| Full name | M. Fethullah Gülen |
|---|---|
| Born | Erzurum, Turkey |
| Era | Modern era |
| Region | Muslim scholar |
| School | Hanafi |
| Main interests | Sufism, classical Islamic thought, education, interfaith dialogue |
| Notable ideas | service (hizmet); interfaith dialogue; civil society |
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M. Fethullah Gülen is a Turkish preacher, author, and educator living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania (USA).
Gülen teaches a moderate version of Sunni / Hanafi Islam, deriving from that of Said Nursi's teachings and modernizing them. Gülen condemns terrorism,[1] supports interfaith dialogue, and has initiated such dialogue with the Vatican and some Jewish organisations.[2]
In the Turkish context, however, Gülen appears relatively conservative and religiously observant. For example, he supports that women veil themselves,[3] and his female followers usually do wear headscarves.[4]
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Gülen was born in the village of Korucuk, near Erzurum. His father, Ramiz Gülen, was an imam. Gülen started primary education at his home village, but did not continue after his family moved, and instead focused on informal Islamic education.[5] He gave his first sermon when he was 14.[6] He was influenced by the ideas of Said Nursi and Maulana Jalaluddeen Rumi.[7]
In 1959 he was awarded a state preacher's license in Edirne. In 1966 he was transferred to a post in İzmir. It was here that Gülen's recurring themes—these included education, science, the economy and social justice--began to crystallize and his audience base began to expand. He also traveled around the provinces in Anatolia and gave sermons in mosques, town meetings and coffee houses among other places.
Gülen never met Said Nursi, who died in 1960. By the end of the 1970s Gülen broke ranks with the mainstream Nurcu movement (or Nur movement, i.e., the group following Nursi), which was governed by a council of elders, and created his own institutions in which he was the sole leader. Comparing Gülen to leaders in the Nur movement, Hakan Yavuz said, "Gülen is more Turkish nationalist in his thinking. Also, he is somewhat more state-oriented, and is more concerned with market economics and neo-liberal economic policies."[8]
His pro-business stance has led some outsiders to dub his theology an Islamic version of Calvinism.[9] Oxford Analytica says:
Gülen retired from formal preaching duties in 1981. From 1988 to 1991 he gave a series of sermons in popular mosques of major cities. These activities elevated him to a public figure. In 1994, he participated in the founding of "Journalists and Writers Foundation"[11] and was given the title "Honorary President" by the foundation.[12] He did not make any comment regarding the closures of the Welfare Party in 1998 [3] or the Virtue Party in 2001.[13] He has met some politicians like Tansu Çiller and Bülent Ecevit, but he avoids meeting with the leaders of Islamic political parties.[14]
In 1998 Gülen emigrated to the United States, ostensibly for health problems (he suffers from diabetes) but arguably in anticipation of being tried over remarks which seemed to favor an Islamic state.[15] In June 1999, after Gulen had left Turkey for the United States video tapes were sent to TV stations in Turkey with recordings of Gulen saying, "the existing system is still in power. Our friends who have positions in legislative and administrative bodies should learn its details and be vigilant all the time so that they can transform it and be more fruitful on behalf of Islam in order to carry out a nationwide restoration. However, they should wait until the conditions become more favorable. In other words, they should not come out too early."[16] Gülen complained that the remarks were taken out of context, [17] and questions were raised about the authenticity of the tape, which he accused of having been "manipulated." Gülen was tried in absentia in 2000, and acquitted in 2006. [18] The Supreme Court of Appeals later rejected an appeal by the Chief Prosecutor's Office.[19]
Gülen does not advocate a new theology but refers to classical authorities of theology and takes up their line of argument; his understanding of Islam is thus conservative and mainstream.[20][21] Though he has never been a member of a Sufi tarekat and does not see tarekat membership as a necessity for Muslims, he teaches that Sufism is the inner dimension of Islam and the inner and outer dimensions must never be separated.[22] His teachings differ in emphasis from those of other mainstream, moderate Islamic scholars in two respects, both based on his interpretations of particular verses of the Qur'an: he teaches that the Muslim community has a duty of service (Turkish: hizmet)[23] to the “common good” of the community and the nation [24] and to Muslims and non-Muslims all over the world [25]; also, the Muslim community is obliged to conduct interfaith dialogue with the "People of the Book" (Jews and Christians).[26]
Gülen has roundly condemned terrorism using Islamic reasoning, but in 2004 debate arose over comments by Gülen to the effect that terrorism was as despicable as atheism.[27] In a follow-up interview he explained he did not intend to equate atheists and murderers; rather, he wanted to highlight the fact that according to Islam both were destined to suffer eternal punishment.[28]
Gülen's teachings about hizmet (altruistic service to the "common good") have attracted a large number of supporters in Turkey and Central Asia and increasingly in other parts of the world. These supporters and their activities are commonly known as the Gülen Movement.
Gulen movement participants have founded a number of institutions across the world which promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue activities. While Gülen's earlier works are (in Bekim Agai's words) "full of anti-missionary and anti-Western passages" [29], during the 1990s he began to advocate interreligious tolerance and dialogue.[2] He personally met with leaders of other religions, including Pope John Paul II, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomeos, and Israeli Sephardic Head Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron.[30]
Similar to Said Nursi, Gülen favors cooperation between followers of different religions (this would also include different forms of Islam, such as Sunnism vs. Alevism in Turkey) as well as religious and secular elements within society. He has been described as "very critical of the regimes in Iran and Saudi Arabia" due to their undemocratic, sharia-based systems of government.[3]
According to Aras and Caha, Gülen's views on women are "progressive" but "modern professional women in Turkey still find his ideas far from acceptable." [3] Gülen says the coming of Islam "saved" women, who "were absolutely not confined to their home and...never oppressed" in the early years of the religion. He feels that western-style feminism, however, is "doomed to imbalance like all other reactionary movements...being full of hatred towards men."[31]
Mr. Gülen criticized the Turkish-led flotilla for trying to deliver aid without Israel's consent. He spoke of watching the news coverage of the deadly confrontation between Israeli commandos and Turkish aid group members as its flotilla approached Israel's sea blockade of Gaza. "What I saw was not pretty," he said. "It was ugly.". He continued his criticism. The "organizers' failure to seek accord with Israel before attempting to deliver aid "is a sign of defying authority, and will not lead to fruitful matters." [32]
Gülen has authored over 60 books [33] and many articles on a variety of topics: social, political and religious issues, art, science and sports, and recorded thousands of audio and video cassettes. He contributes to a number of journals and magazines owned by his followers. He writes the lead article for the Fountain, Yeni Ümit, Sızıntı, and Yağmur, Islamic and philosophical magazines. Several of his books have been translated into English (see: Books by Gülen Books on Gülen and the Gülen Movement).