The Hizmet movement, politics and the AKP

Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz
Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz


Date posted: August 7, 2013

İHSAN YILMAZ

A psychological warfare campaign has recently been launched against not only Today’s Zaman but also the Hizmet (Gülen) movement.

Participants in this campaign claim that Hizmet volunteers must not talk about political issues without first establishing a political party. There are several media outlets affiliated with or sympathetic to the Hizmet movement, and they have been covering certain political issues, news and comments. Those who are not comfortable with the coverage of these media outlets never expressed concerns when these outlets criticized the opponents of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and never said that the Hizmet movement must form a political party. Their double standard is conspicuous.

I have written on this issue here several times, but obviously we need to write about it again and again. So, let me repeat what was said here last year: The Hizmet movement is a volunteer movement that appeals to individuals from all sorts of social, cultural, ideological and even religious backgrounds. It is true that its roots are firmly in Islam, but similar to Rumi’s compass, it endeavors to establish critically constructive contact with every single human being on the planet. Its main mission is to build bridges across cultures, communities, religions and so on. Hizmet cannot establish a political party because politics all over the world are mostly based on contention, challenge, belittling opponents and division. Forming a political party would harm the Hizmet movement.

Yet that does not mean that Hizmet exists in a vacuum and is not interested in political, legal and international affairs. It has to be. That is how it survived the oppressive Kemalist decades, when practicing Muslims were continually harassed by state officials. The Hizmet volunteers carefully observed and analyzed political, legal and international developments and devised wise strategies to enable their philanthropic projects to survive. They have worked towards the democratization of the country. They openly and passionately advocate the EU membership process because they believe that Turkey could never democratize itself without this external influence. All these are, of course, political acts.

Hizmet volunteers or donors may be members of all sorts of political parties. I have known several people who are Republican People’s Party (CHP) members but are happy their children are educated in Hizmet schools. Nevertheless, most volunteers, and especially those who work for the core Hizmet projects such as the schools, media, dialogue associations, etc., are never attached to a political party. These people, of course, vote. On election day, based on criteria such as honesty, merit and a pro-democratization stance, they vote for candidates, not parties. They are not blind followers of political leaders and their parties, and on the basis of well-known principles, they can criticize the party for which they voted.

The Hizmet volunteers have a legitimate right to be members of political parties or to establish any sort of party. The fact that they have decided not to do so does not mean that they cannot be engaged in politics. They are also democratic stakeholders in this society. As fathers, teachers, businessmen and, most importantly, citizens, they have legitimate concerns, aspirations and visions with regard to how this country is run. They are entitled to these and they are entitled to air their concerns. They have a right to pressure the government, lobby it and harshly criticize it. The political parties have to live with this fact.

Hizmet has not changed its well-known principles, and while some of its volunteers are also supporters and even members of the AKP, some of them, who think that the AKP has lost its drive for democratization and become a party of the status quo, criticize the AKP. If these people find alternative parties or candidates that better satisfy their criteria, it is their democratic right to vote for them. If they think that the AKP has again revived itself with its 2002 reformist spirit, they will most probably be strong supporters again.

Source: Today's Zaman , August 7, 2013


Related News

Davud Hanci’s wife says Calgary imam detained in Turkey ‘a very peaceful man’

Rumeysa Hanci breaks down in tears when she recounts how she spent her 13th wedding anniversary, travelling home to Calgary from Turkey and not knowing when she would see her husband, Davud, again.

Germany investigates possible anti-Gulen spies

German police have raided apartments of four men suspected of carrying out espionage on behalf of the Turkish government. The men, said to be clerics, are accused of spying on supporters of cleric Fethullah Gulen.

GYV warns on provocative remarks, urges respect for peaceful protests

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) on Friday called for the government to refrain from provocative statements that may undermine peace in the society and to respect the right of freedom of assembly, while denouncing the violence displayed in mass protests across Turkey that was triggered by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attacks on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani.

Let Mr. Erdogan Fight His Own Battles

Mr. Erdogan is trying to drag the United States into the argument by threatening to demand Mr. Gulen’s extradition to Turkey. Some experts say there is no legal basis for an extradition request because there are no charges or legal cases against Mr. Gulen, who has permanent-resident status and has lived in rural Pennsylvania since 1997.

The Gulen Movement has become Turkey’s most significant export

The Gulen movement has become a global movement. In other words, it is Turkey’s most important export. When you cross boundaries, you have to watch the balance. His statement on the flotilla incident was both domestic and international. However, we must not forget that Gulen does not recommend that people fight those in authority. His statements disturbed both the government and the conservatives in Turkey.

The Public Trial of Fethullah Gulen

The Pennsylvania-based cleric is a leading reformer of moderate Islam — either that, or the head of a dangerous terrorist organization. DAVID KENNER The dueling descriptions of Fethullah Gulen often seem to describe two completely different men. To his supporters, the Pennsylvania-based imam is a progressive, tolerant Islamic thinker, who presides over a grassroots organization […]

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

World renowned NGO-rating Global Geneva stands by Kimse Yok Mu

Lawyer files criminal complaint against Gülen

Turkish businesswomen building orphanage in Burundi

Turkey jails teacher to pressure husband into ‘confessing’

Yet another woman detained due to Gülen links shortly after delivery

Gov’t’s pressure for closure of Turkish schools abroad yields no result

Persecution In Turkey Left Kids With A Down Syndrome Suffering Tremendously

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News