Bishop Willybard Lagho of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi on the Boxing Day received a symbolic gift pack from Mr. Ismail SAKARYA, the Deputy Principal, Light Academy Group of Schools, an international centre for excellence offering both national curricula as well as worldwide syllabi. It is through him that volunteers working to provide education and dialogue services have been traversing the world and Coastal Region in particular through HIZMET Movement, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen.
But what is HIZMET MOVEMENT?
HIZMET movement is a Moslem led movement associated with `Fethullah Gülen. Fethullah Gülen is an Islamic scholar, preacher and social advocate, whose decades-long commitment to education, interfaith dialogue and altruism has inspired millions in Turkey and around the world. Gülen is the honorary chairman of the Rumi Forum, Washington, DC, and the Peace Islands Institute, New York. The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for cultural organizations is affiliated with Hizmet. The Alliance strives to promote peace and social harmony by helping reduce misinformation and false stereotypes about any or all ethnic, cultural and religious communities.
During the Boxing Day visit to Emmaus Residence, Mr. Ismail in company of Mr. Goughan Jildirim offered the symbolic gift, just as the Magi from the East came visiting baby Jesus. They were in three fold. A well decorated wall-clock; so well-enclosed package and a pack of bourbons! The smiling Bishop received the two visitors who also invited him to grace a HIZMET event soon taking place in Malindi through the Alliance for Shared Values.
The lengthy friendly talk is another sign that the Catholic Diocese of Malindi is determined to spur interreligious dialogue between people of various faiths and religious backgrounds welcoming all and leaving out none in the quest to respond to societal needs and promote community development through education, integral human growth and development in general.
For more information, visit the alliance website: https://afsv.org/