The surprise winner of the Prospect/Foreign Policy global intellectuals poll is Fethullah Gülen, a US-based Turkish Sufi cleric with an international network of 5m followers, many hundreds of thousands of whom propelled him to a landslide victory (see the full results here).
Those who had a pop at Prospect for pandering to the forces of pseudo-democratic populism by running such a poll will feel vindicated by the result. After all, the fact that the Fethullahçi—the collective noun for Gülen’s followers—successfully mounted an orchestrated campaign for their man does away with any claim of objectivity made for the poll (not a claim we ever made, of course).
Yet on the other hand, as I describe in my piece that accompanies the results, perhaps we can see in Gülen’s victory the emergence of a new kind of public intellectual: one whose influence is expressed through a personal network, with the help of the internet, rather than more traditional institutions like journals or universities.
And Gülen himself has strong links to Turkey’s ruling AK party, which finds itself on the receiving end of an attempt to ban it by the country’s secular establishment. As David Goodhart describes in his editorial, this is probably the biggest political battle in Europe—and anything that draws our attention to it must be a good thing. (Ehsan Masood explores Gülen’s life and work here.)
If you have any questions about the poll, or the various voting campaigns that it spawned, post them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
I really thank the editor, the magazine and the organizers of the voting. I was not sure if the voting is fair, because it is controlled by 2 famous western magazines who might not decleare the actual results!It is not because they are western, but you know, how things run…
I am happy, i was wrong…
Interestingly enough, the editor of the famous magazine, did not have any idea about the most intellectual living person in the planet!!!so, obviously somethings are not right(not enough intellectual) happening in the world. I think it is time to put peace bridges between the religons and traditions and to leave islamofobia and westernfobia a side. One more thing, if Mr. Fetullah Gulen is the most intellectual person, please we respect him and we do not allow his ideas and living style to be manipulated or blamed in political issues of mainly his country by his opponents or enemies…
Rather, let’s try to understand Mr. Gulen, who is the most intellectual living person, isn’t he?…
In addition, It is just a little bit of disrespecting Mr. Gulen by mentioning “Fetullahci” in the article. I read in his books(articles) that he always says that there is no “Fetullahci”. How can the article mention and miss such an important point!!!
it is also disrespecting to those who voted for him, that’s what i belive…
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……….. Ridiculous!
It’s about time we turn the spotlight on those thinkers, like Fethullah Gulen who are playing a vital role in educating people about the importance of a shared inclusive future and how we can collaboratively work towards a better community - for all of us!
It’s also important for media outlets to actively seek positive role models for the sometimes isolated and dis-enchanted Muslims, and also not to feed the West a simplied version of Islam that is hijacked by terrorists and terrorist networks. People need to know that a pro-active group like those inspired by Gulen exist not only for themselves but for the benefit of others. More Gulen - less terrorist news please!
‘Prospect’ - thanks for making Gulen known to me and the wider World community!
Its interesting for me and for wider perceptions amongst Muslims of their thinkers. But from one perspective, competing for such (sorry) ‘white’ honours through polls like this on the pages of Prospect is inherently demeaning to the culture from which Gulen comes from. Similarly with Amr Khaled. These folks are social reformers, they dont need this ‘kudos’ or attention. I think some thick PR people got over exited.
Thanks for the interesting list. Any list of interesting people with ideas is useful especially when elements of the media devote themselves to merely throwing much around.
Jah! A true pool from a local (global?) LONDONISTAN!
Tom … your poll was “simple to hijack” because it was simply stupid. The only question is therefore whether you knew this beforehand. If you did then it was just a publicity stunt. If you didn’t then you were just foolish. If you run such polls again you clearly need to divide into tighter categories - one poll for gurus, one poll for religious leaders (per faith), one poll for intellectuals and so on and on and on.
Rather than note that perhpaps the end of western intellectual solipsism is upon us, we are told that the Prospect poll is ’simple to hijack’. Of course when Noam Chomsky wins there is no ‘hijack’, he is clearly the winner and deserving of the crown.
The choice of cover imagery is also lamentable and disingenuous. The fez was banned in 1925, so how does this have anything to do with modern Turkey, and what is more what is it doing on Rodin’s thinker? Are we looking at the pictorial equivalent of your analysis that western thought has been vandalised by men in silly hats? A picture says a thousand words, I think this one shows the true colours of your editorial and pictorial department - ignorant, inability to handle change and a need to denigrate those that seek to challenge western orthodoxy.
We are all better off, I’m sure, for knowing more of Fethullah Gülen. But I shall regard future winners of the global intellectuals poll with the same studious gravity with which I note the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest, with its annual ethno-bloc voting.
Gulen lives a “simple”, yet an influential life. He is the embodiment of “peace” on earth. He is not involved in politics yet he is consulted by politicians and statesmen of all opinions. He is more than a philosopher; he is an activist on the side of tolerance, peace, education, and “true” science (science not aiming destruction and manipulation of humanity). He is the ONE.