Enes Freedom: 'Love thy neighbor as thyself'
In order to love thy neighbor, you must know him, so allow me to introduce you to a special northeastern Pennsylvania neighbor and community builder, Fethullah Gülen.
Mr. Gülen is an inspirational preacher who resides in Saylorsburg. His teachings in both Islam and secular studies have made him a popular figure for those who seek spiritual guidance and answers. In 2019, the UK-based Mind, Body and Spirit magazine listed him among the 100 most spiritually influential living people.
One of the lessons he emphasizes is that the meaning of life won’t be found alone. To find it, you must serve society. With the intention to spread this message, he began an outreach effort that culminated in what is known today as the Hizmet Movement, the word “Hizmet” meaning “service” in Turkish.
The Hizmet movement is a volunteer-based movement encouraging those in both religious and secular spheres to participate more in society. The movement supports secular rule within Muslim-majority countries and globally while being an Islamically inspired movement, and promotes equal rights for women.
Mr. Gülen promotes in his teachings ethical conduct, providing educational opportunities to all, religious tolerance, and mutual respect. Being born in humble surroundings in northeast Turkey, Mr. Gülen understood the importance of learning about other cultures, and that interfaith dialogue was crucial for serving social peace.
He pioneered efforts to reach out to the non-Muslim religious minorities in Turkey, and established platforms for dialogue. In recognition of his contributions to interfaith understanding, he received a personal audience with the late Pope John Paul II in 1998.
He has said that a lack of education leads to an impediment to the establishment of justice. Human rights can only be sustained with an attitude of empathy and understanding toward other people. He seeks to understand the differences between different religions but finds a common denominator to work together toward a common good.
Inspired by his teachings and example, Hizmet movement participants established non- sectarian schools all over the world serving hundreds of thousands of students.
The movement’s educational values include building a strong foundation in STEM disciplines: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics while seeking a balance with social sciences, humanities, arts, and physical education.
The curricula in Hizmet- affiliated schools are secular and follow the national standards, while afterschool education includes character education for the children of interested parents, based on universal and local moral values.
The movement rejects any form of violence and conveys this within its teachings. Despite the constant oppression the movement faced in the hands of Turkey’s authoritarian leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not a single incident of violence has occurred.
In 2015, Gülen was awarded the Gandhi King Ikeda Award for Peace by the Martin Luther King International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize by social scientists who studied the Hizmet movement.
More local opinion: This notable Pocono resident has been living here in exile since 1999. | Moving Mountains
The Chestnut Retreat Center (CRC)— also known as Camp Chestnut locally by residents— is a great example of Gülen's influence on the community he now calls home.
The CRC is a non-profit organization founded by Turkish-American Muslims in the area. The days at the CRC begin with a study session led by Mr. Gülen himself when his health allows for it. He has been holding these lessons for over 50 years now.
The Chestnut Retreat Center states its mission as serving the community through:
Offering a space for spiritual development, education, reading, meditation, and prayer. • Providing community services.
Helping those in need in collaboration with local aid organizations.
Organizing dialogue events where people of different faiths, cultures, and backgrounds can interact with each other.
The CRC organizes events throughout the year including Thanksgiving and Ramadan dinners. Local friends and neighbors are invited to join, so everyone can eat together and learn about each other's cultures.
The CRC previously joined the Slate Belt Branch of the Greater Valley YMCA to organize a youth basketball event where I had a chance to interact with the children and help them learn basketball from an NBA player. The CRC has been awarded the 2022 Y Champion Award from the YMCA in recognition of the center’s contributions to the community. They also recently received the Aspire Victory Through Service Award in recognition of their contributions.
The residents of the Poconos have a neighbor who mobilized over a million people to serve the greater good through educational opportunities, interfaith dialogue and humanitarian service around the world. Mr. Gülen’s ultimate goal is to serve humanity by working for social cohesion and empowering young minds through education.
In his journey, he influences his students to do the same. In a world that remains highly polarized, he seeks to break down the walls and build bridges instead.
Enes Freedom is a Turkish-America former NBA player.
This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: NBA's Enes Freedom discusses contributions of Poconos-based cleric
