Turkish preacher isn’t running terrorist gang


Date posted: August 20, 2016

Fatih Harpci

Fethullah Gülen is the man the Turkish president blames for a coup attempt on July 15 in Turkey.

Well known as a Muslim social advocate and the inspirational leader of a civil society movement called Hizmet, Gülen has now been branded a terrorist by the Turkish authorities without any court order or hard evidence of his involvement.

Is Gülen really a terrorist leader? Actually, the Turkish people asked the very same question in 2000 when Ankara State Security Court’s chief prosecutor opened a case against Gülen charging the Turkish preacher had set up a terrorist network. The prosecutor has charged hundreds of schools and organizations founded by people inspired by Gülen’s ideas, and Gülen was acquitted of all charges.

Now the Turkish government follows the same path and designates the Hizmet initiative, which promotes education, community service, and interfaith dialogue, a terrorist organization. After studying the movement, I have seen that Gülen has been preaching understanding, tolerance, human rights and democracy — but definitely not violence.

Schools established by the Hizmet volunteers are aimed to raise generations who respect universal human values and are educated through modern sciences and spiritual formation. Gülen reiterated his views on education in the interviews July 17, right after the attempted coup. If any of these schools were ever involved in any “terrorist” activity, as the Turkish government blindly claims, the many host countries would be the first to shut them down.

In his 56-page defense presented to the Turkish court in 2001, Gülen emphasized that his personal views and the surveys and studies conducted on the movement proved that both national and international academic circles did not see Hizmet as a terrorist organization or “Muslim supremacist cult.” Almost everyone both in Turkey and abroad knows that Gülen was the first Muslim leader who condemned the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Gülen stated, “I would like to stress that any terrorist activity, no matter who does it and for what purpose, is the greatest blow to peace, democracy and humanity.”

When people were searching for moderate Muslim voices, he had already issued press releases for the attacks in Madrid, London, Boston, San Bernardino, Mogadishu, Orlando, Lahore, Paris, Istanbul, Nairobi, Brussels and many other places, condemning any type of terrorism and religious extremism.

Given the popularity of the Hizmet across the world and lack of evidence that Gülen is indeed linked to terrorism, I believe it will be unequivocally impossible to confirm that the movement is a “separatist terrorist organization,” as claimed by the Turkish president. Gülen always makes a broad social critique of violence, terrorism and racism, while promoting social justice, harmony and peace.

Yes, the Turkish government blames Gülen and his sympathizers for the attempted military coup. Gülen has rejected all accusations that he was behind the coup attempt and declared his clear stance on democracy. This is also what he stated back in 1994: “I believe, from now on, both in Turkey and in the rest of the world, there will be no going back from democracy.”


Harpci, who was born and raised in Turkey, is an assistant professor of religion at Carthage College in Kenosha: fharpci@carthage.edu.

Source: Wisconson State Journal , August 19, 2016


Related News

Berlin mayor accuses Turkey of waging war on Gulen supporters in Germany

“I was approached and asked by a Turkish government official, whether we would be prepared to critically confront the Gulen movement in Berlin,” Michael Müller, mayor premier of the state of Berlin, told the German newspaper Bild. “I rejected the idea and made it very clear that Turkish conflicts could not be waged in our city,” he added.

Lessons from Dec. 17: Who is parallel?

To prove whether the Gülen movement has a parallel structure , one has to establish that the investigations and wiretappings were not conducted within the scope of a legal investigation. If that is proven, one has to demonstrate that the police and prosecutors in charge of the investigations were receiving instructions not from the state but from sources within the movement. Both of these claims have to be proven with evidence.

Alevi leader Kenanoğlu: Discrimination against Alevis increased in 2013

It must be realized that religion is a matter for individual citizens. It is likely that the Gülen community will face restrictions and pressure from the government [as the AK Party government’s supporters have accused the Gülen movement of discrediting a number of ministers and their relatives in relation to a recent investigation into alleged bribery in public tenders, which saw the sons of three Cabinet ministers taken into custody alongside construction moguls and bureaucrats]. What we have been defending are universal rights, including the freedom of religion and belief. If these can be achieved, everybody will benefit from them, not just the Alevi community.

I’m ashamed

A defamation campaign was kicked off to demonize the Hizmet movement — just as the “deep state” would do in the past — and a witch hunt was launched in various state organs. Despite the fact that the prep school debate started months ago, the probe was portrayed as part of it.

‘Turkish people not silly to believe slanderous news about Gülen’

Lawrence E. Carter, the dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, stated that a campaign of slander has bene launched against religious scholar Fethullah Gülen and Hizmet Movement but Turkish people are not stupid to believe such defamations.

Gülen donates Manhae award honorarium to Peace Projects

Well-respected Turkish intellectual and scholar Fethullah Gülen has decided to donate the honorarium that accompanies the Manhae Peace Prize he received to Peace Projects, a grant program launched by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV). Gülen was awarded the Manhae Peace Prize for his contributions to world peace at a ceremony held in South Korea […]

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

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

In Case You Missed It

Post-Kemalist but still illiberal Turkey

Turkish Imam: Enjoy the properties of Gulen Movement as ‘spoils’

Gulen turns coup accusations on Erdogan

Turkic American Alliance Condemns Government Takeover of Zaman

Fethullah Gülen expresses thanks for condolences extended after brother’s death

Gulen-Inspired Schools Promote Learning and Service: A Response to Philadelphia Inquirer

Academic Freedom in Turkey Under Seige

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News