Fethullah Gulen says, Hizmet movement should not be attributed to him alone

(Video Duration: 3 mins. 58 secs.)

Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gülen himself never approves and never uses the terms “Gülen Movement” or “Gülen Community.” He prefers the action to be called “the Volunteers’ Service” because this does not connote any contentious otherness, political separatism or a conflictual front. He insists that the Movement does not and must not involve conflict, and that the volunteers’ service must be offered within a certain framework of principles.

Mr. Gulen had reiterated this once more in a message to the organizing committee of the 10th International Fethullah Gulen Conference held in Jakarta, Indonesia on Oct. 19-22, 2010:

“…As I have said so many times before, I am not in favor of attributing such a peaceful, cultural, educational model to me alone or any other individual. I prefer to call it ‘the Volunteers’ Service’. I have always felt, and still feel, seriously uncomfortable at attributing the altruistic efforts of thousands of people to a single individual. I cannot claim to have made a major contribution to the Volunteers’ Service Movement… I take it that representatives of this Movement have assigned a place for me among themselves as an expression of their kindness and goodwill.”

Mr. Gulen further stated his hope to “discover common values on which to establish a better world and to bring about peace and cooperation between peoples in the future”:

“I hope this altruistic movement will spread and will carry us to the desired common horizon where cultures and civilizations can meet peacefully and reach a consensus for the common good.”