[Reader-list] Fethullah Gülen: Muslims, we have to critically review our understanding of Islam
Patrice Riemens
patrice at xs4all.nl
Sat Dec 26 20:07:35 CST 2015
Original to:
http://fgulen.com/en/press/news/50048-muslims-we-have-to-critically-review-our-understanding-of-islam
Muslims, we have to critically review our understanding of Islam
By Fethullah Gülen
Words fall short to truly express my deep sadness and revolt in the face
of the carnage perpetrated by terrorist groups such as the so-called
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
I share profound frustration with a billion-and-a-half Muslims around
the world at the fact that such groups commit terrorism while dressing
up their perverted ideologies as religion. We Muslims have a special
responsibility to not only join hands with fellow human beings to save
our world from the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, but also
to help repair the tarnished image of our faith.
It is easy to proclaim a certain identity in the abstract with words and
symbols. The sincerity of such claims, however, can only be measured by
comparing our actions with the core values of our self-proclaimed
identities. The true test of belief is not slogans or dressing up in a
certain way; the true test of our beliefs is in living up to core
principles shared by all major world faiths such as upholding the
sanctity of life and respecting the dignity of all humans.
We must categorically condemn the ideology propagated by terrorists and
instead promote a pluralistic mindset with clarity and confidence. After
all, before our ethnic, national or religious identity comes our common
humanity, which suffers a setback each time a barbaric act is committed.
French citizens who lost their lives in Paris, Shiite Muslim Lebanese
citizens who lost their lives in Beirut a day earlier and scores of
Sunni Muslims in Iraq who lost their lives at the hands of the same
terrorists are first and foremost human beings. Our civilization will
not progress until we treat the suffering of humans regardless of their
religious or ethnic identity as equally tragic in our empathy and
respond with the same determination.
Muslims must also reject and avoid conspiracy theories, which have so
far only helped us avoid facing our social problems. Instead, we must
tackle the real questions: Do our communities provide recruitment
grounds for groups with totalitarian mindsets due to unrecognized
authoritarianism within ourselves, domestic physical abuse, neglect of
youth and lack of balanced education? Did our failure to establish basic
human rights and freedoms, supremacy of the rule of law and pluralist
mindsets in our communities lead those who are struggling to seek
alternative paths?
The recent tragedy in Paris is yet another reminder for both theologians
and ordinary Muslims to strongly reject and condemn barbaric acts
perpetrated in the name of our religion. However, at this juncture,
rejection and condemnation are not enough; terrorist recruitment within
Muslim communities must be fought and countered by an effective
collaboration of state authorities, religious leaders and civil society
actors. We must organize community-wide efforts to address all factors
that aid terrorist recruitment.
Ways of expressing support and dissent within democratic means
We need to work with our community to set up the necessary framework for
identifying at-risk youth, preventing them from seeking self-destructive
paths, assisting families with counseling and other support services. We
must promote a proactive, positive government engagement so that engaged
Muslim citizens can sit at the table where counterterrorism measures are
planned and share their ideas. Our youth should be taught ways of
expressing support and dissent within democratic means. Incorporating
democratic values into school curricula early on is crucial for
inculcating a culture of democracy in young minds.
In the aftermath of such tragedies, historically strong reactions have
surfaced. Anti-Muslim and anti-religious sentiment as well as
security-driven treatment of Muslim citizens by governments would be
counter-productive. The Muslim citizens of Europe want to live in peace
and tranquility. Despite the negative climate, they should strive to
engage more with their local and national governments to help work
toward more inclusive policies that better integrate their community
into the larger society.
It is also important for us Muslims to critically review our
understanding and practice of Islam in light of the conditions and
requirements of our age and the clarifications provided by our
collective historic experiences. This does not mean a rupture from the
cumulative Islamic tradition but rather, an intelligent questioning so
we can confirm the true teachings of the Quran and the Prophetic
tradition that our Muslim predecessors attempted to reveal.
We must proactively marginalize decontextualized reading of our
religious sources that have been employed in the service of perverted
ideologies. Muslim thinkers and intellectuals should encourage a
holistic approach and reconsider jurisprudential verdicts of the Middle
Ages that were issued under perpetual conflict where religious
affiliation often coincided with political affiliation. Having core
beliefs should be distinguished from dogmatism. It is possible, indeed
absolutely necessary, to revive the spirit of freedom of thought that
gave birth to a renaissance of Islam while staying true to the ethos of
the religion. Only in such an atmosphere can Muslims effectively combat
incivility and violent extremism.
In the aftermath of the recent events I am witnessing, with chagrin, the
revival of the thesis of the clash of civilizations. I do not know
whether those who first put out such a hypothesis did so out of vision
or desire. What is certain is that today, the revival of this rhetoric
simply serves the recruitment efforts of the terrorist networks. I want
to state clearly that what we are witnessing is not a clash of
civilizations but rather the clash of humanity with barbarity in our
common civilization.
Our responsibility as Muslim citizens is to be part of the solution
despite our grievances. If we want to defend the life and civil
liberties of Muslims around the world and the peace and tranquility of
every human regardless of their faith, we must act now to tackle the
violent extremism problem in all its dimensions: political, economic,
social and religious. By setting virtuous examples through our lives, by
discrediting and marginalizing the extremist interpretations of
religious sources, by staying vigilant toward their impact on our youth,
and by incorporating democratic values early in education, we can
counter violence and terrorism as well as totalitarian ideologies that
lead to them.
This article was first published in Le Monde on Dec. 17, 2015.
(Paywalled):
http://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2015/12/17/musulmans-procedons-a-un-examen-critique-de-notre-comprehension-de-la-foi_4834205_3232.html
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Muhammed Fethullah Gülen (born 27 April 1941) is a Turkish
preacher,former imam, and writer. He is the founder of the Gülen
movement (known as Hizmet meaning service in Turkish). He currently
lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, residing in
Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.
Gülen teaches an Anatolian (sort of Hanafi) version of Islam, deriving
from Sunni Muslim scholar Said Nursî's teachings. Gülen has stated that
he believes in science, interfaith dialogue among the People of the
Book, and multi-party democracy. He has initiated such dialogue with the
Vatican and some Jewish organizations
(...)
from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fethullah_G%C3%BClen
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