Annabel Hertz on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement

(Video Duration: 3 min 15 secs) 

Annabel Hertz, the author of Seeing Green, shares her reflections on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement. Herzt points to Gulen’s humility, as a role model, and his messages regarding openness,
tolerance and community that resonate beyond religious orientation and find a home among a wide ranging audience from diverse faiths. She further touches on Hizmet’s role in revitalizing education and enriching the state’s efforts for social services, cohesion and education.

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Salman Al-Ouda speaks on Hizmet Movement and Fethullah Gulen

(Video Duration: 2 min 57 secs)

Saudi scholar Salman al-Ouda reflects on his latest visit to Turkey during which he had the opportunity to explore the Hizmet Movement in its native country. Al-Ouda is very much impressed with Fethullah Gulen’s teachings and the Hizmet spirit that he believes to be what the Muslim world is in need of.

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Dr. Conway on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet

(Video Duration: 3 min 46 secs)

Dr. Trudy Conway, professor of philosophy at Mount Saint Mary's University, Maryland, spoke to Rumi Forum on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet (popularly known as Gulen Movement.)

“What I am most impressed by is the extent to which his teachings have been appropriated in the lives of people who are very devoted to the principles and truths he espouses.”

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Leo Lefebure on Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement

(Video Duration: 4 mins 10 secs)

Prof. Leo Lefebure of Georgetown University shared his views of the Gulen Movement, in the light of his experiences with the movement’s participants in multiple countries, namely Australia, India and Turkey. Among all, one aspect of the movement he has been particularly impressed with is its emphasis on high quality education along with  efforts to make it available to those who, otherwise, wouldn’t be able to afford it. Second was the generosity of Hizmet (Gulen Movement) participants, which Lefebure has witnessed in person.

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David Newton of Middle East Institute speaks on Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement

(Video Duration: 1 min 45 secs)

Former United States Ambassador to Iraq and Yemen, David Newton of Middle East Institute, speaks on Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement. With a particular focus on his experiences during his post in the Arab region, Newton points to the need for a modern interpretation of Islam, which can be addressed by the initiatives of the Gulen Movement that are well underway in the region and worldwide. Newton is in the hope that the region can benefit the ideas of Fethullah Gulen which encourage service in the name of education, modernism and science, for good.

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Dr. Stuart remarks on Gulen Movement

(Video Duration: 8 mins 57 secs)

Dr. William Taft Stuart shares his testimonial after the intercultural and dialogue trip to Turkey, under the auspices of the Gulen Movement-affiliated Rumi Forum. Wearing two hats as a tourist and scholar alternately, Dr. Stuart presents his firsthand experiences with the movement during and prior to the trip and shares his conclusions he has arrived with respect to the movement.

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Don Wallace on Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement

(Video Duration: 1 min 18 secs)

Attorney Don Wallace, Chairman of the International Law Institute in Washington, D.C. and professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center speaks on Fethullah Gulen’s secular, as he puts it, approach to life which he admires. He additionally touches on Gulen’s belief that Islam should go hand in hand with science and reason.

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JWF shared its experiences on interfaith cooperation at UN

Here you can find the full speech of Mr. Hüseyin Hurmalı (Secretary General of Journalists and Writers Foundation's Abant Platform) at United Nations High Level Meeting in the Culture of Peace: “The role of interfaith cooperation in promoting a global Culture of Peace"

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Ori Soltes on Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement

(Video Duration : 5 mins. 49 secs.)

In parallel with his recent book “Embracing the World: Fethullah Gulen's Thought and Its Relationship with Jalaluddin Rumi and Others”, the professor Ori Soltes reflects on the Sufi aspects of the motive behind Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen movement’s activities. Parenthetically, the book not only explores the Sufism in thought but its practical implications in a broad context through action-based initiatives he has inspired.

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Fethullah Gulen & Gulen Movement on Global Peace - Symposium in Uganda

(Video Duration: 5 mins. 59 secs.)

On May 28, 2011, a two-session symposium titled “Fethullah Gulen and Global Peace” took place at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Uganda. Contribution of the Hizmet Movement and Fethullah Gulen to World Peace was the main theme of the symposium, a Nile Dialogue Platform event. The first was a discussion session on interfaith dialogue and tolerance followed by an in-depth analysis of the role of Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet (Gulen Movement) in promoting global peace. The second session was a dialogue dinner featuring reflections and remarks that the organization stimulated. Throughout both sessions, numerous academics, intellectuals and officials representing a wide range of faiths and institutions shared their remarks on the symposium with respect to the movement’s overall idea and role in peacemaking.

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Fethullah Gulen's Philosophy Gives Rise to Peace and Understanding

(Video Duration: 4 mins. 40 secs.)

Betsy Carr

A member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Betsy B. Carr speaks at the Rumi Forum and ATFA 2012 Dialogue Dinner to which a diverse group of guests including elected officials, leaders and representatives from faith communities, business, media and academia attended on November 28, 2012 at the Marriott Hotel in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

Highlighting the importance of the ideas and work of Fethullah Gulen, Delegate Carr later mentioned her trip to Turkey which "remains one of the most memorable and profound experiences not only of [her] ten-year legislation but of [her] entire life:"

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Fethullah Gulen & Peacebuilding: Gulen Movement builds Peace through Education and Dialogue

(Video Duration: 8 mins. 22 secs. )

Eileen Eppig, Ph.D.

Prof. Eileen Eppig of College of Notre Dame speaks on the contributions of Fethullah Gulen to peacebuilding at the 5th Annual Dialogue Dinner with the theme Peace Through Education and Dialogue, held by Marti in Pikesville, Maryland on Nov. 29, 2012:

Starting her remarks with reciting the opening chapter from the Qur'an, Dr. Eppig stated that "peace is something that we all desire" and that Fethullah Gulen "is a wonderful Turkish example":

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Fethullah Gulen - Remarks by Ambassador David Newton

(Video Duration: 35 secs.)

Amb. David Newton

David Newton, Former US Ambassador to Iraq (1984-88) and Yemen (1994-97) with a 36 year diplomatic career, was interviewed at traditional Rumi Forum* Peace and Dialogue Awards ceremony held in Washington, on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Praising the contributions of the Rumi Forum, Amb. Newton emphasized the need for mutual understanding and peaceful dialogue:

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Fethullah Gulen & Gulen Movement - Remarks by Prof. Greg Barton

(Video Duration: 1 min. 1 sec.)

Greg Barton, Ph.D.

Dr. Greg Barton: "If we want to understand the business dynamics of the Gulen Movement enterprises, so called the Hizmet enterprises, we want to look at the model of the Nobel Prize winner Muhammed Yunus. He says: 'we start businesses deliberately so meet social need, it is not to make money, these are not-for-profit businesses, but we're trying to have social engagement work in a self-sustaining fashion; so the businesses pay for themselves and keep on expanding'. I think, with the Hizmet schools, we see something strikingly similar..."

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Tanzanian Education Minister appreciates Turkish schools

(Video Duration: 2 mins. 46 secs.)

Shukuru Jumanne Kawambwa, Ph.D.

Tanzanian Education Minister Shukuru Jumanne Kawambwa shares his remarks at the conference, Peacebuilding Through Education, held in New York on Sep. 24. The minister praises the contributions of Turkish schools to Tanzanian people education.

The minister states that the Feza Schools contribute to the peaceful coexistence in the country, and elaborates on their mission and vision:

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Boyd: Fethullah Gulen describes how Islam may contribute to democratization

(Video Duration: 46 secs.)

Tom W. Boyd, Ph.D.

Dr. Tom W. Boyd: "Gulen makes a serious statement about how democratization process, which is inevitable, can be contributed to by Islam, if Islam would carefully reinterpret its own self understanding... He is fairly critical of Islam from an insiders position, but he is critical in a creative way; nothing destructive at all..."

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Fethullah Gulen & Gulen Movement - Remarks by Prof. Robert A. Pape

(Video Duration: 43 secs.)

Robert A. Pape, Ph.D.

Prof. Robert A. Pape: "I think that the position of Mr. Gulen is an important antidote to the kind of fear that has emerged in the era of terrorism... What Mr. Gulen is doing and what the Gulen Movement is doing is working against the restriction of civil liberties. Just sort of build tolerance in an era when we need it most."

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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.

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There is so much to write about the Hizmet Movement

(Video Duration: 3 mins. 41 secs.)

Karen Fontenot, Ph.D.

Dr. Karen Fontenot* speaking at the dinner reception of the conference Mapping the Gülen Movement: A Multidimensional Approach in Amsterdam, October 7, 2010:

“This was one of the most informative and provocative and useful conferences on the issue I have been to up to date. I’ve been involved in the movement since 2005, and I’m fortunate to live with my coauthor, my husband Dr. Michael Fontenot, and we were asked to present a paper at that conference in 2005 at Rice University. After we were finished, I told Mike: ‘This was such an interesting topic, it’s a shame there is nothing more to write about.’ Well five years ago, we were just finding out we just hit the surface.

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Gulen Movement shows extraordinarily good examples of how to treat "others"

(Video Duration: 57 secs.)

Prof. Henning Bech

Organized by Finland Dialog Association and The Fountain, a bimonthly US-based periodical, Culture of Coexistence: The Art of Living Together seminar took place April 24, 2012 under the auspices of the Finland Ministry of Culture and Sports.

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