Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Zeki Saritoprak speaks on Gulen Movement at Chautauqua Institution

(Video Duration: 10 mins 7 secs)

Zeki Saritoprak is the Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University and delivered an interfaith lecture on Gulen and the his Hizmet movement. Saritoprak also gave a brief outline of Turkish history, from the start of the Ottoman Empire to the founding of the Republic of Turkey.

“Muslims have to establish … not religious schools, but just regular, secular high schools,” Saritoprak said, “because [Gülen believes] mathematics is talking about God, physics is talking about God, chemistry is talking about God.”
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Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Atlantic interviews Fethullah Gulen

(Video Duration: 3 mins 13 secs)

Fethullah Gulen
Fethullah Gulen is one of the most important Muslim clerics alive today. Throughout his life, Gulen served as a model for interfaith dialogue and encouraged ideas to overcome ignorance, prejudice and misunderstanding. But, one hardly ever sees the world renowned scholar in public. Since 1999, he has been in a self-imposed exile in the Poconos. Major media networks and journalists have tried to interview him but were denied. It's a rare opportunity that Australian-born journalist Jamie Tarabay managed to secure.
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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Educational Philosophy of Gulen Movement - Asma Afsaruddin

(Video Duration: 6 mins 19 secs)

"The spread and success of the Gulen schools within and outside Turkey testifies to the efficacy of his educational philosophy which lays equal stress on the inculcation of Islamic ethical values and a sound training in the secular sciences. Gulen’s emphasis on reason wedded to faith is perfectly in accord with the spirit of the golden age of Islamic civilization with its flourishing culture and learning as well as with the spirit of our own age, as we have established. Madrasa reform in the wake of September 11 in particular is currently receiving serious attention in a number of Muslim countries and its implementation has begun in earnest in several of them. 51 In this context, the Gulen schools and their philosophy of education deserve closer attention since they are worthy of emulation in the contemporary period."
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Sunday, August 18, 2013

The Idea of Noble Goal in Gulen's Writings - Karina Korostelina

(Video Duration: 2 mins 13 secs)

"Idea of noble goal, it is very prominent in Gulen writing, but recently I found one more connection in his thinking between peace building, developing positive relations between people as a noble goal. And what is noble goal? It is usually devotion to positive transformation of the world.
If you really devout yourself for this positive transformations to become noble and people should, Gulen is telling that people should be safe with in putting this noble goal above their own aim and inspirations. What is important is that this noble goal is responsibility for common good and it is very important for humanity."
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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Turkic American Alliance Traditional Washington D.C. Iftar Dinner

(Video Duration: 1 min 39 secs)

The Turkic American Alliance in Washington, D.C. hosted a traditional iftar dinner, inviting the community to break the day's fast together. Dr. Faruk Taban, President, TAA: "That's the whole meaning of the month of Ramadan. To get together with the families and friends, even the very diverse population."
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Monday, August 12, 2013

Iftar Dinner by Turkish Cultural Center at Westchester Reform Temple

(Video Duration: 1 mins 53 secs)

It was a gathering of about 200 people July 9 at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, awaiting sunset at 8:31 p.m. when the day’s fast of Ramadan could be broken with a festive Turkish-style dinner.

Westchester Reform Temple has had a long tradition of collaboration with the Scarsdale-Hartsdale Women’s Interfaith Council and has shared numerous events with the American Muslim Women’s Association and the Turkish Cultural Council, which co-hosted the event.
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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Loreena McKennitt remarks on Fethullah Gulen

(Video Duration: 1 min 5 secs)

Loreena McKennitt expressed her appreciation of Fethullah Gulen’s ideas at Intercultural Dialogue Institute (IDI) Toronto Friendship Dinner. In her remarks, she recalled Gulen’s call for love, compassion, forgiveness and celebration of diversity for which she reaffirmed her full support.
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Saturday, August 3, 2013

Why Gulen Movement Schools are Successful - Charles Nelson

(Video Duration: 2 mins 49 secs)

"Many have been inspired by Fethullah Gülen to spend their time and wealth to establish schools of excellence. Why? It is not that he teaches something new or different. Rather, in part, it is likely due to a unique confluence of time, place, and context. In part, it is due to Fethullah Gülen himself. His stories, his moral example, and his teachings inspire others to take action, to sacrifice, and to serve humanity rather than themselves."
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