August 21, 2016– I condemn, in the strongest terms, the barbaric terrorist attack on attendees of a wedding ceremony in Gaziantep, Turkey that took the lives of more than fifty citizens, including children, and wounded many others.

This is not just an attack on the attendees of a wedding, but also an attack on the solidarity of people of Anatolia, including Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Boshniaks, Albanians, Georgians and Circassians and others who lived as neighbors for centuries.

I send my deepest condolences to those who lost their loved ones, Kurdish citizens, and all Turkish people, ask God the Merciful to give patience and perseverance to them, and heal those who were wounded.

I invite everyone, especially Muslims from around the World, to condemn all forms of terror, regardless of their perpetrators, and contribute wholeheartedly to the worldwide effort to eradicate this disease.

I ask God the Most Compassionate to dry the roots of terrorism infliction and lead the world to days of peace and tranquility by means of generations who are imbued with a deep respect for all human life.

About 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 Intercultural Dialogue Platform, Brussels, Belgium.

About Alliance for Shared Values

The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for dialogue organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. Based in New York, the Alliance strives to promote peace and to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against any ethnic, cultural and religious community. To learn more about the Alliance please visit www.afsv.org.

Media contact:

Tel: +1.212.682.4278 or media@afsv.org

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