Conference Focuses on Impact of The Gülen Movement
The Gülen movement is a religious and social movement with hundreds of thousands of followers and scholars at a Gülen conference said it is important to understand the movement's theology, its impact on young people and its potential effect on Islamic law.
The two-day conference in Los Angeles California brought together scholars from around the world to discuss the Gülen movement in a conference entitled "East and West Encounters."
The first day of the conference was divided into three sessions with one session focusing on similarities between the Gülen movement and Catholicism and the potential impact of the movement on Islamic law. The second session focused on the spiritual underpinnings of the movement, while the third session examined women's contributions to the Gülen movement.
Father Thomas Michel, the Secretary of Interreligious Dialogue for the Society of Jesus in Rome, discussed what he calls a "convergence of thought" between Fethullah Gülen and Pope Benedict on several social issues.
Professor Russell Powell, a law professor at Seattle University School of Law, said that both Christianity and Islamic traditions have a basis for forgiveness and dialogue with Gülen providing the strongest basis for those ideas in contemporary Islamic law.
Meanwhile, Dr. Muhammed Cetin (Ch-eh-teen) of the Institute of Interfaith Dialog brought up a more detailed look at the Gülen Movement's social network structure and why people join social networks like Gülen.
Cetin discussed how social networks like Gülen contribute to democratic societies and examined how the Gülen movement affects the people who belong to the movement, their communities and even the world.
Professor Nancy Gallagher, chair of the Middle East Studies Program at the University of California in Santa Barbara, held a forum on the impact of Pacifica Institute's Intercultural Dialogue Trips.
The program has brought 5,000 people to Turkey since 2004 where they live with ordinary Turks and learn about the culture and lifestyle of Turkish people.
Atendees at the conference said they hope the conference will draw attention to the good works of the Gülen movement.
Interview 1:Prof. Reuven Firestone, Hebrew Union College
Interview 2:Prof. Amir Hussein, Loyola Marymount University
The conference wraps up on Sunday with a discussion of the Gülen movement's educational activities and philosophy and a forum on Turkish politics and culture.
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