Gulen Charter Schools: Ignorance and Lies Beyond Reality


Date posted: January 17, 2011

“Ignorance, fear, hatred, and lies beyond reality” seems to be a common pattern of many accusations in our world. The pattern well explains the motif of the statement, “Fethullah Gülen infiltrates the United States through our charter schools.” It seems to me that the only truth of the statement is that it aims to disturb people by using an irritating word as “infiltration.”

First of all, the statement lightly disregards the fact that the charter schools that are referred to are completely public institutions and not to be operated by such a reclusive person as Fethullah Gülen, who declares in an interview that appeared in USA Today that he has no relation with any institution in the form of ownership, board membership, or any similar kind. Calling these charter schools as Gulen charter schools is totally wrong. He maintains: “For many decades, I have expressed my ideas and opinions about social issues facing humanity. Many people have listened to my speeches and read my works. I do not approve that those who are familiar with and share these ideas and opinions to any extent, or the institutions they work at, should be viewed as connected with my person.”

A Texas Monthly article by William Martin, Rice University professor, supports what Fethullah Gülen declares. Martin clearly shows that the relation of Mr. Gülen with a group of U.S. charter schools is a natural one, that is, there are Gülen-inspired educators who legally work there. The reality can also be seen at my personal interview with a group of educators working at public schools in Texas. There a physical educator says that, coming from Turkey, it would be impossible for him not to know about Fethullah Gülen and the social movement he has inspired. The educator assumes that the majority of Turkish nation sympathize or support Fethullah Gülen’s humanitarian ideals.

Fethullah Gülen is well known with his apolitical way of service to society and his stance against proselytizing people to Islam. He defends the idea that religious people should represent their values with their attitudes and let others choose to regard or not those values (Gülen 2004: 38, 115). Professor Scott Appleby, Director of Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, testifies this commonly known fact in his recent article at OpenDemocracy:

Gülen has his critics. His endorsement of robust religious pluralism, reluctance to proselytise publicly, and insistence that his followers build schools not mosques, has led some Islamists to conclude that Gülen preaches an “Islam-less Islam”—a fuzzy ecumenism that refuses to take seriously the supposedly absolutist claims of religion.

Professor Appleby teaches courses in American religious history and comparative religious movements at the University of Notre Dame. He examines the roots of religious violence and the potential of religious peace-building. Appleby also co-chaired the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Task Force on Religion and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy, which released the influential report “Engaging Religious Communities Abroad: A New Imperative for U.S. Foreign Policy.” In regard to the accusations of “infiltration,” “Islamization,” etc., Dr. Appleby says, “If a tree is known by its fruits, however, thus far the Gülen people give no evidence of deserving these accusations.” What is more, Dr. Appleby points out to the Gülen-inspired movement as one that the U.S. universities and youth movements, foundations and businesses should engage.

Dr. Kurt

Source: http://gulenandcharterschools.blogspot.com/p/ignorance-fear-and-even-lie-beyond.html


Related News

Washington Post on Erdoğan’s purge: Cruel frenzy in march towards authoritarianism

Mr. Erdogan, the Turkish president who was the target of a failed coup last July, has since carried out a wave of arbitrary punishments and imprisonments of thousands of journalists, academics, bureaucrats, lawyers and human rights defenders he suspects of affiliation with Mr. Gulen and his movement. This cruel frenzy is just the latest step in Mr. Erdogan’s march toward authoritarianism.

Islam followers from across the world receive teachings of Monroe County religious leader

“[Gulen] is encouraging all Muslims to have more dialogue, more engagement with fellow non-Muslims citizens so to have a common human experience,” Aslandogan said.

NBA player and Erdoğan-critic Enes Kanter’s father arrest in Turkey

Dr. Mehmet Kanter, father of NBA player and Turkish government-critic Enes Kanter has been arrested in Instanbul. This comes days after Turkish officials issued an arrest warrant for the US-based basketball player and seeked assistance from Interpol to extradite him to Turkey.

‘Hizmet Movement is teaching “habits of the heart”, without any request for payback’

The individuals in the Hizmet Movement present to Americans a life of Islam which is not frightening, which, where the values and concerns relate primarily to those of family and faith.

Man campaigning for anti-Gülen protest in US Turkish Communist Party member

A statement on the herkul.org website, which broadcasts weekly speeches of Gülen, said Gülen’s doors are open to everyone. “We are following the path of 13th-century Sufi philosopher and poet Rumi. Our hearts and doors are open to everyone. We have all kinds of tea and refreshments here. Freedom of expression and thought is what we have also been defending unless it contains insult.

Pro-gov’t daily claims White House held special session on Gülen

Pro-government Turkish daily Takvim claimed in a Friday report that the White House held a special session on Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who is based in the US, in September 2014.

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

17th TUSKON trade summit sees 25,000 B2B meetings

Actually, the president is electing his republic

Despite father’s arrest, Kanter refuses to be silenced

Second Turkish high school for girls opens in Afghanistan

OIC head says he has always endorsed Turkish schools abroad

Diplomatic solution: Pak-Turk schools may not be shut down after all

Nigerian govt reacts to planned deportation of 1000 Turks

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News