Islamic scholar Gülen warns Hizmet movement against possible plots


Date posted: September 6, 2013

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has warned volunteers of Hizmet, a social movement known for its cultural and educational activities around the world, against possible plots aiming to portray the movement as a criminal network by placing illegal materials in houses and institutions affiliated with the movement.

With Turkey going through a turbulent time regarding reverberations of the protracted conflict consuming Syria and other related problems in Turkish domestic and foreign policy, Gülen warned against plans that aim to cause entrenched problems in Turkey’s socio-political landscape by creating deep polarization among social and political actors.

“For instance, some people could place weapons or drugs at houses and institutions [affiliated with Hizmet] to pave the way for legal probes and an enduring smear campaign against the movement,” Gülen said, in an implicit reference to the efforts of clandestine organizations targeting the Hizmet movement.

A plot allegedly devised by an illegal group within the Turkish military and uncovered in 2009 suggested that the group planned to discredit the Gülen movement in ways similar to those described by the scholar.

An indictment concerning the Action Plan to Fight Reactionaryism, which prosecutors say also targeted the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), revealed that according to the plot, religious communities were to be framed in the public eye as “terrorist organizations” through subversive plans.

Members of the military were to plant unlicensed weapons, ammunition and narcotics in homes, schools and other institutions owned by the followers of the Hizmet movement. Police raids at these houses would result in the arrest of those individuals. The public would then start believing that religious communities had “terrorist intentions,” according to the plot.

Retired Col. Dursun Çiçek, who had his signature on the plot, was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on Aug. 5 in the trial of the Ergenekon terrorist organization on charges of plotting to overthrow the government.

Source: Today's Zaman , September 05, 2013

Tags: | | |


Related News

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

Sait Onal Today marks the first anniversary of the passing of Fethullah Gülen (1941–2024)—a man whose life’s work continues to inspire millions across the world. His vision, rooted in deep faith and universal compassion, gave rise to the Hizmet Movement (“service” in Turkish), a civic initiative dedicated to education, dialogue, and community building. Gülen lived in an era […]

African Union Commission chair supports creation of more Turkish schools

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, said on Tuesday during a visit to Johannesburg that volunteers working for the faith-based Gülen movement — inspired by the teachings of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen — should continue to build schools and other institutions in Africa.

Failed coup in Turkey hits Albany’s Turkish Cultural Center

A failed military coup in Turkey in July continues to reverberate locally with the layoff of the only paid employee at the Turkish Cultural Center of Albany and cuts in its programs, which include language and cooking classes.

Erdogan may keep winning, but it wont’ do Turkey any good

I don’t believe Ankara is ever really going to stray from its partnership with the U.S., because Turkey simply cannot afford it. The coup — failed though it was — has left the formerly expanding Turkish economy gasping. Credit-rating agencies have lowered the nation’s stock, and the purging of coup conspirators, both real and imagined, has left tens of thousands of crucial private- and public-sector positions empty. Economic growth, meanwhile, is expected to dip.

State government in Baden Wurttemberg in constructive dialogue with Hizmet volunteers

The nine-item inquiry proposed by five CDU (Christian Democratic Union) deputies to Baden Wurttemberg State Assembly has been responded by Ministry of Integration in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister Undersecretary and Ministry of Education. Through the answers, the public, once again, has been affirmed that the Turkish-initiated schools have […]

Only educational efforts of groups such as Hizmet can eradicate extremism

In sharp contrast to Boko Haram, there is a faith-inspired group, a civil society movement that engages in education, dialogue and charitable activities and has grown out of Muslim grass roots. Check out how disturbed Boko Haram is about Hizmet’s education campaign, which offers opportunities for both boys and girls. Check out how ISIL publications outline exactly how they hate the Hizmet movement’s efforts and why they see Hizmet as their “enemies.”

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

How Erdoğan painted himself into a corner

Turkey’s Gulen crackdown hits Canada

Lecture: What Went Wrong in Turkey?

‘Hizmet Movement and Fethullah Gulen inspire uniting people around spiritual ideals’

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Fethullah Gulen’s Message for International Day of Peace

‘Young Turks’ Of Bridge Building

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News