“Several years ago, I became acquainted with a Turkish-originated movement that sponsored interfaith dialogue. The members of the group, most of whom are Turkish, are also Muslims. I later discovered that this group was part of a movement known as Hizmet, which is Turkish for service. I’ve come to know and respect the members of this movement, at least those whom I’ve encountered. They are faithful Muslims who embrace service to others and interfaith dialogue and partnerships. Since these are core values for me as a person, it seemed appropriate to build on the relationships that were developing.”

The above quote was gleaned from a book titled Fethullah Gülen: A Life of Hizmet written by Jon Pahl, a Professor of the History of Christianity. Jon Pahl indeed captured the life of Fethullah Gülen, the man whose ideology inspired millions across the world in what is known as the Hizmet Movement. Hizmet Movement is an international social movement of moderate Muslims committed to fostering peaceful interactions, humanitarian social responsibility, and human development through educational, media, dialogue, and service initiatives.

Fethullah Gülen was a Muslim intellectual, thinker, and religious scholar. He grew up in a very religious environment. His first teachers were his parents. He was loved by many for his understanding of Islam. He believed that “love is the strongest and most powerful weapon in the universe”. In his teachings, he preached tolerance, dialogue, and intercultural and interfaith relations. These formed the cardinal objective of the Hizmet movement and explain why it can inspire a generation of moderate Muslims to impact the world through service to humanity. 

For Fethullah Gülen, “A person is truly a human if he or she learns, teaches, and inspires others. It is difficult to regard as truly human, someone who is ignorant and has no desire to learn.” He encouraged his followers to build schools if they had the means. It signified the beginning of the Gülen schools’ concept, a nomenclature by which schools were christened around the globe, and whose founders were inspired by the teachings of Fethullah Gülen. To date, these schools run independently.

The onslaught against the Hizmet Movement was massive. In some instances, Hizmet movement volunteers outside the shores of Turkey were kidnapped and extradited to Turkey on the orders of the Turkish government. Recently in Kenya, four Turkish citizens were kidnapped and extradited to Turkey to face persecution. In Nigeria, the Turkish government made several requests, which were rebuffed by the authorities for lacking in merit.

Fethullah Gülen was called Hocaefendi (revered master) by millions around the globe in service to humanity. He died at the age of 83 [sic] due to age-related illnesses. He passed a fulfilled patriarch and left a legacy of love, tolerance and peaceful coexistence. He authored many books that touched on the understanding of Islam. One of them is Toward a Global Civilisation of Love and Tolerance translated in 30 major languages in the world. In the book, he advocated for “greater awareness to Muslims that Islam teaches the need for dialogue and that Muslims are called to be agents and witnesses to God’s universal mercy. He also highlighted the need for non-Muslims to move beyond prejudice, suspicion, and half-truths to arrive at an understanding of what Islam is really about.”

Fethullah Gülen was not a terrorist until he breathed his last on 20 October 2024. The Turkish government could not prove it. In 2008, he topped the Top 100 Public Intellectuals Poll and came out as the most influential thinker. In an essay by Ehsan Masood thereafter, he argued “Is it possible to be a true religious believer and at the same time enjoy good relations with people of other faiths or none? The author stated that “millions of people inside and outside Turkey have been inspired by Gülen’s more than 60 books and the tapes and videos of his talks.”

The death of Fethullah Gülen was aptly captured by Tushar Arun Gandhi, an Indian author and great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. “Rest in Peace Fethullah Gülen in exile from his beloved country. Another voice of peace muted, a great loss to humanity.” Indeed, the death of Fethullah Gülen is a great loss to humanity. I say this because I have researched extensively on the Hizmet Movement in the aftermath of the failed coup in Turkey in 2016. My research findings were in tandem with the tributes that have poured in torrents after his death.

Some have asked questions about the survival of the Hizmet Movement after the death of Fethullah Gülen. Can his legacies be sustained? My research findings indicate that the Hizmet Movement outlived Fethullah Gülen many years ago. The movement was not about him. It was about service to humanity. And his life was for the benefit of humanity.

Adieu Hocaefendi, yours was a life of service, and posterity would be kind to you.

First published in its original version in Leadership, Nigeria, October 30, 2024.

But in the case of someone like Hocaefendi, or Fethullah Gülen, meeting him face to face, getting to know him on several occasions, and spending two decades meeting volunteers and activists in the Hizmet Movement around the world, I can confidently say he is a hero who stands up to close scrutiny.

It needs to be understood that at this point in history, and this has been going on now for a good decade, Hocaefendi and his Hizmet Movement have been subject to incredible slander and real persecution. People have died in prison and been treated in the most horrible fashion. In one sense, it’s a pity that Hocaefendi lived these last 10 years to bear witness to this, because he was clearly a sensitive soul, and this must have broken his heart. On the other hand, his steady, quiet leadership and his demonstration of a commitment to non-violence and to returning hate with love and to serving humanity were borne out by his lifelong service, including these last 10 years.

It’s remarkable, with all the persecution and slander, that there has been no return of violence from members of Hizmet. This reflects the incredible character and vision of Hocaefendi, which in turn embodies a rich tradition of Sufi Islamic thought going back more than 1,000 years. If we are to test religious leadership and to attest religious thought, surely the test is in how it’s lived out in practice. And surely the biggest test comes under persecution.

I’m very grateful to have known Hocaefendi a little bit. I’m very grateful to know the many volunteers in the Hizmet Movement. As somebody who studies political leadership and politics, social movements, and studies religious thought and religious movements, including religious extremism, I’m as prepared as anyone to be cynical about religious movements. However, I am equally ready to acknowledge when individuals truly embody the principles they preach. When people walk the walk as well as talk the talk, it goes beyond mere conviction—it becomes a source of inspiration. As a Protestant Christian, I can say that my own faith and my aspiration to become a better person, by the grace of God, have been strengthened through my encounters with Hocaefendi and the Hizmet Movement. It’s an inspiration to me and a constant reminder of the need to seek to do better and to become less selfish and to work harder to serve humanity.

I’m grateful for the opportunity of having known Hocaefendi. I mourn with his many friends and large global family at his passing. But I’m also grateful for a long life of service, a life filled with much sickness and being forced into exile, suffering persecution, but using that opportunity as a witness, an opportunity to bear witness to a love for humanity and a love for service. It’s a privilege to have been able to witness this.

History is filled with eras we don’t want to remember. Times of war, bloodshed, violence, persecution… Things we wish would remain deep in the past.

The irony is that the worst times were arguably the times when virtue and good character were best exemplified. Prophet Abraham’s life is just such an example, peace be upon him. Accepted as a patriarch by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, the story of Abraham, as told in the Holy Scriptures, could help the faithful of these three religions approach one another as cousins, if not brothers, as opposed to rivals. The faithful would be wise to study his struggle under the persecution of his society and state; his methodology of teaching; his and his family’s ordeals; his emigration; and his commitment to his cause.

In this issue, The Fountain explores what Abraham means to Muslims, Jews, and Christians. A Muslim author, two Jewish Rabbis, and a Christian Reverend reflect how Abraham’s story is understood in their own traditions, as well as how Abraham’s legacy manifests in day-to-day life, prayers, and worship. These reflections on Abraham may serve as a good source of reference for interfaith practitioners.

When studying the periodic table in chemistry class, none of us knew it was missing some elements. The Russian chemist Dimitri Ivanovich Mendeleyev (d. 1907), who deserves most of the credit for the table as we know it, predicted that the table would eventually be filled by new elements, to be found in the future. The article “The Last Elements” describes the qualities of the last four elements discovered a few years ago.

Our lives are deeply intertwined with the internet and social media – a 24/7 engagement in a virtual world. In “Protecting Our Privacy – or What Is Left of It?” we explore how much we are exposing ourselves to intrusion by others. Despite mass surveillance by the government and corporations, privacy still matters, and necessary measures must be taken by “combining technology, policy, and law.”