Tag: Mehmet Gormez

Religion and Secularism in the Modern World: a Turkish Perspective

Religion and Secularism in the Modern World: a Turkish Perspective

by Mehmet Görmez

Abstract:

This policy brief presents an alternative perspective on the relationship between religion and politics by employing an inter-disciplinary framework. Identifying two problematic approaches to the role of religion in modern world – viewing religion as an artifact of the past and neglecting the everyday realities of religion – the author proposes to view religion from a more comprehensive perspective and rejects the arguments that juxtapose religion and secularization. He argues that the Muslim world, which is going through a process of evaluating its own age, manifests different forms of secularism, though in an unconventional sense. The author also dwells on various ramiﬁ cations of religion in contemporary political developments and maintains that!religion!needs to be taken!into consideration while developing policies for addressing the root causes of tensions and conﬂ icts that arise at the national and international levels. He discusses!the growing religious divide and polarization in Turkey’s neighborhood, maintaining that Turkey’s interpretation of religion in the contemporary age, emanating from its own tradition, offers a viable alternative.

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March 11, 2012
Friday sermons to be translated into English

Religious Affairs Directorate President Mehmet Gormez on Wednesday said his directorate plans to get the Friday sermons delivered at historical Istanbul mosques translated into English since the mosques are visited by thousands of tourists every day.

Speaking to reporters at the office of Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu on Wednesday, Gormez said Istanbul mosques and sanctuaries are visited by more than 20,000 tourists every day, and the religious authority plans to get summaries of the sermons translated into English to make sure tourists can understand what is being said.

“During Friday prayers, at least 500 tourists visit the Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque). The Friday sermons are translated into German at various mosques in Germany. You will see a similar service here in Istanbul,” he said.

“We think it is important that tourists know what is being said in Turkey,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Religious Affairs Directorate will hire 250 tour guides for mosques.

Gormez said the guides will take an exam in which their knowledge of religion will be tested. He noted that they will also seek guides who know one or more foreign languages.

The guides will be expected to deliver information to tourists about religion and the religious places they are visiting.

via Friday sermons to be translated into English.

January 5, 2012
‘Azerbaijan’s independence is Turkey’s independence’

The political ties between the two countries unite our minds while religious views unite our hearts.

Mehmet Gormez

The statement came from Head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey Mehmet Gormez at a joint press conference with Head of the Caucasus Muslims Board sheikh-ul-islam Allahshukur Pashazade in Baku.

The efforts of some countries to instigate trouble between our two countries have failed, Gormez said. ‘I was very pleased to meet President Ilham Aliyev on the first day of my visit.’

Gormez added that he was glad that his visit was timed with celebrations marking 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence.

‘The independence of Azerbaijan is an independence of Turkey and I wish this independence to be eternal. God willing, the Karabakh conflict will also be solved and Azerbaijan will celebrate its independence in a more solemn way.’

The ties between the two countries began to deepen after Heydar Aliyev came to power, the Turkish official noted.

‘But these ties should expand even further and not to be based solely on trade. The political ties between our countries unite our minds while religious views unite our hearts.’

Gun.Az

via News.Az – ‘Azerbaijan’s independence is Turkey’s independence’.

October 16, 2011
Turkey, China sign cooperation protocol on religious affairs

Gormez said China had a unique place in the history of Islam, as Islam had a special place in China’s history.

Turkey and China have signed a protocol envisaging cooperation in religious affairs.

Mehmet Gormez, head of Turkey’s Religious Affairs Authority, met Wang Zuoan, director of State Administration for Religious Affairs of China, in the Chinese capital of Beijing on Tuesday.

Following the meeting, a cooperation protocol was signed between Turkey and China on religious education, services and publications.

As part of the protocol, Muslims living in China will be able to study at vocational religious high schools and theology faculties in Turkey, moreover, they will be able to participate in Master’s and PhD programs offered by Turkish universities.

Thanks to the protocol, nearly 50,000 imams from China will have the chance to receive professional training in Turkey, besides, the Koran and numerous Islamic books will be translated to Chinese, fairs will be organized in both countries, Chinese Muslims will be assisted during their Hajj and Umrah journeys, and mosques in China will be renovated.

Commenting on the cooperation, Gormez said China had a unique place in the history of Islam, as Islam had a special place in China’s history.

Pointing to the improving political and economic ties between Turkey and China, Gormez said such improvement should be strengthened with cultural relations, noting that today’s cooperation protocol was an important step towards such goal.

As part of his visit to China, Gormez is expected to meet China’s Deputy Prime Minister Hui Liangyu on Wednesday, and later visit the Muslim community living in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Gormez is scheduled to depart from China on Friday.

AA

June 22, 2011