The Rumi Forum continued its tradition in hosting a series of iftar dinners within the Holy month of Ramadan. This year, Rumi Forum broke its 2014 record, with more than 50 Ramadan iftar dinners being held. The organization brought together think tanks, government agencies, interfaith groups, and embassies along with members of the local government, media, academic institutions and NGOs around the same table to break bread and share in conversation. In addition, the Forum introduced various cultural iftars during the month of July.

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Rumi Forum is organizing the International Hizmet Essay Contest 2015 in partnership with the Hizmet Studies Review, which is based at the KU Leuven University in Belgium. This year's theme is: “The Hizmet Approach to Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization”

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On June 18th, Rumi Forum in partnership with the Turkic American Alliance hosted their annual Signature Ramadan Dinner. This was attended by over 100 guests in celebration of the first day of the holy month of Ramadan. The annual joint dinner has become a tradition for both organizations, bringing many guests from various parts of the community together. Those in attendance were government officials, diplomats, academics, media persons, representatives of civil society organizations, community leaders, interfaith leaders and several others.

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On Saturday, July 11th at 3am, the Rumi Forum hosted the 2nd Annual Suhoor breakfast in the company of scholars, government officials, interfaith groups and others. Suhoor (or Sahur) is a term referring to the meal consumed early in the morning (pre-dawn) by Muslims before fasting during the month of Ramadan. Ambassador Laurie Fulton and Earl Rasmussen of the Eurasia Center joined the Rumi Forum to speak upon the importance of the occasion.

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“The point of fasting for Muslims is to reflect on their faith and the blessings they have in their lives. It’s really designed to make people appreciate what they have and empathize with those less fortunate than us,” explains U.A.E Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba. The Washington Post covers the holy month of Ramadan in this article. It reports on the events and activities in Washington hosted by people and organizations including the Rumi Forum are up to during this significant month.

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The Washington Times, a local news outlet in the nation’s capital, joined Rumi Forum at a home iftar event during the holy month of Ramadan. The article highlighted the importance of the organization’s work in fostering engagement and dialogue within the D.C community. “Breaking bread transcends all religions and cultures”, said president Emre Celik.

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Pakistan TV interviewed Rumi Forum president Emre Celik for the South Asian-Turkish American iftar. Bahrain TV also covered Rumi Forum's "Signature Iftar" and home iftars.

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Watch the Coverage of Bahrain TV

A highlights video for the International Festival of Language and Culture was recently released. The program hosted 100 students from 20 countries for colorful song and dance performances.

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Hizmet Essay Contest winners for 2014 were recently awarded for their prize-winning entries. Mary E. Colefrom The Ohio State University won in the Graduate category. Her essay was entitled: "Transforming Altruism from Selfish into Sacrificial: How Reciprocity with God Inspires Extraordinary Service in the Hizmet Movement" ,while Martine A. Gaetan, University of Maryland, won in the undergraduate category for her essay "Why Hizmet, the Movement Inspired by Fethullah Gülen, Can Answer the World’s Most Compelling Problem: Religious Violence".

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The Rumi Forum organized a study trip to Turkey during May–June 2015 with the purpose of exposing the accepted Fellows from the Washington D.C area to the diversity and opportunities that exist in Turkey. While immersing themselves in Turkey-related issues, the group visited their counterparts throughout the duration of the trip – meeting with scholars, civil society leaders, journalists and other professionals. The purpose of the trip was to encourage scholarship in Turkey and the region. The Fellows will produce academic papers around issues prevalent in the region.

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Rumi Forum was at the White House's annual ramadan iftar dinner with community and faith leaders. Jena Luedtke, Director of Interfaith Affairs attended the iftar hosted by President Barack Obama.

The Annual Hampton Community Iftar Dinner

Rumi Forum Hampton Roads organized a Ramadan iftar dinner in partnership with the Circles of Diversity Initiative, City of Hampton Citizens’ Unity Commission in Hampton. Mayor George Wallace and Vice Mayor Linda Curtis were speakers at the event.

Renewing Islam by Service: A Christian View of Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement

Renewing Islam by Service offers a theological account of the contemporary Turkish faith-based service movement started by Fethullah Gülen, and places it against the backdrop of changes in modern Turkish society. The life and works of Gülen are analyzed against the background of developments in Turkish society, and of spiritual Islamic tendencies in the transition from the Ottoman Empire to the secular Republic.

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Gulen-Inspired Hizmet in Europe

This book provides a broad presentation of Gulen’s thought and practice. These issues are discussed in the first part of this book. The second part presents six case studies from countries where the name of Gulen has been attached to a great variety of social activities in the field of education, media, business, dialogue, and the support of integration and defense of human rights.

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Reflections on Reason, Religion, and Tolerance: Engaging with Fethullah Gulen's Ideas

This is an attempt to reflect on Islam as it appears in the context of Fethullah Gulen's teachings. Gulen, an influential Turkish-Muslim scholar, has inspired a movement of education and interfaith dialogue. Grinell's extensive study of Islam and of Gulen allows him to pinpoint a unique expression of values and beliefs that could alter the typical understanding of Islam and Muslims in the West. He draws upon his previous studies of the Gulen Movement and comparatively places Gulen in a wider context of faith and society.

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The Art of Coexistence: Pioneering Role of Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement

The global threat of war, terrorism, the increased gap between the poor and rich, famine, malnutrition, global warming and pollution, and many other social and cultural problems pose a real challenge for present citizens of the globe. Intellectuals and politicians take these challenges as their primary concerns. Despite the existence of some pessimists, there are a number of initiatives working for the common good and expending great effort to solve these problems.

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A Map of the Divine Subtle Faculty: The Concept of the Heart in the Works of Ghazali, Said Nursi, and Fethullah Gulen

Mehmet Y. Seker, a scholar of Sufism and tasawwuf, studies the concept of the heart in the Islamic tradition looking at how it is approached by three prominent scholars and thinkers of Islam: Ghazali, Said Nursi, and Fethullah Gulen.

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Time to Talk: An Exclusive Interview with Fethullah Gulen

Time to Talk, a detailed interview of Fethullah Gulen by Ekrem Dumanli, is a defense manifesto of the Hizmet Movement that has been engaged in educational activities in Turkey and around the world for five decades.

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The Return of the Cavaliers: Biography of Fethullah Gulen

Beginning with the environment in which Fethullah Gulen was raised and the dynamics that formed his character, this biographical novel captures the very essence of his exemplary life story. It sheds light on the crucial events and memories that left their mark in the lives of Gulen and the dedicated philanthropic people inspired by him.

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Rumi Forum organized numerous Ramadan iftar meals in June and July. Below are some of the highlights from our iftars.

Emre Celik, President, Rumi Forum

Scott Bates, President, Center for National Policy

Azizah Al Hibri, Founder, KARAMAH

Imam Taleb Shareef, Masjid Muhammad

Jamiah Adams, Vice President, NAACP

Shuja Nawaz, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council

Dr. Sayyid Syeed, ISNA

Paul Wee, Professor, George Washington University

Cantor Hinda Labovitz, Ohr Kodesh Congregation

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Turkish Classes

Learn Turkish in Washington, DC! Experienced teachers are offering Turkish Language Classes at the Rumi Forum in Washington, DC. If you are looking for Turkish lessons in the DC Metropolitan Area, Rumi Forum is the right place to begin. There are three terms in a year

• Turkish language classes are open to everyone who is interested.
• The classes are arranged based on the number of students interested in at any level.
• Our teachers are using a Turkish Language Book Set written in Turkish.

For the intensive program: A four-hour class per week and eight classes in a month. For registration please fill out the registration form at this link:
APPLICATION FORM (Due date for the form is AUGUST 28 2015)

INTENSIVE TURKISH CLASSES FOR FALL 2015
SEPTEMBER 8 - DECEMBER 13
12 weeks (30 hours) intensive program
Cost: $ 300
Text Book: $ 30
All levels 1- 6 will be offered

For further queries and application form please email: turkish@rumiforum.org

Visit the 'Learn Turkish' blog

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Rumi Forum Internship Program

We are always considering applications for our internship program (dates are flexible and negotiable) Eligibility: All undergraduate and master’s-level students and J.D. and Ph.D. candidates as well as recent graduates are eligible to apply. Application Process: In order to apply for a Rumi Forum Internship, please fill out this application form. You may send any supporting documents such as CVs, resumes etc to internships@rumiforum.org. Please note that you need to fill out the application form first before sending any documents. Read More .

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DONATE TO RUMI FORUM

Rumi Forum now accepts donation through a new service via Paypal. The Rumi Forum, a NGO that is a non-profit exempt organization under section 501 (C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code exists by way of contributions, donations and the volunteers that enable it to provide numerous services to better society at large. Your contributions are appreciated and play an important part in the Rumi Forum increasing social harmony and understanding.

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