The Philadelphia
Dialogue Forum held its 2nd Annual Academic Iftar Dinner at Temple University
on Thursday, September 17th, 2009. This dinner
consisted of
professors from local universities and colleges. The iftar dinner
enlightened guests on the importance
of education in dialogue. The dinner began with the
recitation of the athan (call to prayer) followed by the speeches of
the guest
speakers.
President
of Moore College of Art and the Vice President of the Association
of National Art and Design schools, Dr. Happy Fernandez, brought
attention to
the sacrifices of teachers and how they are exemplary in US public
schools.
Dr. Fernandez said that Fethullah Gulen represented a similar
endeavor. She spoke about the difficulties experienced in the US
primary and
secondary school systems and stressed the importance of
education. She
expressed her conviction that the only way to reach the desired
atmosphere of
dialogue and tolerance is education.
At
the iftar Dr. Jon Pahl, who is a professor of American Christian
History
at the Philadelphia Lutheran Theological Seminary, spoke,
entirely, on the educational philosophy of Fethullah
Gulen. Dr. Pahl, based on his
visits abroad, and his
research during those visits, explained thoroughly how successful the
schools
established by voluntary Turkish businessmen in many countries of Central Asia
and Africa including those
in Turkey and the US were.
Dr. Pahl said “I have read all the books of Mr. Gulen, translated
into English,
and consider him one of those important thinkers who struggle all their
lives
to make people live together peacefully in this century of ours”.
