by Dr. Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi, Today's Zaman Saturday, 03 November 2007 05:09
The current European Islamic voice seems to have been of predominantly South Asian heritage since World War II.
However, the possible entry of Turkey into the EU requires that Europe engage with a different cultural manifestation of Islam: the Turkish Islamic heritage. This encounter is fundamental to the future of 21st century Europe as it expands both demographically and economically.
The future of Europe represents a complex reality. Islam challenges European institutions to seek avenues to understand it as the second most influential faith in Europe. Within Islam today there seem to be two positions functioning. First, from its inception Islam has always been well-rooted in its adherents, having an inspirational and formative effect on their lives. Second, in recent history there have been some groups of Muslims who have misused and distorted their faith, bringing destruction, suspicion, political rivalry and terrorism. This challenge from within Islam must be critically appraised. It is not just a sloganized political assault on the West as the enemy of Islam. It is also a deconstruction of Islam, stemming from revisions to Islamic theology and practice that are made to suit group agendas. The first position must be rediscovered so that Islam may be seen as a way of life that can contribute positively to the progress of Europe. This is difficult, however, after years of intellectual neglect by Western academia. But the Europe of tomorrow can no longer be a battle field. It now contains the world's most diverse societies, which have much to offer the world.
If Islam is to be rediscovered and redeemed in Europe, then the Turkish model, exemplified by the thought of Fethullah Gülen and the faith-based movement named after him, needs to be taken seriously as it offers a vibrant tradition that can overcome this antinomy.
The unique character of Gülen's movement lies in its attempt to revitalize traditional values as part of modernization efforts, such as the Turkish state's official modernization program. Thus far, it has had some success in its attempts to harmonize and integrate the historically diverse lands of Turkey with central Asian people and to reconcile hundreds of years of tradition with the demands of modernity -- which is no easy task. In brief, Gülen seeks to construct a Turkish style of Islam that emphasizes democracy and tolerance and to encourage links with the Turkic republics, opening for them the way to modernity and helping them address its challenges.
Gülen's emphasis on the roots of Turkish Islam, with its perennial links to spirituality and wisdom guided by a chain of erudite Sufi masters, has provided a crucial alternative to the "official state religion of Islam." It would be an ideal contact position for many Muslims, especially South Asian Muslims who have also had exposure to a chain of Sufi masters, as well as non-Muslims who are looking for a global sense of citizenship. It is in this sense that the Gülen Movement can be a bridge-builder in the expanding cluster of European nations and cultures. It offers the chance for the Muslims of Europe to revisit the fundamentals of Islam.
If Turkey wishes to join the EU, then it is imperative that the Turkish flavor of Islam, with its diverse affiliations and its secular pragmatism, be added to the European cultural experience. This encounter with the organically heterogonous nature of Islam would inevitably produce new relationships, amongst Muslims and non-Muslims alike, in the new EU, which will have a population of over 500 million people with Turkey as a member. The new composition of Europe, with two major religious traditions living side by side, cannot afford to return to historical rivalries.
It is in this context that Fethullah Gülen's three decades of work both inside and outside of Turkey offer a prospect of intellectual enlightenment and contemporary spirituality with abiding compassion. His movement offers the possibility of constructing an identity that is not based on tribal affinities like ethnicity, culture or perhaps even religion. With this pluralism, the citizen of Europe can be responsible and care for not only his own interests but also those of his neighbors. Everyone can work towards an honorable shared future. The future then will not be a debate between "them and us" but the finding of a sense of direction for everyone. This new understanding of European citizenship in no way undermines any faith, ethnicity, race or culture. It opens out on a sense of global citizenship, sharing the world's resources and productively contributing to their growth and sustainability.
* Dr. Shanthikumar Hettiarachchi is a lecturer in Religion and Conflict at St. Phillip's Centre for Study and Engagement, Leicester, UK.
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