Reconciliation is a Virtue
And in this tableau I saw once again the distinct color of President Suleyman Demirel's essential portrait.
As a writer coming from the Alawi sector of society, I thought of the weight of the responsibility of my accepting a "National Reconciliation Award" from a group that takes its place in the right wing of the Sunni segment of society.
The answer I gave was multi-dimensional.
One: My place is wherever reconciliation can be found.
Two: Prejudice blinds people.
Three: Moreover, if prejudice includes polarization, it darkens a person's heart.
Four: Bringing up events from the past benefits no one.
Five: Someone thinking like that yesterday can think the same today. The idea that "whatever a person is at age7, he or she is the same at age 70" is incorrect, according to social psychology. This idea means that education does not benefit people. For this reason, no one has the right to condemn another with stereotyped ideas or say that he or she is bad because he or she used to think such and such.
Six: It's time to say "good-bye" to divisive, provocative, and polarizing concepts imported in the past. Judging today according to leftist/rightist concepts is a means of salvation for people who cannot see development and change.
Seven: Regardless of what President Suleyman Demirel did or said in his past political life, he is the "man of the state" in my heart today. It's good to follow in his tracks.
Eight: Fethullah Gülen is a spiritual guide for a social segment that is very sensitive to religion. However, if this guidance is open to tolerance and dialogue and to creating national harmony, then why should I not shake his extended hand? How long are we going to nurture and grow the old enmity in our hearts? What did this polarization gain us to date, and what will this race to create rivals gain us after this?
The Journalists' and Writers' Foundation is truly taking on a leading role with efforts that can be an example to other organizations.
Instead of being suspicious and looking for criminal factors like detectives just because Fethullah Gülen is behind these people, let's try and take a lesson from them.
Those who consider Islam as identical to the Refah Party also identify Fethullah Hodja and the world and religious views of those people with the RP. Due to this incorrect assessment, every person who is sensitive to religion is branded with the Refah stamp and pushed to one side.
When you look at Fethullah Hodja and their attachment to him, you see how much importance they give to educating people.
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