Elizabeth Munisoglu on Hizmet Movement


Date posted: October 13, 2014

Elizabeth Munisoglu is a Commissioner at State of California Superior Court, Los Angeles County. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1988. Munisoglu specialized in criminal law, and served as the Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney for 18 years.

Reflecting back on her experience as a judge and prosecutor, Elizabeth Munisoğlu uses strong references such as George Washington and Alexis de Tocqueville in vouching for the principle that separation of powers is “essential for a democracy to function efficiently and fairly.” Judge Munisoğlu warns that “The absolute power of any majority to do whatever without any check leads to disastrous consequences.”

Munisoğlu concentrates on principles like term limits, separation of power, independent judiciary, freedom of press, and the importance of a clearly defined notion of ‘national security’ in order to establish a fully functioning and healthy democracy run by elected officials who fulfill their responsibilities.

“The judiciary’s role is to see that the protection of the rest of the population that’s not a part of the majority is maintained and enforced.”

“I think term limits are important to the extent that they prevent a majority from becoming entrenched in power.”

“The right of a free press is the bulwark against intrusions onto personal liberty.”

“If the term national security means a threat to the continued performance of certain elected politicians in office, then it is not national security really; it is their positions in power that is being threatened.”

*Produced by Spectra Media exclusively for Irmak TV, Atlas of Thoughts (Fikir Atlasi) connects the scholars, politicians, jurists, religious figures, journalists, and academics reflecting on Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen and the Hizmet Movement with the audience. Each episode features a person from a different segment of the society with diverse experiences regarding the Hizmet activities and its volunteers. If you are interested to hear about the Hizmet and Mr. Gulen from these people’s perspectives, do not miss this show!

Source: Spectra Media

Tags: | | |


Related News

Gülen condemns ISIL atrocities in ads in leading US newspapers

In the ads, which appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times, Gülen said the actions of ISIL — referred to in the ad as ISIS, another name it goes by — are a “disgrace to the faith they proclaim and crimes against humanity.”

Power struggle for the state or deep rift about Turkey?

As an external observer, I see a profound rift having taken place between Erdoğan — more than anybody else in the AKP — and the Hizmet movement; and that has much less to do with the power struggle than a resistance to another massive, individual attempt to accumulate power in one person.What has defined Erdoğan’s way with various social segments since 2011 is to alienate, antagonize, suppress and devour. So was his pattern with the dissident Kurds, Alevis, leftists, liberals and now Hizmet.

‘A movement like the Hizmet Movement is very important for correcting misconceptions of Islam’

Dr. Lawrence Geraty is a Professor of Archaeology and Old Testament Studies at La Sierra University in Riverside, California. He served as the second President of La Sierra University. He completed his PhD in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology at Harvard University.

Erdogan at UN urges global action against preacher

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday demanded at UN speech international action against the US-exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom he accuses of orchestrating an aborted coup d’etat against him. Gulen, who fled Turkey for Pennsylvania and has been active in religious dialogue and charity, strongly denies Erdogan’s charges that he organized the July military coup attempt, which quickly collapsed.

They think we are terrorists, they think we are evil

Another woman, a former Turkish journalist before the government shut down papers that spoke out against it, said: “I feel like my voice has been taken. People don’t feel safe in London, even going shopping, because we don’t know what radicals will do.”

Was there a sincere alliance between the Gulen Movement and Erdogan?

NRT correspondent Huner Anwer interviews Fethullah Gulen in his Pennsylvania residence ask the crucial question on alliance between the Gulen Movement and Erdogan. Gulen says, briefly, there has never been sincere alliance between them but the movement supported Erdogan as long as Erdogan stayed in line with democratic values and honored rule of law.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Erdogan presses Kyrgyzstan for action against Gulen group

Academic says Gülen movement followers should be sent to rehabilitation camps

Fethullah Gülen’s Statement of Condolences and Condemnation for Manhattan Terrorist Attack

Tape politics

Pro-Erdoğan journalists call for assassination of Gülen followers abroad

MHP deputy dismissed gang allegations against Hizmet Movement

Turkey as a “serial” human rights derogator

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News