Turkey’s Islamist Danger

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A response to Rachel Sharon-Krespin’s ‘Fethullah Gülen’s Grand Ambition: Turkey’s Islamist Danger’ (2)

GREG BARTON, Ph.D.

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

Area of Expertise – Southeast Asia

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orijinal publication of Rachel krespin can be found with the following link

https://www.meforum.org/2045/fethullah-gulens-grand-ambition

Veya turkce icin asagidaki link e tiklayip turkce okuyabilirsiniz

https://www.meforum.org/2071/fethullah-gulenin-buyuk-ihtirasi

greg barton is A writer in fetullah gulen web side(*)

It is deeply misleading and offensive to claim that “Fethullah Gülen is an imam who considers himself a prophet.” This is a very strong assertion but the evidence given in support of it does not go beyond hearsay and is certainly entirely out of keeping with the vast corpus of material published by and about Gülen.

Were it to be true it would involve both a vast conspiracy of silence and profound doctrinal deviation on the part of the millions involved with the movement. This is frankly not plausible.

It is also misleading to say that Gülen’s “formal education is limited to five years of elementary school.” It is true that his early classroom education was cut short when his family moved to the village of Alvarli in the impoverished province of Erzurum. Conditions in Turkey’s mountainous far east in the 1940s was difficult. But it is noteworthy that Gülen went on to complete the official imam hatip exams and graduate from secondary school. Gülen certainly benefited from his studies with well-established Islamic scholars, but he is also a voracious reader and autodidact. A prolific author accomplished at writing for both ordinary laypeople and for scholars his Quranic scholarship and studies of Said Nursi are highly regarded by academic experts.

By any measure he is not just one Turkey’s most significant contemporary intellectuals but also one of the world’s leading modern Islamic intellectuals. It is, of course, reasonable to disagree with him, but it is foolish to dismiss him as a lightweight.

Sharon-Krespin makes brief reference to Nursi. She is correct in associating Gülen with Nursi’s legacy, but the way in which she discusses Nursi’s views suggests either deep prejudice or deep ignorance.

It is not clear where Sharon-Krespin gets the ideas that Gülen’s followers “even refrain from marrying until age fifty per his instructions.” Her account suggests a dour and joyless community earnestly following their leader’s instructions without thinking for themselves. As a scholar of religion, I fully acknowledge that such groups do exist (including within the world of Protestant Christianity with which I am associated), but in my observation the Gülen movement is not such a group. In my dealings with members of the movement, I am struck by their consistent good humor and occasionally even mischievous sense of fun. These are people who love life and enjoy each others’ company. Yes, they do tend to dress in a more conservative fashion — although not exclusively so — which is hardly surprising given the social origins of the movement and, like the vast majority of observant Muslims around the world, they do not drink alcohol. But to spend time in their company is to be reminded that one needs neither alcohol nor secular cool to enjoy laughter and good humor. Social conservatism is not necessarily a sign of fundamentalism.

The Gülen movement’s contributions to education are indeed impressive but seem more than a little exaggerated here. And presenting them as being part of an “education jihad” based on indoctrination is more than a little unfair as it grossly misrepresents the consistently secular content of what is taught in the classrooms and the overall ethos of the schools. Different scholars will, naturally enough, have different positions on this. My own position, having observed the movement over the past five years is that it represents precisely the sort of non-Islamist, progressive, civil society movement that Muslim world needs at this point in history if it is to engage with democratic, secular, modernity. In my reading, the educational programs can be understood as broadly paralleling earlier examples of Christian and Jewish educational philanthropy in the West.

Perhaps this makes me a non-credible observer as one of the many “friends, ideological fellow-travellers, and co-opted journalists and academics.” If that is the case, it would appear that I am in good company.

[*] Professor Greg Barton is a Herb Feith research professor for the study of Indonesia and acting director at the Centre for Islam and the Modern World.

11 February 2009, Wednesday

GREG BARTON [*]

(*)

GREG BARTON WRITE UP IN FETULLAH GULENS WEB SITE

Batı, İslamı Araplar Üzerinden Tanıyor!

Aksiyon

25.10.2004

Dr. Greg Barton: “İslamiyetin temel bakış açısı Hıristiyanlık veya Yahudilikten çok farklı değil. Avrupa’da Yahudi ve Hıristiyan toplumlar demokrasiyi kurabiliyorsa, pekala İslam toplumları da bunu yapabilir. Bu mümkündür ve olması gerekir.”

İslam—demokrasi ilişkisi birçok akademisyenin üzerinde kafa yorduğu bir konu. Özellikle 11 Eylül saldırıları, bu ilişki üzerindeki tartışmaları daha da yoğunlaştırdı. Sadece Müslüman ilim adamları değil, birçok Batılı akademisyen de “İslam demokrasiyi kapsar mı, yoksa onunla çatışır mı?” sorusuna cevap arıyor. Batı’daki siyasî kültürde önemli bir yeri bulunan Hıristiyan demokrat partilerin, Müslüman demokrat adıyla ülkemizdeki siyasal kültüre taşınıp taşınamayacağı da tartışmanın diğer boyutunu oluşturuyor. Hatta bu çerçevede AK Parti’nin, “muhafazakar demokrat” olarak belirlediği kimlik tanımı, Müslüman demokrat partiler tartışmasına da yeni bir boyut kazandırmış durumda.

Bir süredir Türkiye ve ülkemizdeki Müslüman gelenek üzerine çalışmalar yapan Avustralya Deakin Üniversitesi Öğretim Üyesi Prof. Dr. Greg Barton, İslam ve demokrasi ilişkisine kafa yoran isimlerden. Onun konuya yaklaşımı basit, ama etkili: “Ben bir Protestan olarak kendi inancımın ışığında İslam—demokrasi ilişkisini değerlendiriyorum. Bana göre İslamiyetin temel bakış açısı Hıristiyanlık veya Yahudilikten çok farklı değil. Avrupa’da Yahudi ve Hıristiyan toplumlar demokrasiyi kurabiliyorsa, pekala İslam toplumları da bunu yapabilir. Bu mümkündür ve olması gerekir.”

Barton’un İslam’a ilgisi lise yıllarında Hindistan’a yaptığı bir ziyaretle başlar. Doktora tezini Asya ülkeleri üzerine yapar ve Endonezya’daki İslamî hareketi analiz eder. Barton, bu ülkeyi Türkiye’ye benzetiyor ve toplumsal gücün yüksekliğine işaret ediyor. Portre çalışması yaptığı Endonezya Devlet eski Başkanı Abdurrahman Vahid’i İslam’la demokrasinin uyumuna örnek gösteren Barton, her iki ülkede de modern hareketin ve demokratik düşüncenin Müslüman gruplardan çıktığı tespitini yapıyor. Türkiye’den örnek olarak da Bediüzzaman Said Nursi ve Fethullah Gülen’i veriyor. Bu iki ismi, geleneksel İslam’dan gelen; ancak modern düşünceye sahip dinî önderler olarak tanımlayan Greg Barton, Abdurrahman Vahid’i de aynı kategoride ele alıyor.

Her üç ismin, geleneksel İslamı temsil etmelerine rağmen moderniteye yakın görüşleri ile etkili olduklarını söyleyen Barton, Said Nursi, Gülen ve Vahid’in din—devlet ayrımını desteklemelerine dikkati çekiyor. 20. yüzyıldaki İslamî düşünürlerin devletin değişmesi, şeriatın gelmesi ve bir İslam devleti kurulmasını savunduklarını hatırlatarak ekliyor: “Halbuki Said Nursi ve Fethullah Gülen bireyin dönüşümünü önemsiyor, eğitime büyük önem veriyorlar. Böylelikle modern bilim eğitimini klasik İslamî bilimlerle birleştiriyorlar. Eski fıkhî konulara ve bunların yorumlarına takılıp kalmış değiller. Onun yerine iman ve inanç gibi İslamiyet’in asıl meseleleriyle ilgileniyorlar.”

Greg Barton’un üzerinde durduğu konulardan biri de, Batı dünyasındaki İslam imajı. Bu konuda çok dertli. Batı’da İslam imajı denilince, hemen “İçine düştüğümüz çukur bundan kaynaklanıyor” diyerek söze giriyor. Onun şikayeti bu imajı belirleyenin büyük oranda Arap âlemi olması. Batı’da İslam’ın doğrudan Araplarla bağdaştırıldığını söyleyen Barton, ciddi bir reform sürecinden geçmeyen ve baskıcı rejimlere sahip Arap âleminin İslamiyet için bir imaj kırıcı olduğunu vurguluyor. İslam hakkındaki görüşünü Araplara bakarak belirleyen Batı’nın, bu dünyadaki İslamî hareketlerin tamamını radikal ve yer altı örgütleri olarak gördüğünü söylüyor. Prof. Dr. Barton, bu problemin çözülebilmesi için Batı dünyasının Türkiye ve Endonezya gibi ülkelerden öğreneceği çok şey olduğunu sözlerine ekliyor.

Peki Arap ülkeleri dışındaki Müslüman toplumlar neden Batı dünyasında fazla tanınmıyor? Greg Barton, önyargılar ve subjektif yaklaşımlar dışında bu sorunun en temel sebebini dil problemi olarak görüyor. İngilizcenin halen bu iki ülkede yeteri kadar yaygın olmadığını hatırlatarak, “Geleneksel olarak Batıda bir araştırmacı İslamiyet’i öğrenmek istediğinde Arapça öğrenir. Bu yüzden de İslam dünyasını araştıran uzmanlar Araplar’a bakarak Türkiye, Malezya ve Endonezya gibi ülkeleri atlıyor” diyor. Samuel Hantington’ın medeniyetler çatışması tezini eleştiren Barton, Amerikalı akademisyenin İslam âleminde azınlığı temsil eden radikal gruplara yönelik değerlendirmelerini genele mal etme çabası içinde olduğunu söylüyor.

Türkiye’de gerek dinler gerekse kültürlerarası diyalog konusunda büyük bir istek gözlemlediğini belirten Barton, “Gördüğüm kadarıyla Said Nursi Risale—i Nur ile çok güzel bir zemin oluşturdu. Fethullah Gülen ise bu zeminin üzerine taşları dikiyor. Said Nursi imkanları bakımından daha kısıtlıydı, dar ve küçük çevrelerde hayatını yaşamak zorunda kalmıştı. Fakat Gülen’in öğrencileri dünyanın her yerine dağılmış ve aktif şekilde diyalog çalışmalarını destekliyor. Bu gerçekten bütün dünyanın ihtiyacı olan bir çalışmadır” diyor.

Türkiye’nin AB Üyeliği Avrupa’yı da Geliştirecek

Türkiye’nin AB’ye katılımı için çok güzel gerekçeleri olduğunu söyleyen Greg Barton, bu üyelikten her iki tarafından da önemli çıkarları olacağı tespitini yapıyor. Türkiye’nin katılımının Avrupa’yı da geliştireceğinin atlanmaması gerektiğini vurguluyor. AK Parti hükümetinin Avrupa’ya yönelik çabalarını da olumlu buluyor. Greg Barton’un dikkat çektiği hususlardan biri de, sekülerizmle din ilişkisi. Ona göre İslamî toplumların yaşadığı modernleşme süreci sadece sekülerizme götüren bir süreç değil ve modernite de dinin bir alternatifi olamaz. Bu konuya en iyi örneğin eski Sovyetler Birliği olduğunu söylüyor: “Eski SSCB’de din yok edilmeye çalışıldı ama bunu kimse başaramadı. Komünizm dahi dini yok edemedi. Asıl soru şu: Din modernleşmeye yardımcı mı olacak yoksa bir engel mi? Gülen hareketinin önemi bu noktada ortaya çıkıyor. Bu gibi hareketler İslamî toplumların yaşadığı reform sürecinin devamlı olmasına katkı sağlıyor. Çünkü Gülen hareketi devleti değiştirmekten ziyade daha çok bireye yönelik çalışıyor. Savaş ve kavgadan yana değil, barış, uzlaşma ve diyalogdan yana tavır alıyor. Barışçı kavramları öne çıkarıyor ve bunları devamlı olarak savunuyor.” (Zafer Özcan)

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Comments

3 responses to “Turkey’s Islamist Danger”

mok10501

April 8, 2009

As the saying goes by “One evangelical monk knows another regardless of his or her denomination.” Why an educator like Dr.Barton is given such a privilege to defend and write good things about the Gulen organization? Is it just a charity? I see, you all want to go to heaven!….
koranist

June 2, 2009

Koran confirms the Torah and Gospel and attacked the Talmud and the trinity. Real Islam is only Koran and the Sunnah was an invention by Imam Malik and Imam Shafi 150 years after Muhammad and was produced by the Qureishi tribes to replace the Koranic Islam. The Sunnah is Islam’s Talmud. Jesus condemned the Talmud and so did the Koran. The trinity was invented in the Council of Nicea 300 years after Jesus and has nothing to do with the Gospel.

The Koran says God made as as different communities, whether these communities are tribal, ethnic, national or religious. The Koran say:

5.43. But why do they come to thee for decision, when they have (their own) law before them?- therein is the (plain) command of Allah. yet even after that, they would turn away. For they are not (really) People of Faith.

44. It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who bowed (as in Islam) to Allah.s will, by the rabbis and the doctors of law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah.s book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear me, and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.

45. We ordained therein for them: “Life for life, eye for eye, nose or nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal.” But if any one remits the retaliation by way of charity, it is an act of atonement for himself. And if any fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (No better than) wrong-doers.

46. And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.

47. Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel.

48. To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah. it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute;

49. And this (He commands): Judge thou between them by what Allah hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, but beware of them lest they beguile thee from any of that (teaching) which Allah hath sent down to thee. And if they turn away, be assured that for some of their crime it is Allah.s purpose to punish them. And truly most men are rebellious.

50. Do they then seek after a judgment of (the days of) ignorance? But who, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than Allah.

51. O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.

Here the Koran makes it clear that though the Koran, Gospel and OT are three different communities of believers, they are one in faith. There are believers among these communities and non believers.

Sunnis take these verses as meaning theocratic laws in an Islamic state. There is the famous hadith in Sahih Muslim:

‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, reported:
A Jew and a Jewess, who had committed adultery, were brought to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him). Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to the Jews and said: What do you find in Torah for those guilty of adultery? They said: We darken their faces and make them ride on the donkey with their faces turned to the opposite direction (and their backs touching each other), and then they are taken round (the city). He said: Bring Torah if you are truthful. They brought it and recited it until when they came to the verse pertaining to stoning, the person who was reading placed his hands on the verse pertaining to stoning, and read (only that which was) between his hands and what was subsequent to that. ‘Abdullah bin Salam who was at that time with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Command him (the reciter) to lift his hand. He lifted it and there was, underneath that, the verse pertaining to stoning. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) pronounced judgment about both of them and they were stoned. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar said: I was one of those who stoned them, and I saw him (the Jew) protecting her (the Jewess) with his body.

Of course this hadith is a fabrication(I believe, I have no proof). Why, because what would happen if the adulterers were Christians and the Gospel was used? There is no theocracy in the Gospel. It is quite clear the Koran is not talking about a theocracy where Muslims live by Islamic law and Jews and Christians by Christian and Judaic law, as the case in the so called Islamic state. The Koran is saying each community should take its religious laws from the scriptures and not from(I believe) the talmud, the Church and their trinity and the so called hadith of Muslims.

This is because the religion of the scriptures are one, but they are followed by different communities. These communities have abandoned the scriptures for man made dogmas with each accusing the other of disbelief regardless of an individuals faith in God and the hereafter.

It is clear the Sunnis could not bring a hadith of a theocratic nature regarding Christians so they brough a Jew instead to twist the verse to mean the law of man and not the law of God. It is clear that the same hadith could not have worked with a Christian and a Gospel.

Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel.

The Koran then say:

“To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way”

So its not believing in the Koran that we should emphasize but what was revealed by the Koran. The religion of the Koran is the religion of all the scriptures. Yes the scriptures differ in detail and linguistic but they have the same theology. Which is what I have said before, the Koran is a Book of theology.

“Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians — whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve” (2:62, 5:69, and many other verses).

“If only they [i.e. Christians] had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There is from among them a party on the right course, but many of them follow a course that is evil” (5:66).

Our message to Christians should be to remind them about holding to the teachings of the Gospel and not the Church or any Christian denomination that adds a theology that contradicts the OT, Gospel and the Koran alike:

“Oh People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion, nor say of God anything but the truth. Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, was (no more than) a messenger of God, and His Word which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him. So believe in God and His messengers. Say not, ‘Trinity.’ Desist! It will be better for you, for God is One God, Glory be to Him! (Far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is God as a Disposer of affairs” (4:171).

These verses in chapter 5 are very important in understanding the intended message of the Koran. To remind people to hold to the teachings of the scriptures. But faith is all about faith in God and the hereafter and we should define it in any other way but the Koran’s way

http://www.conflictingviews.com/religion/all-religions/koran-says-torah-gospel-not-corrupted-3324.html

Support the Koranic Islam http://www.free-minds.org/forum/
Abdulhamid

October 7, 2009

To read Dr. Barton’s full articles:

1-http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=166511
2-http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=166572

Turkey’s Islamist Danger

GREG BARTON, Ph.D.

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR

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3 responses to “Turkey’s Islamist Danger”

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