Fethullah Gülen and the Gülen Movement in 100 questions

On The Movement

The Gülen Movement was born at a time when a rapid social change was taking place in Turkey. However, at the same time a parallel movement was taking place in the world: emergence of political Islam or politization of Islam, in response of globalization. What was transpiring in Turkey at the time? As rapid urbanization, class differentiation, and cultural shifts from village and small towns were flocking to the cities, alternative frames of reference were needed. A balance had to be struck between the traditional values that people were socialized in and modern values; these new behavioral patterns would help them to navigate through the challenges of modern city life.

List of articles in category Fethullah Gülen and the Gülen Movement in 100 questions
Title	Author
Are the sources of inequality in life derived from social customs and traditions, and does Islam condone and strengthen this inequality?	by Doğu Ergil
Does Fethullah Gülen defend the right of woman to enter every field of life as equal to man and to struggle to achieve this end?	by Doğu Ergil
How do Fethullah Gülen and his followers view democracy?	by Doğu Ergil
What are Fethullah Gülen’s views on human rights?	by Doğu Ergil
Are the religious institutions to be considered as a social phenomenon and should be taken as independent from the political authority namely the state? Or is there a role for the state in this field?	by Doğu Ergil
How can the headscarf issue (banning of headscarves in the public sector in Turkey) be resolved?	by Doğu Ergil
There are various sects within Islam. Is it a matter of freedom of religion and democracy for those adherents of sects to educate their children in their own ways, using their own methods? If it is not, what does Fethullah Gülen propose?	by Doğu Ergil
When was the Fethullah Gülen teaching transformed into a social movement?	by Doğu Ergil
What kind of individual and social needs is the movement responding to, such that in a short period of time it has spread to the entire nation and has even gone beyond the borders?	by Doğu Ergil
What was the Gülen Movement at its inception and how can it be described today?	by Doğu Ergil
Which social groups did the Gülen Movement appeal to at the beginning? Today which social groups does he see in the movement?	by Doğu Ergil
What differentiates Fethullah Gülen from other men of religion, enabling him to become the inspiration source of an increasingly widespread, modernizing movement?	by Doğu Ergil
What were the original goals of the circle gathering around Fethullah Gülen at the beginning?	by Doğu Ergil
How can Fethullah Gülen explain the fact that the Gülen Movement resonates in the large urban areas and with the recently urbanized and has become a social movement?	by Doğu Ergil
The Gülen Movement which is now international must coincide with global realities. When looked at from this perspective, what are the aims of the movement?	by Doğu Ergil
What kind of spiritual, human, and material devices, vehicles, or means did Fethullah Gülen use in order to make a local Turkish reality an international one?	by Doğu Ergil
In order for Turkey to have domestic peace and be regarded with esteem from abroad, what kind of actions does Fethullah Gülen propose and what kind of a role does he assign to his followers in this regard?	by Doğu Ergil
This movement has spread around the world and has displayed great dynamism. Through what kind of process of exhortation or inspiration or education has this movement inculcated its mission in its followers?	by Doğu Ergil
The Gülen Movement provides educational opportunities to youth, who otherwise could not attend higher educational institutions. What inspires them to eventually volunteer as educators themselves throughout the world?	by Doğu Ergil
There are some who would like to see the Gülen Movement as an alternative organization to the “state” Is this realistic?	by Doğu Ergil
How is this global division of labor within the Gülen Movement managed?	by Doğu Ergil
The Gülen Movement, which originated in Turkey, has grown from a small religious group to a community, from a community to a movement, from a movement to a global organization. How did this happen?	by Doğu Ergil
If it is possible to make a schema of the areas of activities of the Gülen Movement, what kinds of activities and groups of activities can be mentioned?	by Doğu Ergil
Is there a model of an ideal society for Fethullah Gülen? If so, how do we create that society?	by Doğu Ergil
Are there any groups targeted by the Gülen Movement?	by Doğu Ergil