Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Plans to abolish "prep schools" in Turkey have sparked a huge feud between two of the country's most powerful forces on the micro-blogging website Twitter.
Showing posts with label Gulen Movement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gulen Movement. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Erdoğan launches another war
Mustafa Akyol
Last week I wrote a piece in this column titled, “Behind the war over prep schools.” In fact, it was not a full-scale culture war then, but rather a growing tension. But Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan made it obvious to everyone this week by announcing on a TV show that he is determined to close all prep schools and he, as usual, will “not take a step back.”
Last week I wrote a piece in this column titled, “Behind the war over prep schools.” In fact, it was not a full-scale culture war then, but rather a growing tension. But Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan made it obvious to everyone this week by announcing on a TV show that he is determined to close all prep schools and he, as usual, will “not take a step back.”
At home and abroad, Erdogan shoots himself in the foot
Mahir Zeylanov
“I voted for [Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party] but I feel ashamed for their move,” Nazlı Ilıcak, a columnist with pro-government daily Sabah and long supporter of the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, recently said, referring to a government intention to inspect mixed-gender student housing.
“I voted for [Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party] but I feel ashamed for their move,” Nazlı Ilıcak, a columnist with pro-government daily Sabah and long supporter of the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, recently said, referring to a government intention to inspect mixed-gender student housing.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Kimse Yok Mu becomes first charity to reach Philippines from Turkey
Reaching the area with military helicopters, a team of 10 people began search and rescue activities and 25 tons of food packages were distributed to 6,500 victims in cooperation with Philippine officials.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Hizmet (Gulen movement) contributes to world peace
Following the international Hizmet Symposium in Washington D.C., Rumi Forum held its second day of the conference with academics from more than twenty countries.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Samples of Kimse Yok Mu Ramadan Aid Activities Worldwide
Kimse Yok Mu, set to reach out to 103 countries as a part of its Ramadan campaign, has launched the food aid deliveries.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
How Turkey is emerging as a development partner in Africa
Prof. Alpaslan Özerdem*
Turkey has emerged as a generous donor for humanitarian crises across the world over the past five years, especially in the context of Africa.
In 2011, while official development assistance (ODA) fell in 16 DAC countries, Turkey's net ODA increased by over 38%. Following the 'Turkey – Africa Co-operation summit' in Istanbul in August 2008, the African Union declared Turkey a 'strategic partner' and in May 2010, Istanbul was the venue for the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
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| A displaced Somalian man walks away with food at a centre run by Turkish aid agency in the Howlwadaag district of southern Mogadishu. Photograph: Feisal Omar/Reuters |
In 2011, while official development assistance (ODA) fell in 16 DAC countries, Turkey's net ODA increased by over 38%. Following the 'Turkey – Africa Co-operation summit' in Istanbul in August 2008, the African Union declared Turkey a 'strategic partner' and in May 2010, Istanbul was the venue for the 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
Sunday, March 17, 2013
New book looks closer into Hizmet Movement with questions, answers
A newly published book by Professor Muhammed Çetin, a sociologist who has done extensive academic work on social movements and who now serves as a lawmaker in the Turkish Parliament, offers comprehensive information on the faith-based Gülen movement, answering hundreds of questions on the movement.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The effect of ‘soft power' on Turkey's rapid development
Bülent Keneş
While every country in the world has its own sources of soft power, only some are really aware of these sources. As for Turkey -- which possesses a vital geopolitical position and military strength, a deep-rooted history and a rich culture and sees the future of economic and socio-political development as being intertwined with such universal values as basic human rights and freedoms, the superiority of justice and a liberal economy -- it is a country with extremely rich sources of soft power.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Hizmet academic set to visit Taipei
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| Fethullah Gulen |
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Conference on Gülen’s thoughts on ideal society to be held in Pakistan
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
JWF Coexistence Awards Largely Honors Turkey's Minorities
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| GYV's 4th Coexistence Awards |
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Hermann looks closer into Hizmet movement, Gülen's life in FAZ article
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| Rainer Hermann speaks during a conference in İstanbul. (Photo: Cihan) |
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Book Review: Civic Service Without Borders
Anwar Alam *
The Gülen Movement, as it is usually referred to in English, has attracted the attention of “critical public minds and scholarship” throughout the world in recent years for two important reasons. First, Fethullah Gülen’s ideas and praxis demonstrate the potential role of religion in reshaping the present violent, conflict ridden world into an inclusive, humanistic society and world order based on the principles of pluralism, intercultural dialogue, and mutual living. Second and more important, Gülen, through his twin tools of Islamic hermeneutics and public actions, particularly in the field of education, has restored the “humane face of Islam” in the public eye—something that was lost due to centuries of a radical, positivist, secular and Orientalist narrative of Islam and more recently due to acts of violence in the name of Islam—and has demonstrated the complementarity of Islam and modernity. This reconciliation of faith and reason—both in terms of theory and action—solves a conundrum that has plagued the Islamic scholars for long.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Will Erdoğan and Gül really clash?
Etyen Mahçupyan
The back-to-back speeches given by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the recent Justice and Development Party (AK Party) congress and then by President Abdullah Gül in Parliament have triggered some vocal comparisons.
These types of analyses have been very popular for a while now in the secular media. Some of the same voices who just five years ago lent support to the political intervention carried out by the General Staff headquarters over the Internet, without even a vague attempt to recall the past, are now voicing support for Gül. Actually though, the five years that have passed since that Internet intervention have changed neither Erdoğan nor Gül at all. The prime minister is a character who draws strength from his own charisma, who puts no distance between his stance as a politician and as a human and who does not shy away from reactive behavior. As for the president, he is careful, with a personality that is somewhat distanced and likes to listen and hear things. There are actually no great differences between them when it comes to their shared desire to integrate the sensitivities of Islamic factions with the global world system. Both men have voter blocs that they appeal to and to whom they listen, and actually, their dual stances seem to come together in one united bloc.
These types of analyses have been very popular for a while now in the secular media. Some of the same voices who just five years ago lent support to the political intervention carried out by the General Staff headquarters over the Internet, without even a vague attempt to recall the past, are now voicing support for Gül. Actually though, the five years that have passed since that Internet intervention have changed neither Erdoğan nor Gül at all. The prime minister is a character who draws strength from his own charisma, who puts no distance between his stance as a politician and as a human and who does not shy away from reactive behavior. As for the president, he is careful, with a personality that is somewhat distanced and likes to listen and hear things. There are actually no great differences between them when it comes to their shared desire to integrate the sensitivities of Islamic factions with the global world system. Both men have voter blocs that they appeal to and to whom they listen, and actually, their dual stances seem to come together in one united bloc.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
A Classic Hatchet Job
Scott C. Alexander
In response to the Stephen Schwartz's recent article that appeared on Gatestone Institute's website:
I am puzzled by the fact that a man as seemingly intelligent and articulate as Mr. Schwartz appears to have deliberately misread the Op-Ed piece by Mr. Gülen. I say this because, in the very beginning of Mr. Schwartz's critique, he clearly demonstrates that he has no intention of striving for even the least degree of objectivity and fairness in his analysis of Gülen's remarks. In fact, I am saddened to say that what Mr. Schwartz attempts to offer as a trenchant critique of Gülen and the global Gönüllüler Hareketi ("Volunteers' Movement") amounts to little more than a hatchet job on a religious leader who has inspired thousands, perhaps millions, of men and women to a reawakening of their faith and a faith-based commitment to service.
In response to the Stephen Schwartz's recent article that appeared on Gatestone Institute's website:
I am puzzled by the fact that a man as seemingly intelligent and articulate as Mr. Schwartz appears to have deliberately misread the Op-Ed piece by Mr. Gülen. I say this because, in the very beginning of Mr. Schwartz's critique, he clearly demonstrates that he has no intention of striving for even the least degree of objectivity and fairness in his analysis of Gülen's remarks. In fact, I am saddened to say that what Mr. Schwartz attempts to offer as a trenchant critique of Gülen and the global Gönüllüler Hareketi ("Volunteers' Movement") amounts to little more than a hatchet job on a religious leader who has inspired thousands, perhaps millions, of men and women to a reawakening of their faith and a faith-based commitment to service.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Political greed
Yavuz Baydar
In a manner of distancing itself from the real essence of demands of social transformation, Turkey's dominant politics is redefining itself on a new path, which means more trouble.
It has passed two benchmarks: the referendum on partial changes to the Constitution and the national elections last year. The direction of the vote in the two events gave strength to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and consolidated its power. And it put the leadership of the AKP before a crucial choice: It would either convert the consolidation into collectivization of power, or a personification of it.
It has passed two benchmarks: the referendum on partial changes to the Constitution and the national elections last year. The direction of the vote in the two events gave strength to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and consolidated its power. And it put the leadership of the AKP before a crucial choice: It would either convert the consolidation into collectivization of power, or a personification of it.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Strategic Defamation of Fethullah Gülen: English vs. Turkish
Sunday, July 29, 2012
New Book: The Gulen Hizmet Movement and its Transnational Activities
A project that was conceived at the East and West Encounters: Hizmet (Gulen) Movement conference comes to life in a new book.
The Gulen Hizmet Movement and its Transnational Activities: Case Studies of Altruistic Activism in Contemporary Islam is a book put together by Sophia Pandya of California State University Long Beach and Nancy Gallagher of University of California in Santa Barbara. This volume of essays on the Gulen, or Hizmet (service) movement, a Turkish Sufi, Sufi Muslim and humanitarian civil society group, looks at the recent activities of its followers to practice their form of Islam and carry out collective interfaith projects at the international level. It adds to the newly burgeoning discourse by focusing on the ways in which participants challenge ideological and sectarian boundaries. Included are the essays which discuss how the movement is organized, structured and institutionalized in many parts of the world, explore Turkey's global influence, evaluate criticisms of the movement and suggest directions for further research.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
AK Party faces risk of losing popular support
Lale Kemal
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which came to power for the third term after the June 12, 2011 elections, has increasingly been enjoying a situation in which it faces no real opposition from other political parties in Parliament.
There is no pressure forcing the AK Party to feel the heat and force it to rethink its highly controversial policies, which have included a departure from reformist policies and resorted to a more conservative stance such as dictating policies on a possible ban on abortion. It is a known fact that Turkey's greatest democratic deficit is the lack of an opposition. The existing opposition parties in Parliament are ideologically motivated, but trapped in narrow politics.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which came to power for the third term after the June 12, 2011 elections, has increasingly been enjoying a situation in which it faces no real opposition from other political parties in Parliament.
There is no pressure forcing the AK Party to feel the heat and force it to rethink its highly controversial policies, which have included a departure from reformist policies and resorted to a more conservative stance such as dictating policies on a possible ban on abortion. It is a known fact that Turkey's greatest democratic deficit is the lack of an opposition. The existing opposition parties in Parliament are ideologically motivated, but trapped in narrow politics.
