Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen Movement

 My name is Judith Mueller. I am from Washington DC. I have spent a career working to improve the status condition of woman and girls, and therefore in that capacity have participated in many cultural exchanges and travels to help finding, identifying indicators of change where women are disadvantaged or where they have experienced great success. I was not all certain why I came on this trip apart from having the wonderful good fortune of having bumped into Jenna, and after then Ali, umm, at the connection it seemed as though, it was very clear that the purpose of Rumi Forum and trip itself was to explore the more peaceful branch of Islam, and possibly understanding Sufism would be a major trust of the program. So people said, where are you going? What are you doing? Who are you going with? I said, well I am not certain, but I know that the motivation of the people I’ve met who have pulled this program together, is why I am deeply attracted. That has definitely continued to be very very true. I think that the time spent together in exploring some of the rich history of interfaith Abrahamic tradition has been deeply powerful for all of us. I know that visiting the Tomb of Rumi, and Dome of Mary on the same day was a unique experience. Seeing the caves in Cappadocia was palpable experience that couldn’t be appreciated except for actually standing in some of the Churches and feeling that history. So that was definitely a highlight of the trip. And then among the sublime and ridiculous that all of us have been experiencing, laughed about and enjoyed so much, was being in the Palace today and seeing the Turkish bath where Ataturk actually had marble fountains but directly across the hallway was his personal bathroom and his cabinet that was loaded with pills and potions and towels and his desperate needs no doubt we met that as well... I think that our own alinga franca and our sense of enjoyment of each other, and our own companionship has been extraordinary, and that the gentleness of our treatment one another, the humor, goodwill, and exchange of thoughtfulness has characterized our time together and been very palpable. Personally to rethink some of the faith based assumptions of my own will be an ongoing outgrowth of the time we had together here. I look forward to stay in touch with everyone to see where the journey has taken us after our time together. I congratulate Rumi Forum for its approach to globalization and hopefully bringing Turkey into Western relationship with the world that wants to allow it to...