Keyword: Peacebuilding
Who wants peace?
ORHAN MİROĞLU The Hizmet movement also wants peace. And peace is of course desired by the movement’s leader, Fethullah Gülen, who has worked for so many years to see the brotherhood between Turks and Kurds improved. Words of sincerity and courage spoken by Gülen should stand as examples for the leaders of our political parties. […]
Practicing Muslims and negotiating with the Kurdists
DR. İHSAN YILMAZ The Hizmet movement has taken the lead on several sensitive issues in Turkey, ranging from democratization and the EU process to interfaith dialogue. I think it must also take the lead in supporting the peace attempts. It does not have to give a blank check to everyone and can voice its concerns, […]
Pro-Kurdish deputy welcomes Gülen’s support for peace talks
Pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputy Ahmet Türk has welcomed support of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen for the peace talks between the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the government. “View of Fethullah Gülen [on peace talks] is reasonable, welcoming,” Türk told CNN Türk TV channel in an interview on […]
Fethullah Gülen backs peace talks between government and PKK
Yet another show of support for ongoing peace talks between the Turkish government and the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has been voiced, this time from Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who said every necessary step needs to be taken, even if some of these steps might seem unnerving at first, to maintain peace in the […]
28th Abant Meeting “Diverse Perspectives on Turkey” to be held in February 2013
Turkey’s foremost civil intellectual forum, Abant Platform‘s workshop on “Diverse Perspectives on Turkey,” will be held in February 8-10, 2013 in Abant, Bolu. The Abant Platform is founded as an intellectual forum by the Journalists and Writers Foundation to promote democratic engagement for expanding social consensus and the coexistence of society’s rich cultural resources within […]
Arbil closer to İstanbul than Baghdad
ŞAHİN ALPAY My first visit to the Kurdistan region of Iraq took place a year ago, on the invitation of the University of Duhok, to participate in an international conference on the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Awakenings. Last week I was once more in the region, this time upon an invitation […]
‘Living Together’ under capital punishment
Yavuz Baydar An intensity of expectations and a fear of failure are now part of the peculiar process of Turkey’s transition towards democracy. It becomes rough and complicated, as days go by; it has hit serious snags. The heart of the matter is living together in peace and accord. When I watched a fresh manifestation […]
Coexistence Awards largely honor Turkey’s minority groups
MAHİR ZEYNALOV, İSTANBUL The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) has largely honored Turkey’s minority groups and oppressed voices with its landmark 4th Coexistence Awards in the hopes of giving a stimulus to those promoting peaceful coexistence with a sustained effort despite scarce resources. The awards ceremony attracted thousands of spectators, including officials, intellectuals and public […]
Gulen Institute Youth Platfrom announces essay contest: ‘Hospitality in the Global Village’
The Gulen Institute Youth Platform has announced its “Annual Essay Contest” topic for 2013: Hospitality in the Global Village. The Gulen Institute Youth Platform encourages all high school students from the U.S. and from around the world to participate the contest. The youth platform hopes that this essay will help young minds define problems related […]
One of his sons is with the PKK, the other is with the Gulen movement
As PKK terrorist organization burns the schools in southeastern Turkey, the question “Where is the Government?” has arisen. A father’s school preference for his son, located in the city of Batman has started a debate. The remarks of a father, who has a son with the PKK terrorist organization and another son in Gulen movement […]
Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right
Dr. Brian L. Desbiens* As kids, our parents told us: “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” So it is with confusion and sadness that I read about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi and the death of Ambassador Stevens. The violence was allegedly carried out in reaction to the airing of an American […]
Hizmet Movement NGOs from 80 nations share intercultural experiences at GYV meeting
İPEK ÜZÜM, İSTANBUL Representatives of Turkish-run nongovernmental organizations from 80 countries, established by people inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen’s teachings, have shared their experiences of intercultural and interfaith dialogue during a three-day meeting organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV). İstanbul hosted the “Second* International Experience Sharing Conference of Coexistence,” attended by […]
Filling in for Missing Pieces: Peacebuilding Through Education
The Fountain Magazine and the Peace Islands Institute (PII) recently organized an international conference titled “Peacebuilding Through Education: Challenges, Opportunities, Cases”. The conference featured prominent experts and policy maker from across the world. Hakan Yeşilova, the editor-in-chief of Fountain Magazine, made the welcoming speech. Below is his speech. Honorary Ministers, academics, guests: Good morning and […]
It is not fair to tar 1.8 billion for actions of a few
We, the undersigned members of the Auburn Ministerial Association, wish to disassociate ourselves from the remarks made by the Rev. Rudy Tidwell about Islam and Muslims in the Sept. 20 edition of The Auburn-Opelika News for these reasons: Any religion that demands its members to pray five times a day and to fast for an […]
