“Anything born in spring dies in fall,
but love is not seasonal.”
Rumi
In 1776, while America was fighting for independence, starting with Virginia, it also began to take the first steps toward another kind of revolution: religious freedom. As the actual presence of severe persecution and the residents` direct experience gave rise to religious liberty in Virginia, and ultimately in America, the struggle for the ideal of freedom in Muslim lands was no different. In the contemporary context, the influence of two Islamic personalities from Turkey is recognized for their contributions to building bridges between Islam and the West and their effect on humanity. Said Nursi`s (1876-1960) impact on Muslim thought has been significant. He proposed that solving the problems of the Muslim world would have to start with an education that combined the religious sciences and material sciences so that wisdom could prevail rather than religious bigotry.
Fethullah Gulen (b. 1938), one of the most prolific and prominent scholars, philanthropists, writers, Sufi thinkers, poets, intellectuals, and advocates of education of the twentieth century, is seen as putting Nursi`s proposal into practice. He is considered to be the leader of an intellectual, social, and spiritual revival both within and beyond Turkish borders, taking the first step to emphasize the importance of the indispensability of religion for universal peace. As a pioneer of interfaith dialogue for over forty years, Gulen believes that “dialogue is not a superfluous endeavor, but an imperative…that dialogue is among the duties of Muslims to make our world a more peaceful and safer place” (1).
Framers of the revolution of religious freedom in America and Gulen are vastly different from each other in significant and obvious ways. However, despite their different social, political, and religious contexts and worldviews, these men articulate specific visions of society that would be free in matters of religious beliefs and practice and would allow vigorous inquiry and debate on issues related to truth. These similarities between their respective “societies” exist because of their common commitment to the ideal of freedom, especially in matters of thought and conscience, which helps us find deep resonance and yield points on which to engage in dialogue.
Gulen speaks of the ideal of freedom in both humanistic and utilitarian terms. In universal terms, each individual has freedom by virtue of being human. According to Gulen, true freedom, the freedom of moral responsibility, is to declare to the man that he is free to do whatever he wants, provided that he does no harm to himself, bodily or spiritual, and none to others, and that he remains wholly devoted to the truth. He defines true freedom as the distinguishing mark of being human, which motivates and enlivens the conscience, and moves aside impediments to the spirit. It acknowledges religious beliefs and feelings and is the ground for virtue, wisdom, and understanding (2).
Similar to James Madison, Gulen sees the freedom of faith and conscience as the universal right to independently adopt and practice a faith of one’s choice. Gulen also points out its applicability and access to it saying that: “this right includes being able to receive the education required for a thorough practice of one’s faith and the liberty to teach others about a faith’s beliefs and practices” (3).
While there is great work already underway for religious freedom worldwide, the MENA region has high levels of persecution, where women and minorities suffer the most. Organized by the IRF Roundtable and the Global Campaign for Women, the Center for Faith, Identity, and Globalization will join the #IRFForum2022 on October 27 & 28 in Washington as a “resource partner” as part of a broad coalition of advocates for a 2-day strategy-building event. We hope you can join us!
(2) Fethullah Gulen, Freedom, The Fountain Magazine, Issue 22, 1998
(3) Fethullah Gulen, Freedom of Faith and Conscience, The Fountain Magazine, Issue 111, 2016