Marowitch: Gülen Discussed Religious Issues With Pope

Testifying at the trial of Fethullah Gülen, alleged to have established a religious based illegal organization, Turkey's Board of Spiritual Leaders of Catholic Communities General Secretary George Marowitch said Gülen and Pope John Paul II had discussed the upgrading of an interfaith dialogue based on tolerance.

Testifying for the defense at the hearing at the Istanbul State Security Court (DGM), and acting upon instructions from the Ankara DGM No. 2 handling the case, Marowitch expressed admiration for Gülen and in particular for his statement: "Everyone should reassess his behaviour in line with the principle of the unity of God. He should look upon with mercy even those who do not acknowledge Mohammed as the prophet."

Marowitch said: "The statement by Gülen, whom we know for his tolerance of all religions, made us think that such is the conception of Islam in the Turkish Republic. We Christians accept the unity of God. But we do not accept Mohammed since the Bible was written before the Koran. We started to like Islam after hearing these words."

Marowitch then said they had believed the meeting between the Pope and Gülen would be "auspicious for interfaith dialogue." He said: "I went to the Pope with Gülen. I was close to them during the hearing and translated for Gülen. Gülen did not go there as the leader of Muslims. There was an exchange of formalities during the brief conversation. Religious issues were mentioned. I did not observe Gülen trying to establish a state based on the Shariah. I do not believe these claims."

After testifying for nearly half an hour, Marowitch distributed a document with Gülen's words to press members and then left the court.

Acting as a "defense witness" in the case against Gülen, currently in self imposed exile in the United States, Marowitch told the DGM he had never heard anything about Gülen wishing to form an illegal organization in an attempt to replace the secular regime in Turkey with a theocratic one.

Marowitch told the court the world was suffering because of religious extremists and said he found Gülen receptive to all religions. Marowitch said he had taken Gülen to the Vatican to meet the Pope, where he explained what Islam was in Gülen's terms. He denied that Gülen went to see the Pope as a self-styled leader of world Muslims but to simply exchange ideas about religion. 05.31.2001