You are free to touch Hizmet movement

Mustafa Akyol
Mustafa Akyol


Date posted: April 20, 2012

Luke Montgomery, HOUSTON, April 20, 2012

Luke Montgomery of Washington Times Interviewed Mustafa Akyol, author of the book, Islam Without Extremes—A Muslim Case for Liberty. Mustafa Akyol tries to lay the philosophical foundation for liberal democracy in Muslim society. One of the questions asked is about imprisonment of journalist Ahmet Şık. It was claimed in Turkish and international media that Hizmet movement (aka Gulen movement) was behind his arrest and imprisonment. Below is the the question and and summary of the answer. You may find full answer and read the whole interview here. We are not able to publish the complete interview because of copyright but hope that you will go to original page and read it.

Luke Montgomery: Last year, Turkish journalist Ahmet Şık wrote a book entitled You Touch, You Burn (Dokunan Yanar) targeting the Gülen movement. Before the book was even published, he was arrested and thrown in jail. What happened to moderate and tolerant Islam in this case?

Mustafa Akyol: First, I have opposed the arrest of Ahmet Şık and similar journalists from the very beginning. I’m so glad that they are free now after being imprisoned for a year. This incident shows that the Turkish legal system is still very authoritarian and illiberal when it comes to freedom of speech.

These journalists were accused of being in an organization with some radical generals who wanted to conduct a coup. Now, I think that accusation was overblown, but at the end of the day that was the reason they were arrested. Yes, they had criticized the Gülen movement, but I don’t think that was the reason they were arrested.

There are other journalists, very secular journalists who have denounced Fethullah Gülen and his movement, defined him as a CIA agent or a secret Christian, all sorts of things, but they have never been imprisoned.

Source: Washington Times http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/looking-luke/2012/apr/20/islam-without-extremes-muslim-case-liberty-intervi/

Tags: | |


Related News

Turkish authorities unlawfully arrest woman with twin babies over alleged Gülen links

Turkish authorities yesterday arrested Merve Hande Kayış, the mother of three children including 13-month-old twins, for alleged links to the Gülen movement in violation of the country’s laws.

The [Gulen] movement was a shade

The faithful people of Anatolia who were alienated for many years, educated and trained themselves with the scope given by the “leader” of the movement. They sacrificed and worked a lot in order to get to those governmental positions. They got to these positions with their great effort and labor. They utilized these positions for God`s sake, for their homeland and their nation.

Ottawa urged to expedite residency process for those fleeing oppression in Turkey

Human rights advocate Renée Vaugeois wrote a letter asking Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to expedite the Edmonton man’s residency application. She thinks that this is a targeted war on a specific group of people in Turkey and to her that speaks to genocide.

Turkey Should Protect All Prisoners from Pandemic

Terrorism may sound like the gravest of offenses, but in Turkey, the government misuses the charge for political ends. Many inmates are placed in lengthy pretrial detention or sentenced without evidence.

Deputy PM Bülent Arınç says row with Hizmet movement would do no good

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç has commented for the first time on allegations that there are tensions between the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government and the Hizmet movement, saying, “We don’t need to get into a verbal row that might hurt relations between the government and the movement; we don’t need it, it would hurt us.” He also said Erdoğan holds Gülen in esteem.

Is the Gulen Movement a Threat to the Turkish Government?

Hakan Yesilova The Turkish press has been dominantly occupied with the coup and violence in Egypt and Syria, and one more issue that has erupted, as if out of no where, is a so-called rift between the government and the Gulen Movement (GM), an influential faith-inspired educational movement. The story goes that some influential circles […]

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

Jews and Muslims Break Their Fasts Together

Izzettin Dogan: ‘Turkish Olympiads achieved what UN couldn’t

Kimse Yok Mu reaches out to 12,000 families in Palestine

UN takes Turkish school as model in Mali

Nigeria – Our students should not be victims of Turkey’s high-handedness and authoritarianism

Turkey’s post-coup purge and persecution makes no exception for children

Neither Erdoğan nor EU the same after five years

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News