Islamic Political Identity in Turkey

7Print-Based IslamicDiscourseThe Nur MovementThe Nurcu groups have evolved into the most powerful and eVectivesociopolitical communities in contemporary Turkey. The writings ofSaid Nursi, particularly his magnum opus, Risale-i Nur Külliyatì(RNK), constitute the base of this faith movement. Nursi’s work hasmarked Islamic political discourse indelibly, oVering original ideasfor addressing political and sociocultural problems. By studying theNur community, one can understand the dynamics of religion andstate on the one hand and modernity and identity on the other. TheNur groups’ dynamism as a social movement is rooted in theirnetwork of media, education, business, and publishing establishments.The text-based nature of the movement makes it unique;since Nursi’s death in 1960, no one has succeeded him, and themovement remains very much centered around his writings. Thisfocus has resulted in a new idiom of communication and a newmessage of moral and ethical renewal for society. The Nurmovement’s emphasis on text naturally has resulted in its involvementin the publishing and printing businesses.The Life of Said NursiAs a movement of resistance to the ongoing Kemalist modernizationprocess, the Nurcu movement is forward-looking and proactive. SaidNursi oVered a conceptual framework for a people undergoing thetransformation from a confessional community (gemeinschaft) to asecular national society (gesellschaft). These concepts constitute amap of meaning and provide strategies for dealing with modernchallenges by redeWning Islamic folk concepts and practices to