Gülen says abusive language to cover up sins is hypocrisy

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen (Photo: AP)
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen (Photo: AP)


Date posted: December 26, 2014

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has strongly criticized abusive language and remarks within pro-government circles insulting members of the Hizmet movement, saying this kind of behavior is hypocritical and is being employed to cover up their own sins.

In his latest weekly speech, broadcast on the website Herkul.org, Gülen said: “There are more than 400 abusive words used since last year [by the government circles] which were not even used by Lenin and Hitler against their opponents.” Gülen said their thoughts are on abusive language all the time therefore their words then articulate their feelings.

Gülen did not directly mention the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s name, but it was obvious that he was responding to the remarks by Erdoğan and AK Party circles against him and the Hizmet movement. Since last year, Erdoğan has continuously accused the Hizmet movement, inspired by the views of Gülen, of being behind a corruption probe that involves sons of AK Party Cabinet ministers, businesspeople and the chief of the state bank as being part of a foreign plot against the AK Party government.

Talking to his friends after a prayer, Gülen said a person, considering their position in the eyes of the public, has to be cautious about the words they use as it may drag them into heresy or out of religion. “If a person from a cemaat [community] says ‘dog,’ it may pardonable, but if a leader of a community such as an imam of a mosque uses the same words, it might be necessary to take him out of the mosque,” Gülen said.
Gülen recalled that the Prophet Muhammed never reacted to those who harmed him. “If he is the example for Muslims, whatever is contrary to that example is chaos,” Gülen added. Gülen said those who commit this mistae become unbalanced and impertinent creatures.

Referring to the accusations of Erdoğan against Turkish schools abroad, Gülen called these words cowardly, illogical and inhuman behaviors. Erdoğan warned African countries against a “threat” from “dangerous structures that look like nongovernmental organizations or educational volunteers,” referring to the volunteers of the Gülen movement, saying during his visit to Africa at the end of November this year that his administration is ready to cooperate with African governments against such structures.

According to Gülen these Turkish schools, also known as Hizmet schools, have been opened around the world over the past several years, including in many countries in Africa, and are God’s gift to and the property of the people. “It was attacked in connection to fundamentalism previously, today with ‘parallel’ paranoia,” he said in relation to accusations against the schools.

The “parallel structure” is a term invented by Erdoğan to refer to followers of the Hizmet movement, particularly followers within the state bureaucracy.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 22, 2014


Related News

[Part 3] Gülen says gov’t cut back on rights and freedoms in Turkey

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who has inspired the popular civic and social movement called Hizmet, has said he is concerned with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government’s moves seen over the last couple of years to cut back on fundamental rights and freedoms in Turkey.

No return from democracy, Zaman editor Dumanlı says under detention

Ekrem Dumanlı, the editor-in-chief of Turkey’s most circulated paper, the Zaman daily, emphasized his strong belief in democracy on the third day of his detention in an unprecedented government-backed police crackdown.

Growing Corruption Inquiry Hits Close to Turkish Leader

In building his political career, Turkey’s powerful and charismatic prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, relied heavily on the support of a Sufi mystic preacher [Fethullah Gulen] whose base of operations is now in Pennsylvania. Mr. Gulen’s followers “never approved the role the government tried to attain in the Middle East, or approved of its policy in Syria, which made everything worse, or its attitude in the Mavi Marmara crisis with Israel,” said Ali Bulac, a conservative intellectual and writer who supports Mr. Gulen.

You couldn’t meet a nicer bunch of people: answer to defamation

Why do some portray Gülen and the residents of the retreat center, where he lives, as terrorists, while their neighbors describ them as “you couldn’t meet a nicer bunch of people”? Fethullah Gülen is one of the fruit-bearing trees of our time. He is as tall as the pine trees of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, where […]

Hizmet’s role in global peace, interfaith dialogue highlighted in African conference

The role of the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement, has been highlighted during an international conference held in the Republic of Benin attended by African religious leaders and intellectuals.

As I researched the Gulen schools in Germany, I experienced beyond what I had expected

Dr. Jochen Thies’ new book focuses on Gulen-inspired Schools in Germany. Dr. Jochen Thies introduced the book he wrote about the schools opened in Germany by Turkish entrepreneurs: “We Are a Part of This Society-A Look at the Education Initiatives of the Gulen Movement”. Dr. Gunther Mulack, Director of the German Orient Institute, who was also […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

German intelligence did not warn against Hizmet Movement

Pak-Turk students shine at Kenya climate olympiad

Turkey’s trampling of freedoms is Europe’s problem too

Erdogan advisor likens Turkey purge to Aborigine, Native American, Armenian cases

Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric – BBC’s interview with Fethullah Gulen

GYV Presient Yesil: We knock on all doors

Three Turkish diplomats seeking asylum in Germany after coup

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News