Encyclopedia of Islam

Gülen, Fethullah

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meetings with high government officials in Tur-

key and was instrumental in the establishment of 

the Journalists and Writers Foundation in 1994. 

He also gained the attention of the international 

media due to his involvement in Turkish politics 

and his endorsement of 

democracy

, pluralism, 

and interreligious 

dialogUe

. His outreach to other 

religious communities is evident in the meet-

ings he has held with leading representatives of 

Turkey’s Jewish and Christian communities and 

his audience with Pope John Paul II in 1998. He is 

credited with having written more than 60 books, 

mostly in Turkish, published frequent journal and 

magazine articles, and recorded many audio and 

video cassettes.

Gülen has performed the 

haJJ

 several times 

since his first visit to m

ecca

 in 1968. He has also 

visited Europe and the U

nited

  s

tates

, where he 

has lived since 1999. He receives medical care 

there but continues to serve as an inspiration for 

his followers in Turkey and around the world. He 

has taken a strong stand against radical i

slamism

.

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, 

attacks in the United States, he issued a statement 

to the media declaring, “Terror can never be used 

in the name of Islam or for the sake of any Islamic 

ends. A Muslim can only be the representative and 

symbol of peace, welfare, and prosperity” (Gülen, 

2002).

The Gülen movement (also known as the 

Fethullahcilar) has achieved remarkable advances 

since the 1990s. It has established 250 schools in 

Turkey, southeastern Europe, Turkic parts of Cen-

tral Asia, and other parts of the world. The curri-

cula of the movement’s schools, which enroll large 

numbers of children from rural and working-class 

backgrounds, emphasize a progressive attitude to 

modernity and religion with the objective of mak-

ing the world a better place for all. In 1997, the 

movement opened Fatih University, a private uni-

versity on the outskirts of i

stanbUl

, which has fac-

ulties in the humanities, social sciences, business, 

sciences, engineering, and vocational studies. A 

branch in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, has schools 

of medicine, nursing, and vocational studies. The 

movement’s members have opened centers in 

several American cities, where they conduct inter-

faith activities, lectures, conferences, and Turkish 

cultural programs. Many of the movement’s male 

members, who call each other “brother” (abi), are 

involved in international education, business, and 

professional careers. W

omen

 in the movement, 

who typically wear headscarves, are well educated 

and play visible and active roles in community 

life. It also operates Zaman (Time), a leading 

Turkish newspaper, and a satellite television sta-

tion that produces educational and entertainment 

programming in Turkish that reflects Gülen’s reli-

gious and ethical ideals.

See also 

daawa

; 

reneWal

 

and

 

reForm

 

move

-

ments

; 

secUlarism

.