In recent times, many countries in the predominantly Muslim world moved into a time of promise for transition and of opening to democratic development, of which the so-called Arab Spring formed a part. Despite the recent reversals of these processes in Egypt and the ongoing tragedy of Syria – and perhaps even more so by way of contrast to these, notwithstanding the recent civil unrest in Turkey itself – there has been a developing interest in the “Turkish model” of transition from authoritarianism to democracy.
As a leading movement in contemporary Turkey with a universal educational and inter-faith agenda, the Gülen movement aims to promote creative and positive relations between the West and the Muslim world and to articulate a critically constructive position on such issues as democracy, multi-culturalism, globalisation, and interfaith dialogue in the context of secular modernity.
The Muslim World and Politics in Transition includes chapters written by international scholars with expertise in relation to the contexts that it addresses. It discusses how the Gülen movement has positioned itself and has sought to contribute within societies – including the movement’s home country of Turkey – in which Muslims are in the majority and Islam forms a major part of the cultural, religious and historical inheritance.
An introductory overview of the book’s chapters and themes will be provided by one of its co-editors, Paul Weller, Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby, leading into discussions with respondents to the book as well as wider participants in the event.
Reviewers
- Dr Carool Kersten
- Dr Amina Yaqin
