aspirations, Gülen initiated the forming of reading groups in his followers’ homes in the city of Izmir, Turkey. After building a presence throughout Turkey during the 1970’s and 1980’s, Gülen and his followers developed their educational ideas and opened schools internationally, first in Central Asia and then in the 90’s in the Balkans, Western Europe and other parts of the world. There are currently more than 1000 Gülen-inspired schools in more than 110 countries around the world. In the European countries, there are at least a dozen Gülen-inspired schools, and more than 150 smaller educational and cultural centres. Generally, Gülen-inspired schools are low fee schools due to the limited wealth of supporters of these educational projects (Knowlton 2010). To President Obama’s Muslim Advisor Mogahed, the Gülen Movement is a model and inspiration for all those working for the good of society, and is a highly admirable and impressive movement in the world (Doha 2009). The main focus of the movement is education, as Gülen emphasises the significance of educating younger generations with the idea of peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding.

The educational institutions follow the national curriculum of the host country, as the schools are operating in many countries for their superior quality of education, with talented students and successful graduates. These schools focus on secular subjects in the classroom, and do not combine religious topics, but offer extracurricular programs for their students after or before school hours. Therefore, the schools abide by the regulations which are required by the government authorities in every country in which they have been founded. The teaching includes a modern curriculum integrated with extracurricular activities focusing on global social skills, ethical values, science and technology and support to achieve high goals (Keskin 2010; Knowlton 2010). The school’s disciplinary styles are based on the student oriented education system. The schools use the Western style with courses taught in English, Maths and Science, and new technologies in school classrooms which offer a good infrastructure for education. This approach attracts parents who wish to send their capable children to compete with the West without losing their identities. For example, a Professor in Pakistan withdrew his son from military school and sent his child to one of the Gulen-Inspired schools due to the modern teaching style and focus on moral values. For Gülen, if there is no science, religion can turn in radicalism and if there is no religion, science can become blind to education (Keles 2007; Times 2008).

Overall success in accordance to Gülen’s educational philosophy is aimed at developing a nation’s youth into individuals who are in harmony with their own identity, and respectful of their own customs and religious beliefs. Who are tolerant towards the whole of humanity, and open to modern scientific notions, advanced technology, innovation and change.

QUANTITATIVE SUCCESS

The aim of the schools is to cultivate a generation of well-educated students, and the Gülen-inspired schools have proved themselves to be very efficient and successful educational institutions. The students of Gülen-inspired institutions have outstanding accomplishments in academic competitions across all subjects, though particularly in natural and information sciences, information technology and languages (Michel 2005; Nelson 2005). The academic accomplishments of the students in these schools have been praised, acknowledged and recognised by scholars, media and government authorities alike.

Achievements in the National and International Olympiads

Students of these educational initiatives have come first in national and international intellectual competitions and Olympiads. For example, one school achieved second place among some five thousand private schools in the nation in Kenya’s Certificate of Secondary Schools test, and ninth among all ten thousand private and public schools in Kenya (Kalyoncu 2008). Besides this, 15 students from Gülen-inspired schools in South Africa were among the top 200 students in the National Mathematics Olympiad in 2006. Also one of the six schools based in Johannesburg was awarded the title of the best science school in the country (Financial 2009). Furthermore, the Sebat International Education Institutions established in 1992 have achieved a high reputation for quality education through excellent results in national and international scientific competitions. During their existence they have won 216 national and 57 international competition medals. The Minister of Education in Kyrgyzstan stated that the success of Gülen-inspired schools has enabled Kyrgyzstan to open the world. Also, the graduates from these schools have continued their education in prestigious national and international universities in more than 24 countries around the world, including Turkey, the UK, USA and Europe (Keles 2007).

Moreover, the Gülen-inspired schools in Azerbaijan have participated in international Olympiads in the USA, UK, Italy, South Korea, Romania and Nigeria. They have won a total of 429 medals including 87 Gold, 138 Silver and 204 Bronze in 16 years of existence.[1] Likewise, six students from Isik College in Dandenong won High Distinction awards in the National Geographic Channel’s Australian Geography Competition in 2009, which attracted 90,000 entries from around Australia (Leader 2009). This success in Olympiads is also prevalent in the schools established in Russia, as two students obtained first and second place in the Russian Ecology Olympiad organised by Moscow State University in 2007. Tatar Turkish Girls School achieved 52 medallions ranging from gold to bronze in the national and international Olympiads across 10 years (Alimuhamedov 2007).

The success of Gulen-inspired schools is evident in the choice of schools parents make for their children. The schools confront high demand and yet limited space. For instance, in 2006, approximately 55000 students applied to schools in Kyrgyzstan, yet only 900 students had the opportunity to enter (Dogu 2010).

University Entrance Rates

The university entrance statistics of Gülen-inspired schools are very high across the world, particularly when comparing them to the local entry rates. More than 90 percent of the students enrolled at these schools in a major scale gain admission to university, which is relatively high when compared to the national level (Alimuhamedov 2007).

Gülen schools in Azerbaijan have witnessed unprecedented success, as 98 percent of its students enter university with their first preference. The graduates of these schools study in 50 universities in more than 40 countries around the globe. After their graduation and return back to their country, these young people become citizens who are better able to serve their nation. [2]

Similar success is achieved by Gülen-inspired schools in other corners of the world. In 2006 and 2007, Isik College, Eastmeadows campus in Melbourne was placed first, obtaining a 100 percent university entrance rate in Victoria, Australia. Similarly, the Upfield Boys campus boasts that 95 percent of its Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) graduates had entered university. This made Isik College Upfield campus the third best school in the state of Victoria. In 2009, Isik College continued to be one of the top schools in Victoria despite being set up for socially and economically disadvantaged Turkish-Australian students. The principals and students have recognised that the school’s achievements are based on the close relationship between students and teachers. Students also address the teachers’ dedication to reach outstanding results in university exams (Polat 2010).

A parent whose daughter graduated from Sule College in NSW in 2006 has expressed his views about the success achieved by the school in the following way:

It is very pleasing to find out that Sule College, with its students from non-English backgrounds, in the Liverpool region, is first especially in English and within the top ten best high schools in the state. This school has given us a lot as a community and I am sure this school will give us more in the future with the support from the community.

On the other hand, the students of the Sule College in Sydney, NSW achieved outstanding results in the 2009 Higher School Certificate (HSC). Sule College dominated the state in HSC Mathematics, by placing itself first in the whole of New South Wales - topping the best schools. The students performed exceptionally well in many subjects. For example, in 2008, a female student was ranked 11th out of 33,000 students in the state for General Mathematics. However, in 2009, another female student achieved fourth position in the state for General Mathematics. Besides this, another female student achieved a remarkable result in placing herself first in the state for General Mathematics, and fourth in state for Business Studies. Thus, Sule College has received scores far above the state average like most Gülen-inspired schools in the world.[3]

Achievements in Sport

Isik College’s students are achieving awards in wresting activities in Victoria, even though wrestling in Australia is not high on the sports list. However, Isik College is successful in regards to wrestling in Melbourne, and the Isik College wrestling club brought home 11 medals including 3 gold from the 78th annual New Zealand National Wrestling Tournament (Leader 2005). In October 2010, Isik College’s wrestling club students have won two gold and two silver medals at a tournament for school age students in Queensland, Australia.

SUCCESS FROM A QUALITATIVE PERSPECTIVE

A high standard of education offered at Gülen-inspired schools is a key factor in parental choice. To Gülen, the schools are to promote respect for other cultures and views. Thus, students in Gulen-inspired schools gain an appreciation of other faiths and cultures as well as their own, in order to harmonise the global modern values with their local cultural traditions (Özdalga 2005).

The educational philosophy of Gülen-inspired schools is to nurture a generation that will benefit humanity. The graduates of these schools who are studying at universities devote two to three days or evenings a week to helping students by tutoring them voluntarily. Apart from their academic assistance, these graduates organise various social activities where they motivate students and share their knowledge and experience about moral values and positive attitudes. Very similar activities are organised by senior students who mentor junior students during and after school hours. These students and young graduates sacrifice their time and prefer to assist others, even though it is not obligatory, while many of their peers spend most of their free time on leisure activities.

Moreover, the outcomes of indoctrinating universal, ethical, and moral values are evident from the school choices that parents make for their children. Students who do not meet academic requirements, such as achieving successful results in the entrance exams, or failing to achieve requirements in passing the year levels, are not allowed to continue their studies after a probationary period of one year. In these or similar cases, parents urge the school’s administrators to retain their child as the school imparts ethical and moral values and encourages the development of a positive attitude. In addition, it is important for parents to know that the students of these schools are not only extremely unlikely to have criminal records, but that its graduates do not have any addictions to drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. Consequently, even if a student does not meet the academic requirements, parents urge the school to accept their child to ensure he or she is in a safe environment.

THE KEY FACTORS BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF GÜLEN-INSPIRED SCHOOLS

The educational philosophies of Fethullah Gülen, offering scientific knowledge and imparting universal ethical values have shown their results around the world and have appealed to parents, individuals, intellectuals and government authorities in various countries. The key factor behind the success of these schools is Gülen’s educational philosophy which encouraged and motivated idealistic and unparalleled teachers to dedicate themselves to serve humanity. These teachers voluntarily dedicate their time, energy and knowledge to raising well equipped generations by setting examples, offering an individual approach, visiting families, organising extra lessons and tutoring afterschool, on weekends and holidays, and organising social and leisure camps and field trips while the schools’ administrators provide well equipped school environments and ensure a low teacher to student ratio to benefit the students and realise Gülen’s philosophy. This has increased parental school choice for families by providing alternative educational choices.

The role of Teachers

One of the main factors behind the success of these schools is the role of committed and dedicated teachers at these schools. These teachers,Gülen are dedicating themselves to serve the students. They graduated from the most prestigious universities in Turkey and could get a reasonably good job in their country, yet they prefer to work at Gülen-inspired schools around the globe. The teachers’ unique approach to the education of their students has constructive impacts and has assisted them to be motivated towards their studies with positive influences on their attitudes. inspired by the philosophy of thinker Fethullah Gulen.

Mahir Kara, one of the devoted teachers at Isik College in Melbourne, has been awarded the National Excellence in Teaching Award (NEITA). All the award recipients were nominated by parents and students. According to the NEITA’s Chairman, Terry O’Connell, the teachers have made a vital contribution to their communities through their teaching. They often spent their personal time in assisting their students and providing a welcoming environment. This award represents the community’s way of showing their heart-felt thanks and appreciation for the special and inspirational teachers who make a significant impact on their students, parents and communities (NEiTA 2009).

Kara, who is a mathematics teacher at Isik College was nominated by his Year 12 students as the most inspirational of teachers, and was selected and awarded by the organisation as one of twelve teachers in Victoria and one of sixty teachers in Australia.

According to the students, Mr Kara is an unsung hero. Two of his students described him as persistent, dedicated and committed:

I have never in my entire life met a man like Mr. Kara who is so dedicated to teaching. Mr. Kara does not teach because he is paid to, but because he loves teaching. He loves passing on his knowledge to students in his unique way of teaching. Although I never revealed my true feelings about him, I will not be shy to say that I love Mr. Kara. I love the way he looks at life, the way he can relate everything back to the subject. Through his dedication and passion for teaching, he has inspired me to become a teacher.

Also, Mr Kara can make the corrupt, ignorant, selfish and even lost find a meaning to life. Before I met Mr Kara, I would not have faith that a teacher could be so passionate about teaching and educating us with great enthusiasm. He made all efforts for us without any expectation. If any student had any problem, the first person who comes into our mind is Mr Kara as he spends his time solving our problems and he showed how to be true human beings by instilling in us universal values through his behaviour. While showing these values and dedication, he did not want to be mentioned since he always was a humble person. He truly loves his job, his students and his fellow teachers. Mr Kara is my unsung hero.

Teacher and student relationship

The success of Gülen-inspired schools is not only academic, but also unique in the style of interaction between students and teachers. The behaviour of the teachers has changed the students’ behaviour positively, as the teachers treat their students as their friend rather than mere children (Keles 2007; Kalyoncu 2008). However, there is a certain barrier between students and teacher in other schools. Thus, the students in Gülen-inspired schools follow in the footsteps of the teachers. This enables students to be more responsible and idealistic about serving their own countries. Gülen states that teachers are to be a model for students in imparting knowledge and moral values, rather than becoming a lecturer for students (Said 2006). This results in attracting more parents to Gülen-inspired schools.

The teachers in Gülen-inspired schools set examples for students entirely differently since they are moderate and flexible, comfortably coexisting with all people regardless of their class, ethnic, cultural or religious affiliation. Moreover, they do not have inappropriate habits such as smoking and drinking which are scary for parents or children. Thus, the students gain strong moral values by avoiding these habits and corruptions with the help of guidance and character education given at the schools. Although the schools prepare their students to enter into respectable universities, some parents send their children to the schools to safeguard their children from negative habits too. For example in Albania, the teachers come to Albania for their students, as opposed to making money. Furthermore, the students are supposed to become good citizens in their own countries because of what they have learned in school (Agai 2002; Keles 2007; Reuters 2008).

The teachers consider their task of educating not only as a job, but also a personal duty and responsibility. Put differently, teachers feel themselves responsible for their students’ development both academically and morally in Gülen-inspired schools. As motivated and inspired teachers, they encourage their students to work hard in their studies. Due to this, they expect students to depict the best academic progress in competitions. Furthermore, when students need any assistance they are ready to work extra hours and offer free tuition until everyone in class understands accurately. Thus, the students perceive that if their teachers work hard for their success and future, the students themselves should study hard as an obligation to thank their teachers for their efforts (Kalyoncu 2008; Keskin 2010).

Individual approach

The teachers’ aim is to develop an individual approach with each student. Gülen asserts that, “The best way to educate people is to show a special concern for every individual, not forgetting that each individual is a different ‘world’ ” (Unal and Williams 2000:313). Inspired by his philosophy, teachers attempt to get familiar with their students very well, address their intellects as well as their hearts and feelings, to seek and to find special skills and hidden capabilities in every student. Each teacher acts as a professional psychologist to their characters, dealing with their issues, motivates students to study to their potential and provide a friendly environment to comfort their students. Teachers also insure that individual abilities are improved and attributes are transformed into positive behaviour (Tekalan 2005). In this case the aim should be to develop the individual personality, a sense of responsibility, tolerance, dialogueand ethical values. This enables the school to bring up the ideal human character, and achieve perfection in the academic and social development of the students.

Family Visits and Parent-Teacher relationship

Fethullah Gülen emphasises the cooperation of the school and family in order to cultivate well educated and morally behaved generations. While the schools should be as perfect as possible as regards the curriculum, exemplary teachers with knowledge and values, and in the overall physical condition of the school, he stresses the necessary role of a family in the provision of a warm and quality environment at home (Unal and Williams 2000:310-11). Hence working closely with families is one of the main principles of Gülen-inspired schools around the world.

Visiting student’s families in their homes assist teachers to build trust, to learn about each student’s studying environment at home, to discuss and offer some recommendations to parents related to their child’s education. Throughout each academic year the teachers organise visits to their student’s houses to meet the parents and discuss the child’s academic and social progress in the home environment. In addition, this enables teachers to encourage parents to support their child’s education and discuss ways to assist each child individually based on his or her needs. Parents find these visits very fruitful in assisting the development of their child. A parent expressed:

When I heard that my son’s teachers wanted to visit my house I was really shocked but impressed because it was the first time my son’s teachers had come to my home to discuss his social and academic development as well as a timetable for study at home. Also, I felt that the school and the teachers give value to my son and to our family. The visit was a really great opportunity to get to know my son’s teachers and to understand the school’s system as well. Also I thought that the idea was really good to boost student’s motivations and to build a bridge between the school and the parent (Personal conversation 2009).

In addition to the home visits, the close relationship between parents and the teachers is improved through formal parent-teacher interviews conducted throughout the academic year. These regular meetings also enable the parents to discuss their child’s progress, and to be advised about strategies to help them to improve on their weaknesses. Teachers at Gülen-inspired schools believe that true success can be achieved when the school works in cooperation with student, family and the teaching staff.

Extra-Curricular and Social Activities

Gülen emphasises that “A school must be as perfect as possible”. Hence, teachers in Gülen-inspired schools strive to achieve academic perfection. One of the key factors that accelerate students understanding of concepts is an increase in their problem solving, analytical and practical skills in each subject area, which therefore leads to the outstanding results achieved by the schools. Also important are the extra weekend classes, intensive study camps, exam problem solving question sessions, and extra lessons after school. These extra tutoring classes are organised by the dedicated teachers who voluntarily teach and supervise the students. These preparations in the study camps and extra curriculum programs motivate students with a means to succeed. In junior and senior year levels, students are prepared for national and international science competitions by their subject teachers, and at the end of high school the students obtain remarkable results and enter prestigious universities in their own country or overseas (Keles 2007; Keskin 2010).

One of the graduates expressed as following:

The teachers in our school put in the extra hours. We had study camps organised, so that helped during the holidays to make sure we were always on top of our studies and up to date. The teachers at Sule College stayed with us and worked hard to do an exceptional job. The teachers have always been there throughout high school. They contribute to the overall success of the students, and I’m very thankful. [4]

Likewise, another high achiever from the same school said:

The school gave us all opportunities to succeed. My teachers, if it was not for them, I would not be able to achieve these marks. They were very helpful. If you did not understand a question the teacher would explain it, if you still did not understand it he would draw a diagram, and if you still did not understand it he would get up and demonstrate it. That is the lengths that my teachers went to make us understand and succeed. [5]

This drive for the success of students is clearly evident with teachers themselves. Unique stories of sacrifice, determination and commitment abound, with one particular story standing out.

There was a Saturday course weekend. I had to go to school to do extra-curricular activities with my students, yet I had a two-year old baby and I did not have a relative to take care of it. In the end, I had to leave my baby to my neighbour for three hours. I went to class to teach my subject to the students without any expectation. [6]

In Gülen’s educational philosophy success is not only accomplishments in academic acceleration, but also improvement in behaviour. Extra-curricular and social activities such as picnics, fishing trips, excursions, field trips and other recreational programs provide time for teachers to build friendship with students outside of school time, and give them time to discuss good manners, respect, tolerance, understanding, love, helping others and being beneficial to society. Moreover these times allow teachers to personify these characteristics through their actions.

Teacher Professional Development Programs

For Gülen, to reach superior education in educational institutions, teachers are to be prepared excellently. Therefore, teachers are regularly trained by in-service training programs given by educational professionals during holiday times through workshops, observations, seminars and conferences (Said 2006; Woodhall 2006). When the teachers meet for training, school administrations also come together to exchange views and experiences and discuss good practice and innovations. These opportunities motivate teachers to keep themselves updated and active in the educational field and to return effective and quality lessons for students to understand the subject matter and elevate their achievements.

Dormitories and Mentor Programs

In the past, Gülen served as a teacher, supervised students and cared personally for the social, mental, intellectual and physical well-being of students in dormitories under his supervision. Thus, Gülen encouraged business owners to open dormitories where students remained and studied, guided by dedicated teachers. Many students stay at the dormitories in order to study regularly in the evenings under the guidance of their teachers and tutors, who are mainly graduates of the Gulen-inspired schools, to assist students with their homework after schools hours and on the weekend in dormitories. According to the Principal of Isik College in Melbourne mentor programs made for an important factor. This also gives students a role model, and helps students to believe in themselves and aspire to university.

Teacher-Student Ratio

The best determinant for student success is a 16 (or less) to 1 student to teacher ratio and the ability to deal with academic, social, behavioural and other issues. The teacher-student ratio in Gülen-inspired schools is low and another significant factor that contributes to the success of the schools.

For instance, there were around 510 teachers and 4616 students in Gülen-inspired schools in Kyrgyzstan in 2007. Therefore, the teacher-student ratio is approximately 1:9 (Keles 2007). Similar patterns are evident in the Gulen-inspired schools in Australia, where the ratio is 1:8 at Sule College and 1:9 at Isik College. A class with too many students is often disrupting to education, and in this way, student-teacher ratios are important to advancing students’ performance. Generally, Gülen-inspired schools include a ratio that is lower than other schools to motivate students and to discover each student’s features and abilities towards each subject. With these small number classes, the teachers have more opportunities to work together closely with every student in the class. Moreover, the educators in each classroom create an environment which is non-biased, and non-judgemental by their behaviour and non-materialistic values. Therefore the formula for success emerges with values and right thinking (Robinson 2008).

The Isik College Principal states that the small class sizes at school aim to provide ample opportunity to work in a one-to-one basis at an individual level in each classroom. Since the teachers need to have an opportunity to work with every student during class time. If the class size is big, the teacher would not concentrate on every single student. Thus the small size factor makes Gülen-inspired schools the ultimate educational and professional environment for student success (Leader 2009).

Schools’ Physical Conditions and Clubs

The school’s physical conditions and facilities directly affect the student’s motivation, and engage with their positive attitudes. Thus Gülen-inspired schools’ physical facilities ensure success for students with laboratories, playgrounds, indoor sports complexes, soccer and basketball fields, and computer labs (Kalyoncu 2008).

Clubs are another contributor to the success of Gülen-inspired schools. Each school has club activities to develop a student’s sociability, such as sports, maths, environment chess, drama, clubs and so on. The other aim of school clubs is to develop a student’s character positively since students learn cooperation, responsibility, and respect for one another, as well as the determination to succeed (Keles 2007). Zaman International School in Cambodia offers twenty seven different clubs for their students.

CONCLUSION

Gülen emphasises both academic and value matters as a “school must be as perfect as possible” through teaching modern sciences and by imparting universal ethical values. He believes that through a new style of education which merges modern knowledge with tradition, mind with heart, the world will able to combat the problems not only in political, economic or material aspects, but also in social, ethical and spiritual realms. Gülen-inspired schools provide a unique case in this regard, by opening schools that emphasise sound education. The success of the schools inspired by Gülen’s philosophy is renowned worldwide, and has been recognised and acknowledged by scholars, journalists, intellectuals and government authorities.

The key reasons behind the success of Gülen-inspired schools is theunique and unprecedented educational philosophy of Fethullah Gulenwhich is followed by the unparalleled and devoted teachers who sacrifice their time and efforts to realise Gülen’s philosophy, and hence strive for academic perfection while imparting moral values to the students. This paper has also investigated other factors that contribute to the success of the schools in offering a quality education to ethnically and religiously diverse students. It is believed that graduates of these schools are equipped with academic standards and moral values that will contribute positively to their society and to humanity in general.

Related articles

References
Agai, B. (2002). "Fethullah Gulen and his Movement's Islamic Ethic of Education." Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies 11(1): 27 - 47.
Alimuhamedov, F. (2007). "Peaceful Muslim–Non-Muslim Co-existence in a Secular Context " Retrieved 29 Sep, 2010, from http://en.fgulen.com/conference-papers/peaceful-coexistence/2521-peaceful-muslimnon-muslim-co-existence-in-a-secular-context.html.
Aymaz, A. (2009). "The Gülen Movement: Past and Present." Retrieved 29 Sep, 2010, from http://en.fgulen.com/conference-papers/gulen-conference-in-melbourne/3442-the-gulen-movement-past-and-present.html.
Dogu, E. (2010). 100 soruda Fethullah Gulen, Timas Yayinlari.
Doha, M. E. Y. (2009). Gülen movement an inspiration for all, says Obama’s Muslim advisor Mogahed Sunday's Zaman.
Financial, M. (2009). "Turkish Mission." Retrieved 19 Sep, 2010, fromhttp://www.fgulen.org/press-room/news/3467-turkish-mission.html.
Kalyoncu, M. (2008). "Gülen-inspired Schools in the East Africa: Secular Alternative in Kenya and Pragmatist Approach to Development in Uganda " Retrieved 19 Sep, 2010, from http://www.fgulen.org/conference-papers/gulen-conference-in-washington-dc/3101-gulen-inspired-schools-in-the-east-africa.html.
Keles, I. (2007, 20 October 2009). "Contributions of the Gülen Schools in Kyrgyzstan." Retrieved 19 sep, 2010, from http://www.fgulen.org/conference-papers/contributions-of-the-gulen-movement/2467-contributions-of-the-gulen-schools-in-kyrgyzstan.html.
Keskin, V. (2010). "Gulen Inspired Schools: Glocal Schools serving with Integrity and Sincerity " Retrieved 26 Sep, 2010, fromhttp://gulenschools.org/component/content/article/120-glocal-schools-serving-with-integrity-and-sincerity-.
Knowlton, B. (2010). Turk Who Leads a Movement Has Advocates and Critics. The Newyork Times.
Leader. (2005). "Police and College forge link " Retrieved Sep 29 2010, fromhttp://infoweb.newsbank.com.ezproxy.lib.monash.edu.au/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_topdoc=81&p_action=list.
Leader (2009). Students on top - of the world
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Michel, S. J., Thomas (2005). "Sufism and Modernity in the Thought of Fethullah Gülen." The Muslim World 95(3): 341-358.
Michel, T. (2002). "Gulen as Educator and Religious Teacher." Retrieved 17-09 2010, from http://www.fgulen.org/press-room/review/1054-gulen-as-educator-and-religious-teacher.html.
Michel, T. (2003). Fethullah Gülen as Educator. Turkish Islam and the Secular State: The Gülen Movement. H. Yavuz and J. Esposito. Syracuse, New York, Syracuse University Press: 69-84.
Michel, T. (2010). "Gulen's Pedagogy and the Challenges for Modern Educators " Retrieved 28 Sep, 2010, from http://www.fethullah-gulen.org/academic-papers/gulen-pedagogy.html.
NEiTA. (2009). "Government Teachers Awarded Top Marks." Retrieved 25 sep 2010, fromhttp://www.neita.com.au/ftp/australia/media/2009/NEiTAMR2009ASGInspTeachStateAwdsFNL041109.pdf.
Nelson, C. (2005). "Fethullah Gülen: A Vision of Transcendent Education." Retrieved 26 Sep, 2010, from http://en.fgulen.com/conference-papers/the-fethullah-gulen-movement-i/2133-fethullah-gulen-a-vision-of-transcendent-education.html.
Özdalga, E. (2005). "Redeemer or Outsider? The Gülen Community in the Civilizing Process1." The Muslim World 95(3): 429-446.
Polat, C. (2010). [Advancing in Education in an Advanced Democracy] Success and Recognition of Turkish schools in Australia. Today's Zaman.
Reuters. (2008). "Turkish Islamic Preacher - Threat or Benefactor? ." Retrieved 18 Sep, 2010, from http://en.fgulen.com/press-room/169-news/2901-turkish-islamic-preacher-threat-or-benefactor.html.
Robinson, J., Phyllis. (2008). "Defining Ethos in Global Values Education." Retrieved 26 Sep, 2010, from http://medya.zaman.com.tr/2008/11/17/robinson_phyllis.pdf.
Said, M. (2006). "Reading the World in Fethullah Gülen's Educational Philosophy " Retrieved 19 sep, 2010, from http://www.fethullahgulen.org/conference-papers/the-fethullah-gulen-movement-ii/2224-reading-the-world-in-fethullah-gulens-educational-philosophy.html.
Tekalan, S. A. (2005). "A MOVEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS ", fromhttp://www.fethullahgulenconference.org/houston/read.php?p=movement-of-volunteers.
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Williams, I., G. (2007). "The Vision of Education within Pluralistic Societies in the Thought of Gülen: The Contribution of Non-Denominational Education Towards Inter-Religious and Communal Understanding, Peace and Identity. A Study of Contrasts in the UK, Turkey and the USA." Retrieved 18 Sep 2010, fromhttp://www.fgulen.org/conference-papers/peaceful-coexistence/2506-the-vision-of-education-within-pluralistic-societies-in-the-thought-of-gulen-the-contribution-of-non-denominational-education-towards-inter-religious-and-communal-understanding-peace-and-identity-a-study-of-contrasts-in-the-uk-turkey-and-the-usa.html.
Woodhall, R. (2006). "Fethullah Gülen’s Philosophy of Education in Practice." fromhttp://www.fethullahgulenforum.org/articles/5/fethullah-gulen-s-philosophy-education-practice.

Footnotes

[1] The information was obtained from the website of Cag Ogretim, Azerbaijan. Retrieved September 21, 2010.

[2] This information was obtained from ‘Yeseren Umitler’ documentary broadcasted by the Samanyolu in Turkey, special edition, Azerbaijan, part 5.

[3]This information was obtained from the website of SuleCollege. Retrieved September 27, 2010.

[4] Personal interview, December 18 2008.

[5] Personal interview, December 18 2008.

[6] Personal conversation, May 13 2008.

* : Ahmet Orhan Polat received his Master's degree from the University of Sydney and is currently a PhD candidate at the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University in Melbourne. His study focuses on the Gulen Movement. He was a teacher and administrator at the Gulen Movement affiliated schools in Turkmenistan, Crimea and Australia between 1992 and 2008. Since 2009 Ahmet Polat has been serving as General Coordinator of the Australian Intercultural Society in Melbourne.

Paper presented at International Fethullah Gulen Conference in Indonesia, 19 October 2010, Tuesday

VIDEO - President Obama's Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Initiative, with Jannah Scott

2011-08-14T08:55:00.001-04:00

Dr Jannah Scott was appointed by President Obama in March 2009 and currently serves as the deputy director, Center for Faith-based & Neighborhood Partnerships at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In that role, Jannah provides access to programs, policies and engagement opportunities for faith-based and community groups on a broad array of homeland security issues. Her primary focus areas are interfaith dialogue and cooperation; disaster preparedness, response and recovery; citizenship and immigration: religious accommodation and the department's faith-based information-sharing initiative.

Prior to her presidential appointment, Jannah served as policy adviser, faith and community initiatives for former Governor--now Homeland Security Secretary--Napolitano.

Jannah received advanced academic degrees from UC Berkeley in Planning, Policy and Regulation. She is an ordained minister, having received license and ordination with the First Institutional Baptist Church of Phoenix, Arizona and JGM-Enternational PrayerLife Institute. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in Theology from the Desert Rose Christian College, an ORU-affiliated theological school.
Jannah's passions are family and developing relationships across the global community.

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ADVISORY BOARD - new board announced by Rumi Forum

2011-08-09T05:00:00.002-04:00

Rumi Forum is honored to have the following people on its Advisory Board

Amb. Akbar Ahmed
American University

Ziad Alahdad
World Bank (Ret.)

John Borelli
Georgetown University

The Rt. Rev. John Bryson Chane
Episcopal Dioceses of Washington

John Esposito
Georgetown University

Jack Goldstone
George Mason University

Peter Kovach
US Department of State (Ret.)

Flyntt Leverett
New America Foundation

Rev. Clark Lobenstine
Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington

Amb. David Mack
Middle East Institute

Amb. Edward Marks
George Mason University

Katherine Marshall
Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, World Affairs

Ziyaad Motala
Howard University

Amb. David Newton
Middle East Institute

Kathryn Porter
Leadership Council for Human Rights

Amb. Ibrahim Rasool
Embassy of the Republic South Africa

Amb. David Shinn
The George Washington University

Ori Soltes
Georgetown University

Pim Valkenberg
The Catholic University of America

Amb. Jenonne Walker
US Department of State (Ret.)

Rumi Forum prepares for Ramadan with numerous events

2011-08-06T05:00:00.000-04:00

Rumi Forum prepares for numerous Ramadan Iftar programs as Ramadan commences.

Below is the front page of The Washington Post on August 2, 2011 with a photograph of Rumi's Whirling Dervishes commemorating the start of Ramadan

See our Ramadan events from 2010:

http://rumiforum.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html#axzz1Tj5ylGEk

See Rumi Forums photos from last years Ramadan Events:
https://picasaweb.google.com/110222538312634006729/RUMIFORUM#5518747310009477602

Ramadan Around the World from The Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ramadan-around-the-world/2011/07/31/gIQA0vPgnI_gallery.html#photo=28

NEWSLETTER - July 2011

2011-08-03T05:00:00.001-04:00

READ NEWSLETTER:
http://www.rumiforum.org/newsletter/2011/july/newsletter.html

FAIRFAX TV Channel 30 - Rumi Forum broadcasting on third television station

2011-07-29T10:43:00.001-04:00

Rumi Forum will start broadcasting on a third television station during August 2011. That station is Fairfax TV - channel 30. The time slots during which it will be broadcast are as follows:

Every Monday at 10pm
Every Thursday at 12pm
Every Friday at 2pm
Every Saturday at 6am
http://www.fcac.org/

The Rumi Forum's programs are also broadcast on DCTV and AIM. See: DCTV and Arlington Independent Media (AIM) now broadcast our speaker series and luncheon events

Subscribe to our Youtube channel to see the videos before they are broadcast on television

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VIDEO - Beyond Sacrifice, Rethinking Religion and Violence in America with John Pahl

2011-07-20T08:55:00.000-04:00

In his famous Riverside Church Speech of April 1967, "Beyond Vietnam," the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. identified America as the "greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." How has this changed, or not, since 1967? And how has "religion" factored into the problems of episodic and systemic violence in America? Drawing on his book Empire of Sacrifice: The Religious Origins of American Violence (NYU, 2010), Professor Jon Pahl suggests some necessary rethinking of the categories of "religion" and "violence" in American history, with an aim to move the nation in its domestic and foreign policies beyond "sacrifice." Such a move may in fact already be underway, toward what Pahl calls, in the working title of his next book, A Coming Religious Peace.

Jon Pahl, Ph.D. is Professor of the History of Christianity in North America and Director of MA Programs for The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. Jon earned his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has spoken with audiences from Ankara to Anaheim, on media outlets from the BBC to ABC, and has published numerous articles, columns, essays, and six books, including Shopping Malls and Other Sacred Spaces: Putting God in Place and most recently Empire of Sacrifice: The Religious Origins of American Violence (NYU Press). Jon lives near Swarthmore, and enjoys gardening and playing his sax with his rhythm and blues band, "The Groove Daemons.

MOST READ - see what others are reading on our official web site and blog

2011-07-13T05:00:00.000-04:00

From www.rumiforum.org

Community Engagement Night-Rumi Forum & ATFA

2011-07-08T11:01:00.002-04:00

Max Finberg, Director, Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

Acacia Salatti, Deupty Director, Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

VIDEO - Brian Katulis: Changing the Mindset on US Policy in the Middle East

2011-07-05T08:00:00.048-04:00

Below you will find two Rumi Forum videos, one from a recent event, and another from the archives. Enjoy !

1. Changing the Mindset on US Policy in the Middle East - Brian Katulis, Center for American Progress
2.Who Speaks for Islam? - John Esposito , Georgetown University

Changing the Mindset on US Policy in the Middle East - Brian Katulis,
For the United States, a strategic choice is emerging about what role it seeks to play in the Middle East. Should it seek to manage the conflicts and reduce the risks of a broader conflagration? Or should it adopt a more proactive approach to shape the broader trends in the Middle East at a time of unprecedented uncertainty in the region? Can it do both of these things at the same time and achieve tangible results?

This is the central and historic choice facing President Obama as he looks at the complex mix of issues crowding America’s Middle East agenda . . . Read More

Brian Katulis is a Senior Fellow at American Progress, where his work focuses on U.S. national security policy in the Middle East and South Asia. Katulis has served as a consultant to numerous U.S. government agencies, private corporations, and nongovernmental organizations on projects in more than two dozen countries, including Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, and Colombia. From 1995 to 1998, he lived and worked in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Egypt for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.

Katulis received a master's degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs and a B.A. in history and Arab and Islamic Studies from Villanova University. In 1994 and 1995, he was a Fulbright scholar in Amman, Jordan, where he conducted research on the peace treaty between Israel and Jordan. Katulis has published articles in several newspapers and journals, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Baltimore Sun, andMiddle East Policy, among other publications. He is co-author of The Prosperity Agenda, a book on U.S. national security published by John Wiley & Sons in 2008. Katulis speaks Arabic.

From the archives...

John Esposito Who Speaks for Islam?
In a post-9/11 world, many Americans conflate the mainstream Muslim majority with the beliefs and actions of an extremist minority. But what do the world's Muslims think about the West, or about democracy, or about extremism itself? "Who Speaks for Islam?", the recent published book of Prof. Esposito, spotlights this silenced majority. The book is the product of a mammoth six-year study in which the Gallup Organization conducted tens of thousands of hour-long, face-to-face interviews with residents of more than 35 predominantly Muslim nations — urban and rural, young and old, men and women, educated and illiterate. It asks the questions everyone is curious about: Why is the Muslim world so anti-American? Who are the extremists? Is democracy something Muslims really want? What do Muslim women want? The answers to these and other pertinent, provocative questions are provided not by experts, extremists, or talking heads, but by empirical evidence — the voices of a billion Muslims.

John L. Esposito is University Professor, Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Professor of Islamic Studies and Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Esposito specializes in Islam, political Islam from North Africa to Southeast Asia, and Religion and International Affairs. He is editor-in-chief of the four-volume The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, The Oxford History of Islam, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam and The Islamic World: Past and Present. His more than thirty five books include Who Speaks for Islam, Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam, The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?, Islam and Politics, Political Islam: Radicalism, Revolution or Reform?, Islam and democracy (with J. Voll). Many have been translated into Arabic, Turkish, Persian, Bahasa Indonesia, Urdu, European languages, Japanese and Chinese. A former president of the Middle East Studies Association of North America and the American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies, he is currently a member of the World Economic Forum's Council of 100 Leaders, the High Level Group of the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations and President of the Executive Scientific Committee for La Maison de la Mediterranee's 2005-2010 project, "The Mediterranean, Europe and Islam: Actors in Dialogue." Esposito is a recipient of the American Academy of Religion's 2005 Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion and of Pakistan's Quaid-i-Azzam Award for Outstanding Contributions in Islamic Studies. He has served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of State and to governments, corporations, universities, and the media. In 2003 he received the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University Award for Outstanding Teaching

Esposito is widely interviewed or quoted in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN and network news stations, NPR, BBC, and in media throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

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VIDEOS - Chicago Fethullah Gulen Conference

2011-06-28T05:00:00.002-04:00

The Chicago Gulen Conference was very informative, as it brought together more than 20 scholars to discuss a transnational movement of volunteers dedicated to education and civic service.

The conference includes21 speakers across 7 panels, a summary after each panel and a Q&A session at the end of each panel. A description is below each video.

The opening remarks were by NBC5 Anchor woman, Alison Rosati, John Esposito, Georgetown University presented the keynote speech. Scholars and writers that took part include Cherif Bassiouni, Thomas Michel, Martin Marty, Carter Findley, Greg Barton, Robert Pape, James Harrington, Jon Pahl, Dick Simpson amongst numerous others

Keynote Speech by Prof. John Esposito

PANEL I : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & SPIRITUALITY
CHAIR : Prof. Martin Marty
Core Values of The Hizmet Movement: Worship & Servanthood
Thomas Michel, Ph.D.
Georgetown University, DC, USA

PANEL I : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & SPIRITUALITY
CHAIR : Prof. Martin Marty
Gülen’s Perspective on Forgiveness
Radhi H. Al-Mabuk, Ph.D.
University of Northern Iowa, IA, USA

PANEL I : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & SPIRITUALITY
CHAIR : Prof. Martin Marty
Love of The Prophet in Gülen’s Sufism
Zeki Saritoprak, Ph.D.
John Carroll University,
OH, USA

PANEL I : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & SPIRITUALITY
CHAIR : Prof. Martin Marty
Core Values of The Hizmet Movement: Worship & Servanthood
Thomas Michel, Ph.D.
Georgetown University, DC, USA

Gülen’s Perspective on Forgiveness
Radhi H. Al-Mabuk, Ph.D.
University of Northern Iowa, IA, USA

Love of The Prophet in Gülen’s Sufism
Zeki Saritoprak, Ph.D.
JohnCarroll University, OH, USA

PANEL II : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Carter V. Findley
The Risks and Promise of “Engagement” in Gülen’s Writings
Martin Marty, Ph.D.
The University of Chicago, IL, USA

PANEL II : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Carter V. Findley
Re-Orienting the Trainer to Navigate – Not Negotiate – Islamic Cultural Values
Phyllis E. Bernard, J.D.
Oklahoma City University School of Law, OK, USA

PANEL II : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Carter V. Findley
Understanding The Hizmet Movement Enterprises Through The Lens of Social Business
Greg Barton, Ph.D.
Monash University, AUSTRALIA

PANEL II : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Carter V. Findley
The Risks and Promise of “Engagement” in Gülen’s Writings
Martin Marty, Ph.D.The University of Chicago, IL, USA

Re-Orienting the Trainer to Navigate – Not Negotiate – Islamic Cultural Values
Phyllis E. Bernard, J.D.
Oklahoma City University School of Law, OK, USA

Understanding The Hizmet Movement Enterprises Through The Lens of Social Business
Greg Barton, Ph.D.
Monash University, AUSTRALIA

PANEL III : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN THE TURKISH CONTEXT
CHAIR : Prof. Robert Pape
Strengthening Religious Freedom, Free Speech, and Democracy in Turkey: The Political Trial of Fethullah Gülen
James C. Harrington, J.D.
University of Texas, TX, USA

PANEL III : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN THE TURKISH CONTEXT
CHAIR : Prof. Robert Pape
Fethullah Gülen’s Strategic Defamation: Turkish vs. English
Dogan Koc
Cairo University, EGYPT

PANEL III : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN THE TURKISH CONTEXT
CHAIR : Prof. Robert Pape
The Three Most Influential Religious Movements of the Late Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Halidiye, Nur, and Hizmet
Carter Findley, Ph.D.
Ohio State University, OH, USA

PANEL III : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN THE TURKISH CONTEXT

CHAIR : Prof. Robert Pape
Fethullah Gülen’s Strategic Defamation: Turkish vs. English
Dogan Koc
Cairo University, EGYPT

The Three Most Influential Religious Movements of the Late Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey: Halidiye, Nur, and Hizmet
Carter Findley, Ph.D.
Ohio State University, OH, USA

Strengthening Religious Freedom, Free Speech, and Democracy in Turkey: The Political Trial of Fethullah Gülen
James C. Harrington, J.D.
University of Texas TX, USA

PANEL IV : RELIGIOUS STUDIES PERSPECTIVES ON THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Richard Rosengarten
The Hizmet Movement and Sufism: Moral Selfhood and Compassionate Engagement
Margaret J. Rausch, Ph.D.
University of Kansas KS, USA

PANEL IV : RELIGIOUS STUDIES PERSPECTIVES ON THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Richard Rosengarten
Sacred Space in the Hizmet Movement & The Thought of M. Fethullah Gülen
Jon Pahl, Ph.D.
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Temple University, PA, USA

PANEL IV : RELIGIOUS STUDIES PERSPECTIVES ON THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Richard Rosengarten
Gülen’s Conception of Knowledge
Klas Grinell, Ph.D.
Gothenburg University, SWEDEN

This video is a summary of Panel 4 from The International Conference on The Gulen Movement, Chicago 2010
PANEL IV : RELIGIOUS STUDIES PERSPECTIVES ON THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Richard Rosengarten
The Hizmet Movement and Sufism: Moral Selfhood and Compassionate Engagement
Margaret J. Rausch, Ph.D.
University of Kansas KS, USA

Gülen’s Conception of Knowledge
Klas Grinell, Ph.D.
Gothenburg University SWEDEN

Sacred Space in the Hizmet Movement & The Thought of M. Fethullah Gülen
Jon Pahl, Ph.D.
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Temple University PA, USA

PANEL V : SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. M. Cherif Bassiouni
The Gülen Movement: Civic Engagement, Efficacy and Success
Muhammed Cetin, Ph.D.
East Stroudsburg University, PA, USA

PANEL V : SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. M. Cherif Bassiouni
Islamic Movements and Amodern Networks
Gokhan Bacik, Ph.D.
Zirve University TURKEY

PANEL V : SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. M. Cherif Bassiouni
Women in The Hizmet Movement: Traditionalists or Modernists?
Suveyda Karakaya
The University of Tennessee TN, USA

PANEL V : SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. M. Cherif Bassiouni
Women in The Hizmet Movement: Traditionalists or Modernists?
Suveyda Karakaya
The University of Tennessee TN, USA

Islamic Movements and Amodern Networks
Gokhan Bacik, Ph.D.
Zirve University TURKEY

The Gülen Movement: Civic Engagement, Efficacy and Success
Muhammed Cetin, Ph.D.
East Stroudsburg University PA, USA

PANEL VI : MODERN SOCIAL PARADIGMS AND THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Dick W. Simpson
The Role of Gülen’s Ideas for The Muslim World: The Future of Globalization & Democratic Reforms
Leonid Sykiainen, Ph.D.
State Scientific University RUSSIA
Presented by
Tom W. Boyd, Ph.D.
University of Oklahoma USA

PANEL VI : MODERN SOCIAL PARADIGMS AND THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Dick W. Simpson
Toward a Comprehensive Interpretation of Piety and Civility: Theological, Ethical, Institutional and Aesthetic Dimensions of the Hizmet Movement
Jeremy Walton, Ph.D.
New York University NY, USA

PANEL VI : MODERN SOCIAL PARADIGMS AND THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Dick W. Simpson
Gülen: Multiculturalism and an Ethics of Diversity
Simon Robinson, Ph.D.
Leeds Metropolitan University UNITED KINGDOM

This video is a summary of Panel 6 from The International Conference on The Gulen Movement, Chicago 2010
PANEL VI : MODERN SOCIAL PARADIGMS AND THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Dick W. Simpson
Gülen: Multiculturalism and an Ethics of Diversity
Simon Robinson, Ph.D.
Leeds Metropolitan University UNITED KINGDOM

The Role of Gülen’s Ideas for The Muslim World:
The Future of Globalization & Democratic Reforms
Leonid Sykiainen, Ph.D. State Scientific University RUSSIA

Toward a Comprehensive Interpretation of Piety and Civility:
Theological, Ethical, Institutional and Aesthetic Dimensions of the Hizmet Movement
Jeremy Walton, Ph.D. New York University NY, USA

PANEL VI : MODERN SOCIAL PARADIGMS AND THE HIZMET MOVEMENT
CHAIR : Prof. Dick W. Simpson

PANEL VII : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN LOCAL CONTEXT
CHAIR : Prof. Uli Schamiloglu
The Hizmet Movement in Italy: Between Integration and Exclusion. A Case Study from Modena
Daniele Cantini, Ph.D.
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia ITALY
Presented by Ihsan Yilmaz, Ph.D.
Fatih University, Turkey

PANEL VII : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN LOCAL CONTEXT
CHAIR : Prof. Uli Schamiloglu
Hope & Healing: Stories from Kurdish Iraq Where Persons Inspired by Fethullah Gülen Have Been Serving
Martha Ann Kirk, Th.D.
University of The Incarnate Word TX, USA

Building a Culture of Dialogue: A Qualitative Field Study of The Gülen-Inspired Schools in Abuja, Nigeria
Hasan Aydin
University of Nevada NV, USA
Susan Chandler, Ph.D.
University of Nevada NV, USA

PANEL VII : THE HIZMET MOVEMENT IN LOCAL CONTEXT
CHAIR : Prof. Uli Schamiloglu

ALSO VISIT

VIDEO - SAIS/Rumi Forum Panel - A New Era in Peace Building & Democratization

2011-06-23T05:00:00.003-04:00

Below are the Youtube videos for the jointly SAIS -Rumi Forum organized panel -
A New Era in Peace Building & Democratization

SUMMARY
As the Arab Spring has made clear, new technologies have made civil society one of -- if not the -- most important factor in determining the stability and durability of governance around the world. Hear four experts share their perspectives on how the role of civil society has changed, and how its effective mobilization can speed the development of democracy and peace in the 21st century.

Participants:

Mohamed Nimer, Assistant Professor of Religion and Politics Worldwide and Islam in World Affairs, American University

Vladimir Fedorenko, Research Director, Rumi Forum

David Korányi, Visiting MOL Fellow, Center for Transatlantic Relations

Ambassador Kurt Volker, Senior Fellow and Managing Director, Center for Transatlantic Relations

Marios Efthymiopoulos, Moderator, Visiting Scholar, Center for Transatlantic Relations

Ori Soltes speaks on Historic Ottoman Exhibition - The Art of Living Together"

2011-06-19T05:00:00.001-04:00

Summary
Come see how the Ottomans were able to cohesively and harmoniously live and provide sanctity to their minorities. In a first for Washington DC, Rumi Forum has organized re-prints of Ottoman Decrees regarding their Armenian, Jewish and Greek minorities dating back 550 years, also including documents and letters outlining the transatlantic relations between North America and the Ottoman state.A total of 25 documents are present in this exhibition. All re-prints of original documents from the Ottoman archives with both English and Turkish translation.

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW

TESTIMONIALS - Guests talk about their travels in Turkey (1)

2011-06-16T05:00:00.004-04:00

Rumi Forum as part of its mission increase understanding of other cultures organizes trips to Turkey to visit various people and organizations. Upon their return some guests have written their thoughts and feelings.

Patrick O’Connell | WRITER

TURKISH DELIGHT

In May of 2006, I packed my bags for a journey of a lifetime... a trip to the exotic and
ancient land of Turkey as a guest of the Rumi Forum. I had my reservations about
taking this trip. For years I’ve heard that Americans are not liked in many parts of the
Muslim world, so I wondered about how I would be treated there. I knew that Turkey,
a predominately Muslim country, is different from other middle east countries. Even
though the language, religious beliefs, and cultural values are different, Turkey has
been an American ally for decades. That fact along with the warm friendly smiles and
generous invitation of the Rumi Forum made my choice to visit Turkey a simple one.
I expected to see ancient sites and people entrenched into antiquity, living fifty years
ago in the past. I expected to see the Turkey of the movies as in Midnight Express or an
old James Bond movie. And as much as I hate to say it, I expected to see a third world
country. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see Turkey for what it is, a beautiful and
modern country where old and new and the east and west meet. Streets bustling with
new cars, people going to work, children going to school, and everybody was busy
with the things of life.

My first sight of Turkey came from five thousand feet. As my plane was descended to
land, I could see Istanbul, this huge city of millions, spread out beneath me for miles
and miles yet split by the meandering blue of the Bosporus. The vast expanse of red
clay tiled houses and apartments neatly separated by rows of roads was adorned by
beautiful mosque domes...like colorful shells on a clay beach.

At the airport I was greeted by smiling faces of friendly strangers. The customs and
immigration officials and the man that sold me my visa all seemed happy to welcome
me to Turkey. (My worries of losing my luggage were all for naught.) With luggage
in hand I was quickly greeted with smiling faces of my new Rumi Forum friends that
would be showing me their country.

I remember my very first meal in Turkey, my soon-to-be dear friend, Dr. Ali Yurtsever,
put his arm around me and with a chuckle in his voice he said, “Come with me and
we will eat at my favorite place in town.” We left the hotel, crossed a busy boulevard,
strolled down some side streets in the old part of the town and sat on the outside
patio of a little restaurant. Within minutes there was a table of delicious food, served
with a welcoming smiles by the restaurant owner and his brother. They made me feel
as if I was somebody really important. It was then that I first tasted the treasures of
Turkish hospitality and delicious Turkish food.

Later in the day as I checked into the hotel, I met with the rest of my fellow travelers
that were also invited for this Rumi Forum tour. Our touring group would be ten
Americans, and four Turks. Incidentally this hotel and all of the other hotels we stayed
in during our trip were excellent. Modern, clean, and very comfortable, just like any
hotel I would find in the States or Europe.

On our first evening in Turkey, our bus took us from our hotel to the banks of the
Bosporus where we boarded a boat for a dinner cruise. A night time dinner cruise on
the Bosporus is a must see part of any trip to Turkey. The view of Istanbul, the Topkapi
and Dolmabahce palaces and numerous mosques is spectacular...and of course the
food was delicious.

Our second day in Turkey started with a great breakfast buffet equal to any I’ve had
at the Marriott’s and Hiltons. Then while the day was still young we were off some of
the best attractions of Istanbul. The rest of the day we toured the Blue Mosque, the
Hagias-Sophia Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. WOW!!! I can’t say enough about all
of the beauty and the grandeur of these places...truly amazing.

The rest of our days in Turkey were also equally busy and amazing. We toured the
cities or Bursa, Manisa, Izmir, Capadocia, Ephesus, and Kayseri. We visited schools that
spanned the education spectrum from elementary grades to college. We also dined
with several different families that opened their homes and their hearts to us and
made us not only feel welcome but making us feel like we didn’t want to leave.
Our longest day on this tour started from Izmir at 4 am where we were bused to the
airport for a flight to Kayseri. Little did we know that our day would last to midnight.
From Kayseri we bussed to the ancient unearthly city of Capadocia, where homes are
carved into the volcanic rock called tuffa. Imagine stone tee-pees hundreds of feet tall
that had been hollowed out for homes in this primitive wilderness two thousand years
ago. Very cool. And to think many of these strange homes are still inhabited today.
We lunched there on more delicious food at a restaurant with a spectacular view of the
city of stone below. Then it was from one strange dwelling place to another, the next
stop was Nevsehir, the underground city. Although nobody lives in this city today, it
was estimated that up to twenty thousand people could stay in these ancient places
for several months at a time.

By 9 pm in the evening on this day we were all tired and eager for our hotel beds.
Boy were we surprised (pleasantly I must add). Our bus turned off the main road and
started up a dark narrow driveway lined with bushes that scraped both sides of the
bus as we passed by. Those of us still awake knew that this was not the way to the
hotel. After a few hundred yards of bus bush whacking we drove into a clearing with
two houses and a beautiful night time vista of Kayseri lit up like a thousand glittering
diamonds below. Standing between the two houses was a family waiting patiently to
greet us and share dinner with us. We ate, we sang, we danced, and we smiled till our
faces hurt. Wow what another great day.

Visiting the ancient Biblical city of Ephesus was also very amazing. The ruins of the
library and the amphi-theater are still very impressive today. Nearby to Ephesus we
also visited the home of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. I always wondered how
Mary spent here later years of life...now I know.

Most of all, this trip to Turkey was more than a sightseeing journey to visit exotic places
and see wonderful sights of great history. This was a trip into the heart and soul of the
Turkish people. I didn’t just eat food with strangers and newly made friends, I feasted
with families that set a place at their table for me and welcomed me into their hearts
and homes.

Turkey is a feast for the senses. It is a place for learning of old and new. Yes it’s true that
Turks speak a different language, and have different cultures and religions, but you
know what? It doesn’t matter... it doesn’t matter what religion, what race, what culture,
or what country people are from. People are people. We all laugh and cry and love and
hate. We all love our families, and we all want to be happy and pursue the joys of life.
On a final and deeper note, my trip has also taught me a great lesson.

For the longest time, I have wondered if there could ever be peace between Muslims,
Jews and Christians. Seeing the centuries of conflict and hearing the horrible events
of sorrow and death on the daily news, I doubted that it would ever be possible. After
my trip to Turkey and being welcomed with open arms, I have hope anew. I know if
there is to be peace between cultures and religions that seem so different, the key
to that peace is the Rumi Forum, the Gulen Movement, and the loving and tolerant
teachings of Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi.

Thank you Rumi Forum for this wonderful gift of Turkey.

It will be one of my life’s treasures.

Pat O’Connell

VIDEO: The Role of Civil Society in Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution and Democratization

2011-06-13T06:03:00.000-04:00

The Rumi Forum in collaboration with the Berkley Center at Georgetown University organized the conference on "The Role of Civil Society in Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution and Democratization"

Below are the youtube videos from the conference. At the bottom you will also find a link to the Q&A sessions for each panel.

Summary
Civil society is not only important; it is an essential part of the proper functioning of the state. Acting as a link, civil society helps to initiate, promote and strengthen comprehensive and objective dialogue between governments and their people. In such a way, civil society fosters conflict resolution, advances human rights and promotes better democratization processes in countries. Moreover, because of its flexible, multidimensional and non-rigid structure, civil society has the capability to constantly adapt to rapid global changes. The purpose of the conference is to gain a better understanding of the role of civil society in the functioning of the state, and advancement of democracy and universal human rights.

Marina Ottaway, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
“Civil Society and Democratization: Which Civil Society?”

Joshua Foust, American Security Project
"Foreign Bias in Local Governance in Central Asia"

Angel Rabasa, RAND Corporation
"Democratization and Transition Processes in Authoritarian Regimes"

Mohamed Nimer, American University
"Gulen's Soft Power Approach: Lessons for Arab Political Reform"

Bilal Wahab, George Mason University
“Civil Society in Iraq: Homegrown or Market Response?”

Stanley Kober, Cato Institute
"Building Peace from the Bottom Up"

Catherine Cosman, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom"Religious communities in Post-Soviet States"

Mehmet Kalyoncu, Independent Analyst
“Building Civil Society in Ethno-Religiously Fractured Communities”

WATCH THE Q&A seesions here

TV NEWS - EastWest Institute presents Fethullah Gulen with 2011 Peace Building Award

2011-06-09T22:05:00.002-04:00

Below is the TV news for the presentation of Rumi Forum's Hon. President Fethullah Gulen with the East West Institute's 2011 Peace Building Award

See also:
BBC - What is Islam's Gülen Movement?
VIDEO Thomas Michel talks on Fethullah Gulen

Also read:
Fethullah Gulen: Following in the Footsteps of Rumi by Thomas Michel
The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue by Fethullah Gulen
A Movement Originating Its Own Models by Fethullah Gulen

NEWSLETTER - May 2011

2011-06-03T06:00:00.002-04:00

http://www.rumiforum.org/newsletter/2011/may/newsletter.html

In this issue - May 2011

Future Events

June 6^th
Historic Ottoman Exhibition - The Art of Living Together

June 2^nd
A New Era in Peace-building & Democratization: The Increasing Importance of Civil Society

June 21^st
Beyond Sacrifice: Rethinking Religion and Violence in America, or How a Pax Americana Might Figure in a Coming Religious Peace

THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PEACEBUILDING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND DEMOCRATIZATION

2011-05-31T01:23:00.000-04:00

CONFERENCE: THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN PEACEBUILDING, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND DEMOCRATIZATION
Below you will find the full length videos of the conference panels and all the presentations from MAY 26. Some excerpts are also reproduced/

Rumi Forum, in collaboration with Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, brought together prominent scholars of the nation's capital to discuss the growing importance of civil society in peace building, conflict resolution and democratization. “The Role of Civil Society in Peace building, Conflict Resolution and Democratization” conference was held on May 26th, 2011 at the Berkley Center’s 3rd floor Conference Room.

Below are some excerpts from the presentations:

Mohamed Nimer, American University: What do the Arab world can learn from the Gulen Movement? One major thing is that the sophisticated definition of how a social movement relates to the state? How it relates to the power play? Gulen has decided that when you look at the Islamic tradition democracy is the best form of the systems that can meet the requirements of Islamic values. And as such a faith based social movement has to stay above partisan politics, above the contest for power... Arab world wants the Gulen inspired ideas of separating politics from social work...

Marina Ottaway, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: We, the Carnegie Endowment, and two other organizations, held a conference in April on the role of external actors in promoting change in the Arab world. Participants were other than the usual Western suspects including all the organizations, supporting democratic transformation and civil society in the world and particularly in the Middle East. We had a number of activists from Arab countries. One participant, a very well known scholar from Jordan, said civil society has not playing any role whatsoever in the uprisings. Everybody around the room agreed with him. Here you have tens of thousands of citizens were out on the streets. I thought if this was not civil society what was civil society. What they meant was the NGOs that western countries have been promoting in these countries. Organizations that western countries have been building up, financing and training were not anywhere to be seen. So, civil society did not play any role in the uprising. Citizens did, but not the organizations.

Bilal Wahab, George Mason University: One of the examples of hope in Iraq is the social entrepreneurship; a school that was sponsored by Hizmet (a.k.a the Gulen Movement) in 1994. It was a free high school at first but it has built a reputation for itself, graduated smart students and after that it started charging people for money. They say, ` We can educate your kids. We can teach them English, Turkish, math and science. And these students can participate International Scientific Olympics and they come back with prizes. So they’ve become marketable. Once they become marketable people pay a lot of money to go to that school. But that money is being used to build another school in another town. So, this process of mushrooming without being dependent on anyone has created a positive effect on other Civil Society Organizations.

Catherine Cosman, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom: There are many civil society organizations in Central Asian countries. There have been varying responses. Some of them have something to do with the Soviet legacy of atheism. So many human rights activists are not that interested in religion. They have unfortunately have a lot of other issues they can focus on. While I was in Azerbaijan a couple of years ago for a conference on civil society and I talked about the problems of religious groups in Azerbaijan which have only gotten worse. The other people in the room said: `But are they really part of civil society?` I was very surprised by that kind of response.

Angel Rabasa, Rand Corporation: Once the transition begins can play and have played in consolidation of democracy. According to study by Freedom House civic resistance played a vital role in driving 50 out of 67 modern transitions from authoritarian rule to democracy.

Joshua Foust, American Security Project: Westerners in general tend to assume their own concepts and their own experiences of what civil society or what some kind of doing good group means are the best ones. That’s why you have the military in Afghanistan what it does best which is creating another military. I spent several years as an advisor for the US Army dealing with social and cultural issues inside Afghanistan. They have a lot of problems going on. One of the biggest ones is the assumption about how Afghanistan itself works. And I think this is the feature you will find in a lot of foreigner based NGOs, especially in Central Asia which are in a way orientalist assumptions about how these societies work...... And this gets back to the idea of fundamentally misunderstanding a society that you are working in, making wrong assumptions about how that society works and then going ahead and crafting policies based on that wrong assumption...

Mehmet Kalyoncu, Independent Analyst: In Mardin, a multiethnic city populated by ethnic Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrian Christians on Turkey’s Syrian border, the affiliates of the Hizmet [service] Movement have, through their personal interactions and conversations, first, convinced the local people that the fundamental problem of their community was the lack of education and educational infrastructure in the city; second, promoted multicultural understanding and tolerance; and finally, got these local people personally involved in finding resources through local and outside donors, and making concrete progresses on the ground. In so doing, the Hizmet Movement has been able to create a Mardinian civic consciousness among the Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians.

Stanley Kober, CATO Institute: To address the problem of war, we need to supplement top-down with bottom-up approaches; we have to address not only interests of state, but emotions of people. ......American education offers a culture of questioning. This is the spirit that is the foundation of scientific method and democracy. As Judge Learned Hand put it, “the spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.” It is in that spirit that we can hope to realize Washington’s vision of a peaceful world, built from the bottom up, in which we are all “Citizen[s] of the great republic of humanity at large.”

CONFERENCE VIDEOS
Watch Opening Remarks
Watch Panel 1
Watch Panel 2
Watch Panel 3
Watch Closing Remarks

OTTOMAN EXHIBITION - The Art of Living Together RECEPTION June 6, 2011

2011-05-28T04:00:00.007-04:00

RUMI FORUM
Presents

Historic Ottoman Exhibition
The Art of Living Together

Monday, June 6^th

6 - 8:00 p.m.

at Rumi Forum
1150 17th Street NW, Suite 408, Washington, D.C. 20036

www.rumiforum.org
Free and open to the public (registration required)
Light refreshments will be served

Please Click to Register

Come see how the Ottomans were able to cohesive and harmoniously live and provide sanctity to their minorities. In a first for Washington DC, Rumi Forum has organized re-prints of Ottoman Decrees regarding their Armenian, Jewish and Greek minorities dating back 550 years, also including documents and letters outlining the transatlantic relations between North America and the Ottoman state. A total of 25 documents are present in this exhibition. All re-prints of original documents from the Ottoman archives with both English and Turkish translation

Opening Reception with Turkish refreshments, 6pm on June 6 at Rumi Forum

Exhibition from June 6 to June 11(Registration necessary for all days)

MONDAY 6-8pm Opening Reception (open to public)
TUESDAY - FRIDAY 10am- 7pm
SATURDAY 10am-2pm

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Videos	iTunes	Blog	Photos

BBC - What is Islam's Gülen Movement?

2011-05-26T04:00:00.035-04:00

What is Islam's Gülen Movement?

Founder Fethullah Gülen: His motives have been questioned in the past.

Turkey's Gulen movement, which promotes service to the common good, may have grown into the world's biggest Muslim network. Is it the modern face of Islam, or are there more sinister undercurrents?

From Kenya to Kazakhstan, a new Islamic network is attracting millions of followers - and billions of dollars.

Inspired by a little-known Turkish imam, the Gulen movement is linked to more than 1,000 schools in 130 countries as well as think tanks, newspapers, TV and radio stations, universities - and even a bank.

This massive network is unlike anything else. It has no formal structure, no visible organisation and no official membership.

Its supporters say they simply work together, in a loosely affiliated alliance inspired by the message of charismatic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who promotes a tolerant Islam which emphasises altruism, hard work and education.

Turkish businessmen are attracted by what they see as his international outlook and pragmatic approach to issues like using credit.

In Turkey today, it is thought to have up to 10 million supporters. A recent study suggests many give between 5%-20% of their income to groups affiliated with the movement.

Critics claim its aim is to gain power, to spread socially conservative Islamic attitudes on issues like marriage and alcohol around the globe, and to suppress any opposition.

In the past year, three of its most prominent critics have been jailed in Turkey, sparking claims that it has become a sinister controlling force in its native land.

Mr Gulen's critics point to a video which surfaced in 1999, in which he seemed to tell his followers that they should deliberately attempt to infiltrate mainstream structures:

"You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centres. You must wait until such time as you have got all the state power, until you have brought to your side all the power of the constitutional institution in Turkey."

The following year, Mr Gulen faced charges of trying to undermine Turkey's secular state.

He left for the United States, claiming the recording had been tampered with. He was later cleared in absentia of all charges.

Today, aged 70, Mr Gulen lives a reclusive life on a country estate in Pennsylvania.

He has urged his followers to build schools instead of mosques, and encourages interaction with people of other faiths through dialogue societies, including one in the UK.

Supporters help fund its schools

Social mobility

The movement's schools usually boast hi-tech facilities, and many students are on scholarships funded by Gulen-inspired businessmen.

Although the schools are secular, teachers are expected to act as role models. Smoking, drinking and divorce are frowned upon.

Fatma Disli first came across the movement - which she prefers to call "Hizmet" ("service" in Turkish) - at a school it founded to help students pass university admissions tests.

"The people I met through Hizmet were really hard-working, virtuous people who were practising their religion, but at the same time had important jobs. I realised that it's possible to be religious and to have a career."

Gulen supporters argue that the movement has also played a part in the growth of Turkey's economy by bolstering exports.

Serdarj Yesilyurt, from Turkey's Federation of Businessmen and Industrialists, says 95% of his members are Gulen supporters.

"Mr Gulen put forward some international values which helped to bring down mental barriers about doing trade abroad, and helped people to think big."

The combination of philanthropy and business has been powerful, he says, with Gulen-inspired schools supporting and smoothing the way for Turkish businessmen in emerging markets like Africa and Central Asia.

Press freedom threat

Edward Stourton

However, a media group run by Gulen supporters, which includes newspapers, TV and radio stations and a news agency, has been criticised for being too close to the Islamic-rooted governing party.

There are claims that supporters of the movement dominate parts of the police and the judiciary.

Last year, a police chief who wrote a book on this subject was jailed. Earlier this year, two Turkish investigative journalists, Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, were arrested after investigating similar claims.

As Sik was arrested, he shouted: "Whoever touches them burns!" All three men are still in jail.

They were arrested in connection with an alleged plot by right-wing extremists, hardline secularists and army generals to overthrow the state.

Press freedom campaigner Ferai Tinch says most journalists in Turkey believe that they too will suffer if they criticise the movement.

"The imprisonment of journalists is the tip of the iceberg. Nobody dares to write directly against the Gulen movement," he says.

The movement insists it had nothing to do with the arrests.

"It's illogical to think that Gulen followers would be involved [in arresting critics]," says Cemal Usak, of the Gulen-linked Journalists and Writers Foundation.

"That would do the biggest harm to the movement. They must be out of their minds to think such a thing."

The only point that both supporters and critics seem to agree on is that it wields huge power in Turkey - and that its global expansion shows no sign of slowing.

WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPORT (different from video clip)

UPDATE NEW AUDIO LINK: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00gyhhd

ARTICLE SOURCE : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13503361

VIDEO Thomas Michel talks on Fethullah Gulen

2011-05-24T05:00:00.014-04:00

Thomas Michel has held the position of Secretary for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome and Ecumenical Secretary for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. He has extensively written and spoken on Fethullah Gulen on numerous occasions

In the below video Dr Michel tells a nice story of transforming communities and bringing people of all backgrounds together. This excerpt is from the Gulen Conference reception in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Below is a summary Dr Michel presents about the papers present on Fethullah Gulen as the Washington DC conference held at Georgetown University.

Dr Michel provides a short comments on Gulen inspired schools at the Indonesia Conference.

Thomas Michel at the 'Mapping the Gülen Movement' in Amsterdam speaking on Fethullah Gulen's understanding of theology.

Dr Michel speaks about the values and ibadah, ubudiya and ubuda (worship and devotion) in the thought of Fethullah Gulen at the Chicago Conference.

Dr Michel interviewed at the Gulen Conference in Amsterdam, discussing example of how the Gulen Movement serves others and tells a story from the Philippines.

Thomas Michel summarizes some talks from the Houston, Texas conference 'Fethullah Gülen Movement in Thought and Practice-I'

Marywood University hosts a conference on Fethullah Gulen, where Dr Michel is interviewed for a television program

ALSO READ:
Fethullah Gulen: Following in the Footsteps of Rumi by Thomas Michel

*see also the below writings of Fethullah Gulen
The Necessity of Interfaith Dialogue by Fethullah Gulen
A Movement Originating Its Own Models by Fethullah Gulen

OTHER ARTICLES BY THOMAS MICHEL
1 Core Values of the Gülen Movement: Worship and Servanthood
2 Love and Truth in Democratic Societies: Fethullah Gülen and Pope Benedict XVI on Social Questions
3 Fighting Poverty with Kimse Yok Mu
4 Fethullah Gulen: Following in the Footsteps of Rumi
5 Fethullah Gulen as Educator
6 The Gulen Movement: A Sufi-type Spirituality for Modern Societies
7 Two Frontrunners for Peace: John Paul II and Fethullah Gulen
8 Islam in the Age of Global Challenges: Alternative Perspectives of the Gülen Movement
9 Foreword to the book: Toward a Global Civilization of Love and Tolerance
10 The Wing of the Bird: Gülen on Sincerity
11 Sufism and Modernity in the Thought of Fethullah Gulen
12 The Contribution of Interfaith Dialogue to Peace Buildin
13 The Gülen Movement: Its Contribution at a Time of Global Tensions
14 The Gülen Community: a Dynamic Muslim Movement of Peace and Dialogue
15 What are the Paths to Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue
16 Peace and Dialogue in the Plural Society: Common Values and Responsibilities
17 Muslim Peace Leaders, Medieval and Modern: Rumi and Gulen
18 Gulen's Pedagogy and the Challenges for Modern Educators

ARTICLE SOURCE:
http://www.thomasmichel.us/fethullahgulen-rumi.html

Papa New Guinea Press covers Rumi Forum event

2011-05-22T01:59:00.005-04:00

PNG female students doing well

By DAVID MURI

A student attending Port Moresby’s PNG Paradise High School is one of the top assay writers in the world among her peer group.

Grade 11 student, Reebecca Tobena, has returned to the country with thrilling accolades after participating in an international essay contest in USA.

Her local school felt the achievement has indicated that PNG students have come of age to be among the best brains in the world.

She was participating in the recently held Youth Platform Award Ceremony held from April 4 to 8 in Washington DC.

The global competition was organised by the Gulen Institute, Rumi Forum, in cooperation with one of US’s prestigious universities – the Houston University.

Ms Tobena was invited by the forum for a four-day visit to US capital Washington DC, where she competed with 30 top essay writers in the world. All the expenses were paid for by the organisers.

Paradise High School principal Safak Deliismail said Tobena’s essay on “The Bougainville Civil War” was selected from a total of 600 essay entries from secondary students in 53 countries, and 35 states of the US.

Deliismail said students were asked by the organisers to respond to the topic “The use of military means as a solution to today’s international and national political issues: Diplomacy or war, democracy or military coup?”
Tobena’s entry on the bloody Bougainville conflict was selected, thus, enabling her to compete in the prestigious competition with the world’s top students.

“Leaders should spend more time listening to the basic issues that affect their people rather than talking just to defend their status in their nation. Leaders today should learn how to break barriers and stand up for what is right, even if there are a million doubts facing them,” an extract from her winning article read.

“When you become a great risk taker for your people you then become a great reliable leader. Francis Ona may have started the war but a lot of people recognised him as a man who fought for the little children who needed the perfect green playground, even if it meant to go against the nation of PNG,” Tobena continued.

Mr Deliismail said such exposures have put PNG on the world stage, adding it was a bonus for a third world country to have reached that far. He added such competitions will broaden their mind and shape them to be future leaders of this country.

“I realised that there is a fast growing world outside the globe but we don’t feel and see it in PNG. The world has changed beyond our imagination,” Tobena said of her American experience.

She said the highlight of her visit was her meeting with some top senators or congresswomen and congressmen like Ms Sheila Jackson Lee, Peter Roskam and Ted Poe.

The Gulf lass also met the Chair of the Political Science Department of the University of Houston Gregory Weiher and other dignitaries. She said for a kid in an unknown country to have competed against the best and meet US senators is an moment that will never be repeated in her entire life.

“You hardly meet these people in the US or anywhere else in the world unless you’re a president or prime minister. But for a child in a black country to have been with them is awesome and the experience has completely changed my life,” a proud Tobena said.

This is not the first time this young girl has travelled overseas representing her school. Last year Tobena travelled to Istanbul, Turkey, to compete in the Turkish Language Olympiads.

More than 750 students from 120 countries competed in that competition which is dubbed as the biggest in the world. There are different categories such as singing, reciting poem, drawing, special talent, cultural dance, etc.
This year, from June 15 to 30, two students from PNG Paradise High School will also attend the forum. The students selected for next month’s trip were Alberta Taligatus, Grade 11 and Amanda Daurobona, Grade 8.

The two girls were asked by the Turkish organizers to perform their traditional dances to the audience during the opening ceremony in Istanbul.

SOURCE: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110517/feature.htm

CHURCHES TOGETHER IN ENGLAND: The Gülen Movement: pioneers of interfaith dialogue

2011-05-18T03:00:00.003-04:00

The most populous Muslim presence in the UK has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, and the nature of Islam in Pakistan, especially, has coloured British understanding of and approaches to Islam. This is to ignore the diversity of Islam, not only theological, but also cultural and geographical.

A very different model of Islam can be seen in the movement around Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Muslim scholar, opinion leader and peace activist. Gülen topped a 2008 poll of one hundred most influential public intellectuals (Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines). He has inspired a worldwide civil society movement to invest in intercultural dialogue as the basis for lasting peace. There are schools, universities, dialogue centres and charitable organisations across the world, which have been inspired by Gülen’s philosophy. He teaches that we are human first, and only then Muslim or of any other religion and culture. He supports democracy, diversity, human rights, freedom of belief, and argues, unsurprisingly, that ‘No Muslim can be a terrorist and no terrorist a Muslim’.

Gülen is an Islamic preacher and scholar, and author of over sixty volumes. Professor Paul Weller (Continuum, 2009) noted that ‘Gülen does not teach a “liberal” or “modernist” version of Islam. Rather, his teaching offers a robust renewal of Islam that is engaged with the contemporary world. It is rooted in a deep knowledge of authentically Islamic sources.’

The Gülen movement has a presence in various centres across the UK, not least in London and West Yorkshire. The principal point of contact is through an educational charity, the Dialogue Society, which is always open to exploring partnerships with other institutions. The London base of the Dialogue Society hosts a variety of cross-cultural lectures and round-table discussions; the West Yorkshire presence includes a girls’ school in Bradford and a set of Ph.D. students in Leeds.

For Christian churches struggling to relate to Islam, the Gülen movement is a breath of fresh air. Here are deeply committed, prayerful, intelligent Muslims, wanting to dialogue, to listen as well as proclaim, promoting human values and engaging thoughtfully yet critically with Western society. This is Islamic bridge-building, seeking mutual understanding and, through understanding, making peace.

Clive Barrett, CEDO, West Yorkshire Ecumenical Council

SOURCE: http://www.churches-together.net/Articles/212107/Churches_Together_in/Working_Together/Inter_faith/Christian_Muslim_Relations/C_M_Archive/The_G%C3%BClen_Movement.aspx

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