The Rumi Forum honored recipients of the 9th Annual RUMI Peace and Dialogue Awards at National Press Club on October 27, 2015.
This year Rumi Forum recognized the extraordinary accomplishments of Ambassador John W. McDonald and Jerry White in community service and Jeff Franco and Tad Agoglia in public service. Mr. Agoglia joined the program with a video message since he was in South Carolina helping the flood victims. Many distinguished guests joined the Rumi Forum at the National Press Club in honoring the works of the award recipients.

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Rumi Forum partnered with numerous organizations to organize a blanket and coat drive during November 7, 2015 - December 5, 2015 to benefit the Syrian Refugees in Turkey.

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Fethullah Gulen`s Statement:
I strongly condemn the brutal terrorist attacks across Paris, France in the evening of Friday, November 13, that resulted in the deaths and dismemberment of hundreds of innocent people. Every terrorist activity, no matter where they occur, is a blow to the peace and tranquility of humanity everywhere. These revolting acts of terrorism are attacks not only against people of France but against universal human values that we all share and against human solidarity.
Rumi Forum`s Statement:
The Rumi Forum strongly condemns the terrorist attacks in Paris. We stand united with the people of France and with people around the world in mourning the loss of innocent lives and offering our deepest condolences to the families. We honor the victims by strengthening our commitment to peace, tolerance and mutual respect.

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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. The theme of the International Hizmet Essay Contest 2015 is: “The Hizmet Approach to Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization”.

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On October 29, 2015, Ambassador Iraq's Ambassador to US Lukman Faily explored the dynamics between Iraq’s diverse ethno-religious communities and chart the key historical developments that have impacted identity politics surrounding the nation state. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad moderated the talk.

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Dr. Pim Valkenberg presented his latest book on the Gulen movement: "Renewing Islam by Service" on September 16, 2015. The book explores the Gulen movement from a Christian theological point of view.

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Rumi Forum and American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) hosted a dinner to celebrate the Eid al Adha on September 28, 2015. Imam Zia of MakeSpace gave a speech on the importance of the occasion. Imam Zia shared some reflections and thoughts for the holiday, connecting its theme of sacrifice and service to others to the broader goals of ATFA, Rumi Forum, and other similar organizations.

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Rumi Forum organized an Abrahamic Table Discussion on “Selfless and Sacrifice” in partnership with the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) on October 8, 2015 at ATFA. Imam Yahya Hendi, The Rev. Tim Tutt and Rabbi Doug Heifetz talked about the issue from their faith’s perspective.

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Ambassador David Shinn presented his latest book: "Hizmet Movement in Africa: The Activities and Significance of the Gulen Movement" on November 24, 2015 at the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) in Fairfax, VA.

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Rumi Forum Charlottesville Chapter organized its 5th Annual Peace and Dialog Dinner and Art Contest Award Ceremony on Friday, November 13, 2015.
The theme of this year’s dinner was “Beyond Colorblind: Loving and Respecting Humanity”. Emre Celik, President of Rumi Forum, commenced the program with an inspiring opening speech. Dr. Kim Forde-Mazrui, Professor of Law and Founding-Director of Center for the Study of Race and Law at University of Virginia, then delivered her keynote speech.

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8 to 12 grade students across the Albemarle County and City of Charlottesville put their skills to the test at the Peace and Dialog Art Contest competition.
The theme of this year contest was “Respect for Human Dignity” The main goal of the competition was to raise awareness about discrimination, racism, or violence among the K-12 students. The winners received their awards from Dr. Beverly Adams, Professor and Assistant Dean at College of Liberal Arts and Sciences of University of Virginia.

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Christopher Newport University hosted the 2nd Annual Conference on “Civic Movements and Their Impact on Democracy”.
The conference started with the welcoming remarks of Provost David Doughty, Jr., and continued with two panels with three concurrent sessions. In the first panel, 16 students and in the second panel 11 faculty members presented their work on civic movements and democracy. Dr. Mehmet Saracoglu from the Rumi Forum gave the Keynote Address after lunch on “The Hizmet Movement”. The program concluded with the closing remarks of Dr. Tina Kempin-Reuter and Dr. Stephanie Bardwell.

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Rumi Forum and American Turkish Friendship Association of Delaware (ATFA-DE) hosted the 6th Annual Friendship Dinner on November 12, 2015.
The program started with the welcoming remarks of the Director of ATFA-DE, Ergin Sarikaya. He outlined some of their activities in 2015 and their partnerships with the community. Following his remarks, Dr. Mehmet Saracoglu, Director for Government, Media and Community Affairs from Rumi Forum (Washington, DC) talked about appreciating everyday heroes and why is it important acknowledging the unrecognized leaders of our community.

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Hizmet in Africa: "The Activities and Significance of the Gülen Movement"

Ambassador David Shinn`s recent book on "Hizmet in Africa: "The Activities and Significance of the Gulen Movement"” from the Tsehai Publishers is the only book-length work that analyzes the multifaceted activities in Africa of the followers of Turkish Islamic scholar, Mr. Fethullah Gulen. In 2008, Foreign Policy magazine named Gulen as the world's top public intellectual. Gulen and the followers of his philosophy refer to the Movement as Hizmet or "volunteers service" while others tend to call it the Gulen Movement. The book includes Hizmet in both North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Conversations on Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement: "Dreaming for a Better World"

The Kindle edition of the "Conversations on Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement: Dreaming for a Better World" by Peter Barnes and Gregory Baum is intended to represent an open perspective on the influence of the Hizmet Movement, including Fethullah Gulen in particular, on the theme of “dreaming for a better world,” based on a variety of Christian and Muslim world views. This theme is approached from three specific perspectives: education and an emphasis on interfaith and intercultural dialogue, a comparison of various spiritualities, and a consideration of the shared dreams of the two religions.

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Hizmet Means Service: "Perspectives on an Alternative Path within Islam"

“Hizmet Means Service” by Martin E. Marty examines Hizmet, a Turkey-based but global movement dedicated to human service. Inspired by Fethullah Gülen, a Sufi Muslim mystic, scholar, and preacher, it is an international endeavor focused on education, business, interfaith dialogue, science, and efforts to promote tolerance and understanding. One of Hizmet’s main tenets is that religious believers can hold profound beliefs and commit spiritually inspired acts of service without discriminating against or alienating people of other faiths. The scholars whose work appears in this book represent a variety of disciplines, faiths, and nations and offer a wide range of narratives, analyses, and critiques. This title moves beyond mere introduction, analyzing Hizmet and the manifestations of this interfaith movement.

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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 DECEMBER 25, 2015)

INTENSIVE TURKISH CLASSES FOR SPRING 2016
JANUARY 4 - MARCH 27
12 weeks (30 hours) intensive program
Cost: $ 300
Text Book: $ 30
All levels 1- 7 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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