Lessons from Turkey

Usman Mujib Shami

The Deep State, the name given by pro-democracy Turks to the alliance of the judiciary and military, has gradually lost strength and authority at the hands of the wisdom and vision displayed by the political leadership, a quality rarely found amongst the leaders of our country.

Think of a country marked with a history of frequent military interventions, political instability, human rights violations, and fierce standoffs between its right and left wings; a place where thousands have lost their lives to the quarrels triggered by the religious, ideological, and ethnic differences. Reading these lines, you might be thinking of Pakistan.

Towards ‘the conference-i kamil’ (1)

İhsan Yılmaz

Int. Gulen Conference in Chicago

As a member of its editorial board, I am attending the Chicago 2010 International Conference on the Gülen Movement.

The conference organizers rightly highlighted: “As we complete the first decade of the 21st century, the advancements in communication and transportation have yet to enable better mutual understanding and appreciation among fellow humans. Misinformation, fear and hatred continue to influence public opinion.”

Among many other victims, it is obvious that the Gülen movement has suffered from these as well. “While the movement has been praised as a catalyst for creating a better world, it has also been criticized by some and the motivations of the participants called [into] question. This international conference has been designed to explore the movement from a social sciences and humanities perspective in order to provide a clearer picture of what the movement participants support and believe,” said organizers.