Jihad Turk on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement


Date posted: September 22, 2014

Jihad Turk, a founding Board Member of Claremont Lincoln University, has been instrumental in the establishment of Bayan Claremont, a graduate school designed to train Muslim scholars and religious leaders. He previously served as the Director of Religious Affairs at the Islamic Center of Southern California. His current interests include Islamic Law, interfaith relations, Islamic reform movements, and community leadership and development with a focus on youth.

In his speech, Turk focuses primarily on the ways he feels that the Hizmet Movement is contributing to today’s Muslim world and culture. He says, “As we are a minority that is misunderstood here, the efforts of the Hizmet Movement and Fethullah Gulen to help Muslims here and around the world to speak in our own voice, as opposed to being represented or misrepresented in the media, is something that we benefit from tremendously.”

Commenting on the state of Muslims today, he notes, “[as Muslims] we feel like we’re victims because of the oppression here … we have a victim mentality, that we have nothing to offer and we just kind of sit and pour and really have no hope. But, in [Hizmet Movement] there’s a focus, instead of on what’s going wrong with the Muslim world, what’s going wrong with humanity, the position and the posture is one of, “what can we do as Muslims to help make the world a better place.”

*Produced by Spectra Media exclusively for Irmak TV, Atlas of Thoughts (Fikir Atlasi) connects the scholars, politicians, jurists, religious figures, journalists, and academics reflecting on Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement with the audience. Each episode features a person from a different segment of the society with diverse experiences regarding the Hizmet activities and its volunteers. If you are interested to hear about the Hizmet and Mr. Gulen from these people’s perspectives, do not miss this show!

Source: Spectra Media

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Ankara assassination: Why Erdogan blames the Gulenists and ignores the jihadists

Ironically, Erdogan finds it more expedient to blame Hizmet, rather than Daesh (IS), for the jihadist atrocities being consistently perpetrated in Turkey today. Thus, the Turkish Islamist president has got a scapegoat following all terror incidents of jihadist nature or other internal crisis engulfing the country.

Why Gülen movement teachings attractive to followers?

The Gülen Movement arose among pious men and women who wanted a modern interpretation of religion. In the dynamics of the transformation of the movement, the social milieu also played an important role. The movement became a spiritual refuge for those who searched for an interpretation where Islam was in harmony with modernity. The followers of the Gülen Movement do not describe themselves as a political movement.

Al Gore’s daughter fasted for the first time for Peace Islands Institute’s iftar dinner

Iftar dinner (breaking of fast), which was held in Columbia University, brought together numerous prominent members of the community. The event, organized by Peace Islands Institute (PII), New York Interfaith Center and Columbia University Religious Studies Department, hosted former US Vice President Al Gore’s daughter Karenna Gore and one of the Indonesia’s prominent religious figures, Imam Semsi Ali.

US professor urges Washington not to extradite Gülen to Turkey

An American professor from Columbia University has urged Washington not to extradite Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen to Turkey, noting that attacks on Gülen are part of a pattern to silence dissent.

President emphasizes importance of domestic peace for development

President Abdullah Gül has underlined the importance of domestic peace for Turkey to keep up its development, noting that the country should not waste its energy by focusing on “unnecessary rumors,” an almost open reference to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s defamation campaign targeting the Hizmet movement, a volunteer-based grassroots movement inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Fethullah Gülen Offers Antidote For Terror

Fethullah Gülen responds as the voice of an intellect, in the name of Islam, to those who engage in brutal terrorist acts. His response is crucially important. Gülen presents a recommendation of culture based on tolerance. Thus far, the war against terrorism has been waged through the obstruction of terrorist activities, spearheaded by security units. It is impossible for Western countries to do more.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Turkish community in Springfield area to host Turkish bazaar, conference

Hizmet’s Relations with Other Muslim Communities in the United States

Lawmakers from various countries call for better protection of female refugees

Gülen: Smear campaign targets those promoting Turkish culture

Exiled cleric Gulen explains why he thinks Erdogan has branded him a terrorist

Turkish NGO sends aid to Syrians

PBS airs story on Gülen movement

Copyright 2025 Insightful Neighbor