The Vision and Impact of Fethullah Gulen

Description

Fethullah Gulen, who has been a household name in modern Turkey for several decades, has become something of a center of gravity for millions of people from all walks of life throughout the world. Gulen’s discourse is full of compassion for all with a deep concern for the whole of humankind as a prolific writer, public speaker and poet over a period of five decades. Aiming to expand the modern social space for selfless love and sacrifice for all humanity, Gulen has dedicated his entire life to developing a better, more humane society for all without benefitting from any tangible or intangible return of the activities of the Gulen movement throughout the world.

This work illustrates the ways in which Gulen and the supporters of the movement inspired by him have presented a new kind of social activism coupled with a deeper sense of spirituality and altruism that has been missing from many contemporary civic movements. It puts forth thoroughly the efforts of Gulen and his ardent supporters in trying to balance spiritual life and social activism in order to inspire people from every segment of society to make self sacrifices for the welfare of the complete cross section of societies all over the world.

This book shows the distinct, transnational voice of Gulen in regards to political and religious discourse. Detached from any political affiliation and critical of all kinds of extremism, Gulen has always advocated the path of moderation, honesty, and sincerity in order to protect the interests of the general public, irrespective of the cultural, racial, or national background and the religious practice of particular groups of people. The intellectual and spiritual undertaking Gulen and his supporters pursue through the social and educational activities knows no border of national, social, or ethnic identity, but indeed addresses the problem of hollowness in religious beliefs that lack action plans in life as well as the problem of modernity
accompanied by extreme selfishness and vulgar consumerism. The project is a grandiose one, and with it Gulen has evolved as a social reformer of a special kind, whose work continues to have a global impact.

Maimul Ahsan Khan is a professor of law at the University of Dhaka. Dr. Ahsan Khan has lectured extensively in the US and Bangladesh and authored many articles and books in the English, Russian, and Bengali languages.