Fethullah Gülen on Islam and ‘Global’ Contemporary Issues

Book: No Return from Democracy: A Survey of Interviews with Fethullah Gülen

Author: Faruk Mercan,

   

Publisher: Clifton, NJ: Blue Dome Press, 2017

Pages: 238

Fethullah Gülen (b. 1941)—a Turkish preacher, writer, and a political figure, presently living in Pennsylvania, USA—is well-known for his movement ‘Hizmet’ (literally ‘service’) or ‘Gülen Movement’. Gülen is a ‘controversial’ writer/ activist as far as his stand/ position vis-à-vis Turkish government, state and society is concerned; this has been seen from the 1990s when he came to the limelight through his preaching and writings, and it has worsened due to the 15th July 2016 coup (known as ‘2016 Turkish coup d’état’) and the controversy that evolved in its aftermath. But as a writer, he has been dealing with diverse issues of contemporary relevance.

The present book—solely based on the surveys of the interviews of Gülen from 1990s to present—highlights the reflections of Gülen on some hotly debated global and (regional) issues. Edited by Faruk Mercan (a journalist and author of the works on Turkish politics and military-state relations) the book consists of 11 chapters, an ‘Introduction’ (pp. 1-8), and an ‘Appendix’ (pp. 219-238), covering the write-ups of Gülen which were published in 2016 related to politics, terrorism, etc. The topics included in this book range from Islam and its relationship with democracy to his thoughts on “modernity and secularism, Western civilization and values, politics, fundamental human rights and freedoms, Islam and women, dialogue and coexistence, terrorism and jihad, the Kurdish issue, Alevi-Sunni divide, and minorities and their rights” (pp. 1, 8). The book thus highlights some global contemporary issues, in which Islam and democracy acts “as a cornerstone of the book” (p.8).

Through these topics, one becomes aware of how Gülen perceives and observes these crucial issues; what he thinks and writes about them; and above all “What kind of a world does Gülen desire?” (p.8). It, thus, ‘invites the reader’ “to journey through the horizons of all that Gülen has said [in his interviews] in relation to these issues over more than two decades” (p. 8). As the book deals with different topics, so it will be apt to comment on some global issues, like Islam and Democracy, -Modernity/ Secularism, -Women’s Rights, etc.

For instance, on reconciling ‘Islam and Democracy’ (pp. 11-41)—an issue that forms the ‘cornerstone of the book’ (p. 8)—Gülen is of the opinion (right from 1990s) that “It is wrong to see Islam as conflicting with democracy” because values and principles like “Consultation, justice, freedom of religion, protection of the rights of the individual and minorities” are espoused by both (pp. 13-14, 16). Calling it either “religious democracy” (p. 13) or “Muslim democracy” (p. 14), for him democracy is not “opposed to the spirit of Islam”, (p. 22). A staunch believer of “no turning back from democracy” (pp. 13, 16), he is of the opinion that it is our responsibility to “expand and humanize democracy” on positive values and principles and develop it into “an ideal democracy” (p. 41).

On the relationship of ‘Modernity and Secularism’ with Islam (pp. 45-56), the editor claims that “Gülen is perhaps the first scholar in the Islamic world to argue that Muslims do not have any problem with modernity and laicism”: French model/ form of secularism (p. 46). Arguing that secularism has existed in Turkey since years, Gülen makes differences and distinction between ‘Secularism’ and ‘Laicism’. For him, ‘Secularism’ means ‘worldliness’ and ‘laicism’ means that “Religious Affairs do not meddle in worldly life, [and] the administration does not interfere in religious life” or it signifies ‘separation of state and religion’; but secularism is understood (in Turkey or elsewhere) as ‘irreligiousness’ or ‘la dini, or non-religious’, and “is often confused with laicism” (pp. 45, 46, 47, 50, 51).

Similarly, on the (controversial/ hotly debated)issues—like women’s political rights, headscarf, polygamy, etc.—related to the topic ‘Islam and Women’ (pp. 121-132), Gülen is of the opinion that both men and women are equal and can be head of the state: “a woman has no difference from a man in enjoying the rights of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom to own and use property as they like, [and] equality before the law” (p. 122, cf. p. 130); she is “free and independent before the law” (p. 122) and can take different roles: they can become not only ‘an administrator’ or ‘a judge’ (p. 121) but ‘magistrates and heads of states’ as well as ‘a soldier or a doctor’ (p. 129) on the condition that “she conforms to religious sensitivities” (p. 127). On polygamy he says that “having more than one wife is not Islamic law, and is not a religious obligation” (p. 126).

Similarly, on issues like Islam and West/ Western civilization, Inter-faith dialogue, Jihad/ terrorism, rights and freedoms, etc., he holds views of a ‘moderate’ scholar.

By this work, one comes to know about Gülen and his status as a writer, thinker, and his approach and methodology on some global issues. Though Gülen is considered as a ‘controversial’ writer and activist in Turkey, but as a writer, dealing with diverse issues of contemporary relevance, the book makes a good contribution.

The editor also deserves applause for his painstaking efforts in collecting the interviews of more than two decades, for contextualizing them, bringing continuity in them, and relating them with the present scenario. Keeping aside the differences and controversies, No Return from Democracy, in sum, helps us in understanding, very clearly, the stand and views of Gülen on some critical, crucial, and contemporary issues faced by Muslims globally.

The author is Assistant Professor, Islamic Studies, at GDC Pulwama, Kashmir. 

tauseef.parray21@gmail.com 

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