Conference Discusses Gülen's Contribution to World Peace
The faith-based social movement inspired by Fethullah Gülen as well as the movement's emphasis on dialogue and its contributions to world peace and education were discussed at a conference over the past two days in Australia.
The conference, held in Melbourne July 15 and 16, brought together promoters of interfaith dialogue and multiculturalism. Abdullah Aymaz, Gülen's first student, delivered a speech on Gülen's vision to the conference.
Other speakers emphasized that Gülen's efforts to promote interfaith dialogue have contributed to reduced tensions between different religions. The conference, titled “From Dialogue to Collaboration,” took place with the partnership of the Fethullah Gülen Chair in the Study of Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations at Australian Catholic University and Monash University. The opening speech of the conference, in which many academics from multiple countries participated, was given by James Gobbo, former governor of Victoria and the Queen's multiculturalism key advisor. George Lekakis, the chairperson of the Victorian Multiculturalism Commission, also attended the conference.
At the inauguration of the two-day conference Orhan Çiçek, the executive advisor of Australian Intercultural Society, emphasized the importance of this debut conference by saying: “We are watching with great admiration how many of Fethullah Gülen's ideas, from the days of his first student, have come to inspire millions around the world, including opinion leaders and academics. We hope that the Fethullah Gülen Chair in the Study of Islam and Muslim-Christian Relations will be an important place in which many academics can express Gülen's positive influence upon them.”
The first session of the conference started with a panel discussion chaired by Professor Thomas Michell. Theologist Abdullah Ayamz and Professor Daniel A. Madigan spoke at the panel discussion.
Aymaz, in his speech on “The Past and Future of the Gülen Movement” said: “From his first years on, he has taught his students, whom he trains taking Islam as a reference, to be interested in and help young people from all segments, not only religious people, as well as to approach people without labeling them and to embrace everyone. He always preached love, friendship, brotherhood and respect for everyone, to those who listened to him. He saw the cause of most problems as lying in ignorance, poverty and controversy. The first step to maintain brotherhood in the world is education, according to Gülen.”
Aymaz also explained how hundreds of schools opened around the world by the Gülen movement have helped contribute to peace all over the world, a short time after their establishment. “The schools in Bosnia brought together Muslims and Christians. The students at the schools in Russia were mainly Christian. Especially in the Philippines, these schools help diminish the differences between Muslims and Christians, as students from both religions attend these schools.”
In his speech titled “Nostra Aeteta's Unanswered Questions,” Professor Madigan, of Georgetown University, emphasized that “Islam and Christianity are two different expressions of a common history and region. Hence, their differences do not create any obstacles to a harmony in collaboration.”
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