Fethullah Gülen urges followers to stick to path despite attacks

Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. (Photo: Cihan)
Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: November 25, 2013

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen called on his followers on Monday to “just keep walking and not stop” in the face of controversial government plans to abolish privately-funded educational institutions known as dershanes, which assist medium and high school students to prepare for national college and university admission examinations.

“When you stop, you fall down,” he said, signaling that followers of the Hizmet (service) movement should strive further in multiplying their efforts to serve their communities and humanity.

He said Hizmet followers should be dedicated and committed to their cause without any expectations in return, material or otherwise, saying that all efforts should be made to please Allah.

“The only thing we seek is the pleasure of Allah and to be able to present this matter [asking Allah’s pleasure] to Him with ultimate sincerity,” Gülen explained.

He cautioned that various groups will try to prevent Hizmet followers from walking along their path by setting up numerous obstacles, stressing that those who believe in the Hizmet ideals for the sake of Allah should not mind these efforts. “We must walk the path without being shaken,” he emphasized.

Gülen stated that all these attacks should not let Hizmet followers give in to despair.

The Hizmet movement operates roughly a quarter of some 3,500 prep schools in Turkey while the rest are owned and operated by individuals or companies. Since all are privately funded, the government’s plan to shut down these schools is seen as blow to the right to free enterprise, the right to education and the right to provide services.

The plan was interpreted as a political maneuver by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government headed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as an attempt to punish the movement for being critical of the government on the lack of bold human rights reforms, the stalled EU process, its blunders in foreign policy, lingering corruption, weakened transparency and the lack of accountability in governance.

The government’s plan to forcibly abolish all private prep schools received huge criticisms across the board from business community and the academia to opposition parties, media and civic groups. It was also seen as an attempt by Erdoğan to distract the public from the great problems in public education including drug and alcohol abuse.

Erdoğan has kept up his attacks on prep schools relentlessly for a week now, marginalizing some 100,000 employees in prep schools. He wowed to push the legislation through Parliament no matter what others say or do.

In a series of speeches published on herkul.org, a website that usually broadcasts his conversations, Gülen has been calling for calmness and patience despite the attacks from pro-government circles.

“A believer can be shaken but he won’t be toppled. This is how we should interpret this situation. One should be patient over tribulations,” he noted.

Commenting on the insulting attacks leveled on Hizmet followers, he said: “You might hear terrible things but I beg you, we should not be responding in kind.”

He also underlined that the most important asset Hizmet followers have is trustworthiness and confidence, saying that “leading by example” will solve all sorts of problems.

In the draft bill, the government threatens private prep schools with hefty fines if they do not stop their operations.

Source: Today's Zaman , November 25, 2013


Related News

Netherlands poised to cancel status of Islamic university over rector’s discriminatory remarks

Dutch Education Minister Jet Bussemaker announced that there is a parliamentary debate over the Islamic University of Rotterdam for cancellation of the “university status” of the institution due to Rector Ahmet Akgündüz’s repeatedly hateful and discriminatory remarks against Turkey’s minorities and the Gülen movement.

Erdoğan’s accusation that Hizmet organized the coup attempt is noxious and absurd

The name of that “terrorist organization” was not spoken, but Ökem was referring to the so-called Fethullahçı Terör Örgütü. To the rest of the world, it’s the Hizmet movement founded by Fethullah Gülen, a former close and important ally of Erdoğan. No one else sees it as violent. Erdoğan’s accusation that it organized the coup attempt is noxious and absurd.

Democracy on the rocks in Turkey

Last week’s military coup attempt in Turkey is likely to have a debilitating impact on Turkish democracy. Already, several thousand military officials and bureaucrats have been arrested. Even more perturbing, more than 2,000 judges were removed from their jobs.

Cambodian PM congratulates students from Turkish high school on GENIUS Olympiad success

Receiving students from a Turkish high school who won nine medals in a GENIUS Science Olympiad, an international high school competition featuring projects about environmental issues, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen congratulated them on behalf of the nation, adding that the Turkish school has contributed to the education of the country.

The legacy of a professor closing down schools

The attempt to close down these schools is an indicator of hatred/resentment among some against the Hizmet movement, which laid the foundation for these institutions.

AK Party İstanbul head: Purge in state institutions began long before

Maintaining that the reassignment of thousands of people in the police force and dozens in the judiciary since the breaking of the corruption probe, in which four former ministers of the AK Party have also been implicated, should not be considered routine reassignments, Babuşcu said

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

Is it struggle between AK Party and Hizmet?

Deputy PM Arınç opens Zaman University in Cambodia

Hizmet in Context: Societal Islam Versus Political Islam

A reasonable statement from Fethullah Gülen

13 recommendations to MGK secretary for inclusion in ‘Red Book’

Why does Fethullah Gülen Scare Us?

Turkish experience in Sudan: making a difference

Copyright 2024 Hizmet News