Alevi Respect to Gülen
Cem Foundation President Izzettin Dogan has recently given a statement favoring dialogue and conciliation at a time when many people are gripped by the hands of conflict and confrontation.
In an interview with Mine Senocakli from the Vatan daily, Senocakli asked and Dogan answered as such:
It is said that you have close relations with Fethullah Gülen…
I know Fethullah Gülen. He is a person that I respect. I see him as a thinker and a philosopher who is interested in Islamic issues. We have met several times and he has visited me. He has made positive contributions to the construction of cemevis [Alevi places of worship]. As you might remember, years ago, he said, "Cemevis should be constructed next to mosques." This is a considerably important statement. In addition, he is open to discussion. In this regard, I never had any doubts about Gülen's ideas. Indeed, this is our most fundamental mistake. What is wrong with speaking with Gülen, with being friends with him? Rather, man communicates with each other by speaking. It is wrong to portray him as a bogeyman. Gülen is a wise and knowledgeable man in his field. This is so although I do not agree with his ideas. Think about Nazim Hikmet. You might not love Hikmet for being Marxists or a communist. But can you deny the fact Hikmet is a great poet? What happened? He died abroad. We still cannot bring his remains to Turkey. Turkey should move beyond such things.
Are you saying that what was done to Nazim Hikmet should not be done to Fethullah Gülen?
Yes, certainly. We should be more tolerant of Gülen and his coming to Turkey.
Some Alevi associations protested Dogan's comments, arguing that Hikmet and Gülen are worlds apart. This should not be regarded as strange. Ideological stances, refusing in advance any attempt toward dialogue and a lack of proper knowledge about Gülen tend to strengthen prejudices.Being a Sunni scholar, Gülen has the courage to lend open support to Alevis. Since 1995 he has been an avid advocate of cemevis. His latest book, Vuslat Muştusu (Good News of Reunion), starts with the responses to the Sunni misconception about a so-called immoral tradition, known as "mum söndü" (the candle went out). Mr. Gülen indicates that this is slander, fabricated with an ulterior motive of creating enmity between Sunnis and Alevis. He suggests that all Sunnis should strongly refute this slander. "Fabricating such slander, ignoring the chastity of these people who take pains in controlling temptations, is an evil thing not acceptable in humanity, let alone Islam," he says.
Gülen considers it vitally important for the strengthening of internal peace and brotherhood in the country to embrace Alevi citizens and he therefore stresses the importance of cemevis. He suggests that written culture should be adopted instead of oral culture and libraries and cultural centers should be established within cemevis.
There is a saying, "Force will spoil the game." In democracies, it is dialogue, tolerance and conciliation that will spoil all plots. Only with tolerance can we render ineffective the plans to create conflict between Turks and Kurds or between Sunnis and Alevis or between secularists and anti-secularists. Yes, Hikmet and Gülen are worlds apart. If you concede that they are values of this country, then you may start seeking conciliation. Indeed, dialogue can be possible only when you respect everyone's positions. Only those who respect others will be respected.
The primary reason for ever-escalating social and political tensions, including those about party closures, is that we tend to declare as enemies those who do not think like us. We must empathize. We must understand that we must try to understand each other. How can we understand each other without listening to one another? Where can we go by harboring grudges against each other or fueling strife all the time?
Dogan's words are very courageous in this respect that they will still be remembered for many years to come.
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