Kurdish scholar Said Nursi’s disciples warn Gulen against meddling in politics

Turkey religion Gulen Movement has been criticized by key disciples of late Said Nursi, the Kurdish scholar who founded the Nur movement, for meddling in politics in Turkey.

According to Anadolu news agency Nursi’s disciples Abdullah Yegin, Husnu Bayram, Salih Ozcan, Mehmet Firinci and Abdulkadir Badilli said in a joint statement “Getting into political deals on behalf of the Nur Movement, recruiting into state institutions for domination and endeavoring to share political power with the ruling party on behalf of the Nur Movement contradicts the teachings of Nursi in Risale-i Nur.” The Gulen Movement is regarded by many as an offshoot of the Nur Movement, as it bases its teachings closely on Said Nursi’s teachings encapsulated in Risale-i Nur, the collection of books of Qur’anic interpretations written by Nursi.

The Nursi disciples, who worked closely with the respected scholar during his lifetime until his death in 1960, said they felt the need to release a statement concerning recent political developments in Turkey.

Underlining that Nursi disciples and Nur Movement members shall never meddle in politics and enter into political deals, the statement gave the message that the Gulen movement’s being party to politics is not a move appreciated and supported by the Nur Movement and Nursi’s disciples.  The statement was released in reaction to recent graft scandal in Turkey and the claims that the country’s tensions are a battle between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Eredogan and the leader of the movement Fethullah Gulen. – Kurdpress 1-1-2014