October 21, 2024 – With sad hearts and humbly accepting God’s will, we announce the departure of our beloved Fethullah Gülen “Hocaefendi” from this mortal world.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Gulen, a towering figure of faith, wisdom, intellectual and spiritual leadership for his service members and countless others around the world. After a period of struggle, Mr. Gulen passed away on October 20, 2024, near the retreat center in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania where he spent the last years of his life. His teachings, based on compassion, education and dialogue, will continue to guide and inspire those dedicated to serving humanity.
This is a time of solemn mourning, reflection and prayer for the Hizmet movement. Mr. Gulen’s legacy transcends the circumstances of his life. He stands as a remarkable religious and intellectual thinker whose influence will be felt for generations. As he once said, “Our values are not dependent on any one person. Their existence is not dependent on the existence of any one individual. These values are enough to hold people together without falling apart tomorrow. As long as the spirit of serving people for God’s sake continues, God will not allow the movement to fall apart. In Him we trust and in Him alone we rely.”
Spiritual guidance for the ministry will now be carried forward by a group of close friends who have provided wisdom and inspiration for decades. Although Mr. Gulen has not played an active role in recent years, he has consistently encouraged consultation and collective decision-making, a practice that will secure the movement’s ongoing work in education, dialogue and humanitarian aid.
It is important to note that Hizmet thrives in democracies and will continue to grow. Since Mr. Gulen has no official position within the movement, there will be no successor. Yet his legacy remains a powerful source of inspiration. Hizmet participants will continue to look to his words and actions for guidance as they continue their mission of serving people to serve God.
Let us honor his life by continuing the work to which he dedicated himself: promoting education, dialogue, mutual understanding, respect and peace around the world.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. Please join us in praying for his peace and tranquility as we ask God for mercy and forgiveness for his soul.
With my deepest respects,
Alliance for Shared Values
Who Was Fethullah Gulen?
Fethullah Gülen was a Muslim scholar, preacher and social advocate who inspired millions of people in Turkey and around the world with his decades-long commitment to education, selfless community service and interfaith harmony. Described as one of the world’s most influential Muslim intellectuals, Mr. Gülen dedicated his life to interfaith and intercultural dialogue, community service and providing access to quality education.
Mr. Gulen revived the spirit of interfaith dialogue in his home country of Turkey and strongly advocated pro-democracy, pro-equal opportunity, pro-science and non-violent stances. His lifelong work on interfaith cooperation earned him recognition from faith leaders around the world and a personal audience with the late Pope John Paul II in 1998.
In his later years, Mr. Gülen became a target of the autocratic Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who falsely blamed Mr. Gülen for the disastrous 2016 coup attempt. Mr. Gülen’s previous support for Mr. Erdoğan was based on Mr. Erdoğan’s stated commitment to pushing Turkey toward the European Union as a democratic candidate country. When Mr. Erdoğan turned back on his earlier promises and instead moved toward autocracy, Mr. Gülen withdrew his support, and Mr. Erdoğan launched a campaign of repression and persecution against Hizmet supporters that continues to this day.
He was one of the first Muslim leaders to publicly condemn the September 11 attacks and denounced ISIS in ads placed in leading US newspapers in 2014.
His efforts are recognized by other global leaders who recognize his vital role in promoting mutual understanding and peace, as well as his leadership in humanitarian initiatives.
He is the recipient of the 2011 peace prize from the New York-based East West Institute .
Mr. Gulen was named one of the 100 most influential people by TIME Magazine in 2013 and was awarded Korea’s 2013 Manhae Peace Prize .
The Martin Luther King International Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, awarded Gülen the 2015 Gandhi King Ikeda Peace Prize for his lifetime contributions to peace .
Gülen was named one of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential People Living by the UK-based Mind, Body and Spirit Magazine in 2018, 2019 and 2020 .
Gülen was included in the list of the Muslim Top 500 Preachers and Spiritual Guides published by the Royal Islamic Strategic Research Center of Jordan in 2018, 2022 and 2023.
Gülen has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times by social scientists who have studied his life and works.
For more information about Gülen, please visit https://afsv.org/about-us/fethullah-gulen/.
For more detailed information about the Service Movement, please visit https://afsv.org/.
About the Shared Values Alliance
The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as a voice for cultural organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. The alliance works to promote peace and social harmony by helping to reduce misinformation and false stereotypes about any and all ethnic, cultural and religious communities.
