Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen Movement

…as a service officer, my wife and I lived and served in six middle-east countries and not in Turkey, and this is way of a saying that when I came here at the first session we had I asked “Is Turkey and example of democracy in the Muslim world?”, and was surprised with the answer; I actually asked “Is it a model?” and the answer came back: “The dispute is; is it even an example?” and I was little surprised of this. I command Turkish spirits. I also was; has been asked question several times “Turks, Is Turkey a Middle Eastern country or is it a European country? Which side of the Bosporus is Turkey on?” , and I was not quite sure. Both Gerda and I speak Arabic, we also speak French and several other things. I think one thing and I think the others, I discover another cognate, but I think the best answer is that it is a bridge. It is a bridge between Europe and Muslim world! That is vitally important, because through Europe there is the United States and everything else. I have found this a wonderful week of time. As Ali knows I found it exhausting in several occasions. But that being said I have learnt an enormous amount. I teach courses of Middle East; I teach courses of Islam, and intellectually I am much much richer in result of this experience and from conversations with my colleagues on the table. I am deeply grateful to the RumiForum!