(1878-1960 CE)—has gone on to become a global phenomenon in his own right. His popularity and authority in Turkey has been the driving force of the movement that is widely thought to have brought about the social and eventually political changes of
which politician Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been the ultimate heir—that is the enfranchisement of Muslim politics in Turkey. Despite his peaceful means of preaching and community organization, Gülen is hated by the secularist establishment in Turkey and has been living in the US since 1999.
Humanitarian Reformer
Gülen and his followers have devoted considerable energy in recent years on interreligious dialogue with tens of interfaith centers in Europe and the US being opened to foster better relations across faiths. He also is the head of a series of socially oriented philanthropic efforts. His teaching underscores that there are no material shortages in the world, and that there is no justification for starvation. He has established many charities to distribute wealth to the needy.
Catalyst for Educational Change
When he began preaching in Izmir—in his youth—a network of pupils began to unite
around his teachings—as a 'social movement' inspired by Gülen's example. This movement has culminated in the development of around 300 schools in Turkey and hundreds more worldwide. Graduates from these private schools around the world are coached in ethics and philosophy that are inspired by his teachings, and continue to take top honors in university placement tests.
Influence in the Media
The movement has opened hospitals and charities, but also a TV and radio station, as well as a bank—Asya Finans—that operates on Islamic principles. Gülen also has two major mass-circulation daily Turkish newspapers that are affiliated with his movement: ‘Zaman’ and the English-language ‘Today's Zaman’. The network has also initiated a Journalists and Writers Foundation and a Teachers Foundation—providing an umbrella organization for a host of dialogue groups and charitable organizations.
Thinker
Gülen is one of the most important thinkers and writers from Turkey, and among the
most effective activists in twentieth-century Turkey. The Gülen movement is one of
the best connected and therefore most powerful of the networks that are competing to influence Muslims around the globe, making it likely to have an enduring impact on the modernization of Islam and its engagement with Western ideas.
Source: The 500 Most Influential Muslims 2009
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