FETHULLAH GULEN'S "JEWISH DIALOGUE''

Fethullah Gulen is a moderate Turkish Muslim scholar, a prolific writer, philosopher, and leader of a self-named movement. His critics accuse him of undermining Turkish secular values, while his followers claim that he is a moderate religious scholar that is a victim of baseless and recurring attacks. Gulen and his Movement promote interfaith dialogue. The purpose of this essay is to examine Gulen's relations with the Jewish community inside and outside Turkey, and analyze whether this dialogue is used as a tool to empower the Movement or to disseminate Islam, as Gulen's critics claim, or whether it is based on a genuine desire to appeal to the Jewish community and carry out a real dialogue.