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Fethullah Gülen
155 quotes
“The spirit of the Quran, and so to speak, the philosophy of the biography, can only be grasped through a holistic perspective and with the sincere intention of seeking God's will. The third mistake is to claim that democracy and religion are incompatible, claiming that "Religion is based on God's sovereignty, while democracy is based on the people's vote." No believer doubts that God Almighty rules everything in a cosmological sense; however, this does not mean that our wills, inclinations, and preferences do not exist, or that God does not take them into account. The fact that sovereignty belongs to the people—God forbid—does not mean that it is taken from God and given to the people; it is the taking of a matter entrusted to the people's control by God from any despotic individual or oligarchy and entrusting it to the people.”
Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Furthermore, what we call "state" is the name of the system created by people who come together to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms and to ensure justice and peace. The state is not an end in itself, but a tool that helps people achieve happiness in both worlds. The extent to which the people who constitute that system embrace certain fundamental beliefs and values is proportionate to the state's adherence to those beliefs and values. Therefore, the term "Islamic state" is inherently contradictory. Since there is no clergy in Islam, theocracy is alien to the spirit of Islam. The state, the result of a social contract between people, is ultimately composed of people; it cannot be "Islamic" or "holy.”
Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Since its founding in 1923, the Republic of Turkey has been making slow, if unstable, progress toward democracy, despite being plagued by military coups. The current government's policies are eroding Turkey's international reputation and pushing it into the category of countries hostile to freedoms and notorious for imprisoning citizens who exercise their democratic right to criticism. Those in power appear to have exploited international diplomatic relations, mobilizing all diplomatic missions, the state's human capital, and financial resources to harass, monitor, and kidnap Hizmet movement volunteers worldwide.”
Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“First and foremost, the education curriculum must be overhauled. Topics such as equality of citizens before the law and fundamental human rights and freedoms should be introduced to young people as early as primary school so that they can become guardians of these values as they grow up. Second, a new constitution is needed that protects the fundamental human rights enshrined in the United Nations Human Rights Convention and allows neither the minority nor the majority to tyrannize over others, but rather one that embraces freedom. Civil society and a free media should also be protected in the constitution as counterweights to government abuses of power. Third, opinion leaders must emphasize democratic values through their rhetoric and actions.”
Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This heinous attack, which occurred during Friday prayers, a holy day considered a weekly holiday for Muslims, unfortunately added another to the string of terrorist attacks targeting mosques, churches, synagogues, and other places of worship around the world in recent months. The underlying psychology of prejudice, fear, and hatred, which manifests itself in various forms such as Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Christianity, xenophobia, and other forms, is a human problem. Regardless of the understanding or belief behind which it is perpetrated, terrorism is, in fact, brutality, and the solution lies in the collective efforts of humanity.”
Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024) said by 2024 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source