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Mohammed Nimer - Gulen's Soft Power Approach Lessons for Arab Political Reform
Rumi ForumThis presentation is based on field observations and readings of Gulen. The goal is to draw lessons from the ideas and practices of the Gulen movement that can inform political reform in the Arab world. One important character of the Gulen is the movement's refusal to engage in partisan politics. I will show that this position neither removed the group form public discourse nor meant that the movement lacks political clout. Its focus on hizmet (service), dialogue and inter-cultural understanding has allowed Gulen to connect different constituencies to institutions of power, and therefore estabRead moreShow less
This presentation is based on field observations and readings of Gulen. The goal is to draw lessons from the ideas and practices of the Gulen movement that can inform political reform in the Arab world. One important character of the Gulen is the movement's refusal to engage in partisan politics. I will show that this position neither removed the group form public discourse nor meant that the movement lacks political clout. Its focus on hizmet (service), dialogue and inter-cultural understanding has allowed Gulen to connect different constituencies to institutions of power, and therefore establishing the movement as a crucial social base for Turkish democracy. I will argue that this practice of soft power by Gulen is an appropriate model to follow to ensure the emergence of a moderate, sophisticated Arab polity able to contribute significantly to the promotion of democracy.
Bio: Dr. Mohamed Nimer is an assistant professor at the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C. His research and teaching interests include religion and politics, cross cultural communication, Muslims in the West, and contemporary Islamic thought. He has also taught courses on Islamic reform movements at the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). Among his recent publications is an edited volume titled: Islamophobia and Anti-Americanism: Causes and Remedies (Amana publications, 2007). He is also the author of The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada (Routledge, 2002). In May 2008, he presented a paper titled "Middle East Peacebuilding: Engaging the Islamists" at the Center for Global Peace at American University.
Bio: Dr. Mohamed Nimer is an assistant professor at the School of International Service at American University in Washington, D.C. His research and teaching interests include religion and politics, cross cultural communication, Muslims in the West, and contemporary Islamic thought. He has also taught courses on Islamic reform movements at the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT). Among his recent publications is an edited volume titled: Islamophobia and Anti-Americanism: Causes and Remedies (Amana publications, 2007). He is also the author of The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada (Routledge, 2002). In May 2008, he presented a paper titled "Middle East Peacebuilding: Engaging the Islamists" at the Center for Global Peace at American University.
