Fethullah Gulen (1941 – 2024)

Fethullah Gulen was an Islamic scholar, preacher, and social advocate whose decades-long commitment to education, altruistic community service, and interfaith harmony has inspired millions in Turkey and worldwide. Described as one of the world’s most influential Muslim figures, Gulen has reinterpreted aspects of Islamic tradition to meet the needs of contemporary Muslims. He has dedicated his life to interfaith and intercultural dialogue, community service, and providing access to quality education. He was the first influential Muslim public figure to condemn the 9/11 attacks publicly and express sympathy for the American people.

Born into a humble family in Erzurum, Turkey, in 1941, Gulen studied natural science, Eastern and Western philosophy, and Islamic tradition in his early years. He moved to Edirne in the late 1950s and to Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest province, in the 1960s, where he started to crystallize his views. His activism and discourse attracted the attention of learned citizens, including the academic community college students and common people. From mosques to conference halls, Gulen discussed issues ranging from religion, peace, education, and science to the economy and other pressing social issues, especially social justice.

In the following two decades, Gulen’s efforts in mobilizing fellow citizens around the cause of providing access to quality education, which had long been available to the wealthier students from urban centers, made him one of the best-known and respected figures in Turkey. By inspiring the establishment of scholarships, free tutoring centers, college prep courses, schools, and student hostels, Gulen gave disenfranchised rural students access to education, helping transform Turkey’s social landscape.

In the last two decades, Hizmet participants have expanded education opportunities around the world — from Central Asia to South Africa, from Australia to the Balkans— building schools, dormitories, and tutoring centers teaching college preparatory courses, mentoring students, and providing financial aid to those in need.

The private, non-sectarian schools founded by Hizmet participants focus on science, math, literature, and multicultural understanding, and many of their students have won significant international math and science competitions. In conflict-ridden regions of the Philippines, Macedonia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia, hundreds of Hizmet schools have become bastions of inter-religious and interethnic harmony.

Gulen has also advocated for women’s education and empowerment, a progressive view that contrasts the views of more literalist Islamic leaders.

Hospitals built by Hizmet’s supporters have provided affordable access to quality health care, while volunteer doctors brought free medical care to areas in desperate need. A significant relief organization within the Hizmet initiative has mobilized thousands of volunteers and millions of dollars to aid disaster victims in Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa.

Gulen rejuvenated the Turkish tradition of interfaith dialogue and strongly advocated pro-democracy, equal opportunity, pro-science, and non-violent stances. One of the core tenets of his teachings is the celebration of religious, cultural, social, and political diversity. According to him, Gulen considers this diversity divine will: “You must have a seat for every person in your heart.”

Gulen’s lifelong work on interfaith cooperation has earned him recognition from Christian and Jewish leaders in his homeland, Turkey, and a personal audience with the late Pope John Paul II. He also received the New York-based East-West Institute’s 2011 peace award. His efforts have also been praised by other global leaders who recognize his vital role in fostering mutual understanding and peace and his leadership in humanitarian initiatives. In 2008, Gulen was among the top 100 in Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines’ joint poll of the “Top 100 Public Intellectuals.” In April 2015, he was awarded the 2015 Gandhi King Ikeda Peace Award by Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Morehouse College in recognition of his lifelong dedication to promoting peace and human rights.

Fethullah Gulen passed away on October 20, 2024, in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. His legacy endures in the global network of schools, humanitarian and relief work, and dialogue initiatives inspired by his vision for a more compassionate and peaceful world.

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