Abstract

Character education has been woven into the fabric of the curriculum of Gulen- inspired schools worldwide. Through character education programs, students develop performance habits and intellectual qualities that enable them to perform at their highest potential not only while in school, but also in their personal and professional lives. This paper seeks to understand why character education has been among the common characteristics of these schools.

Fethullah Gulen is an individual who has dedicated himself to servant hood of the Almighty and service to humanity – to loving the Creator by serving the created. He has always envisaged a sound and safe environment for his fellow human beings – initially advocating for people to come together to solve Turkey’s problems and then speaking to the whole world.

One of today’s most vibrant discussions happens to be on religion (Islam in particular) and democracy. As a powerful dynamic shaping individual’s and society’s lives, religion has always been treated with caution at the very least in modern democracies. Some argued that Islam could never be at peace with democracy due to its and every religion’s dogmatic nature, others think the two are incomparable like apples and oranges. Nevertheless, religion is and has always been an indispensable aspect of human life and it has much to say about the way we lead our lives as individuals as well as societies. It is only normal that religion has an impact on political life as well. The discussion flares up at this point; since much of the world regards democracy as the best form of government, is there a way to reconcile the two or should religion stay out of government affairs all together.

I will go green. This is one of my New Year resolutions for 2011. I know I am already late but better than never. Besides I am already half green. I have been printing less; reading my articles online. I have unsubscribed from printed version of the daily paper and been following it online for more than a year. I try to use less water, program the thermostat to save energy. We have been recycling at home for many years now; paper, plastic, bottles and all go to the recycle can. We would have switched to a hybrid car but could not afford it even with the tax credit. I am trying to prefer e-books lately, but old habits are hard to change. I need to be more conscious on going green. It is not just the e-books, I know almost all the tips on how to go green, but I am not that good at living all of them: I need motivation on more of a foundational level. I need to work on “why” to go green. What follows is a result of my little study on this chain of thought and where it took me in my search of stimulus for going green.

One of the greatest challenges that faces anyone wanting to promote dialogue and understanding is the relationship between the West and Islam. A recent Pew survey[1] found that the gap between the West and the Muslim world, far from decreasing, has increased. Many in the West saw Muslims as violent, fanatical extremists. Muslims in turn saw Westerners as violent, fanatical extremists, but also immoral and greedy. In this negative environment it is crucial that we go on striving to understand each other and help to build bridges between these two world civilizations.

Fethullah Gulen-inspired schools, that have appeared in many different countries of the world, are well-known for their superior quality of education, talented students and successful graduates. In recently published article, which provides an insider view on Gulen-inspired schools, the author discusses the importance of ‘the teacher factor’ as one of the main reasons for the worldwide success of these educational establishments.

In the past five years, through my involvement with the Rumi Forum of Old Dominion University, I've become intimately familiar with the work and faith perspective of the movement which emerged from the life of Fethullah Gulen. As both an ordained Baptist minister in the Christian tradition and as an adjunct professor who teaches sociology, I am tremendously impressed as well as have become an ardent supporter of the Gulen Movement. In it I have seen strong evidence of a passion for peace, justice, mutual understanding and compassion for all humanity.

Some say they are the best schools around, and some say they can’t be that good without support from global powers. Some say they serve for global peace, and some other say: “Don’t be naive they must have a hidden agenda”.  I will not get into questions like “water of the mill” as they have been addressed previously. The main question I am going after is, what are really Gulen Inspired Schools? What makes them standout? How can you distinguish a Gulen Inspired School from any other public or community school?