Fethullah Gulen: Turkish Scholar, Cleric

Fethullah Gulen: Turkish Scholar, Cleric — And Conspirator?

A Rare Interview: Jamie Tarabay Meets Turkish Scholar Fethullah Gulen

Date posted: January 8, 2014

Al-Jazeera America reporter Jamie Tarabay interviewed Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen in his home last spring. It was published in The Atlantic last August. Gulen is a Turkish spiritual leader to millions of Turks, both in Turkey and around the world, and the head of the Gulen movement. His network of followers spans the globe, and it has opened academically-focused schools in 90 countries, including the U.S.

Robert Siegel speaks with Tarabay about the interview.

Source: National Public Radio , January 08, 2014

Tags: Fethullah Gulen | Hizmet (Gulen) movement |

Related News

Turkish PM Erdoğan’s imagined enemies

Turkey is no longer the old Turkey. The affluent middle class, the young population and stronger civil society organizations, strengthened by the digital revolution with such tools as social media and Internet portals, will resist any attempts to turn the clock backwards on the development of Turkish democracy. People will simply ask why Prime Minister Erdoğan is not going after his people who have been sleeping with the enemy next door if he is really sincere in addressing external threats to this great nation.

Toward a party state

At this point, the only thing Erdoğan can do is manufacture false charges and evidence against the Hizmet movement, which wouldn’t be persuasive. In a normal democratic state where the rule of law is cherished, there must be concrete evidence to press charges against anyone, and those so charged are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty. In a party state, however, imaginary charges are first voiced and then meddlesome public authorities manufacture crimes and criminals to fit those charges.

Hizmet movement and Kurdish question in Turkey

Through educational projects, the Hizmet movement helped to alter the social fabric of Turkish people who consciously or otherwise supported the institutional resistance of state and governmental bodies. Through dialogue and face-to-face encounters, Turkish people have had the chance to experience and feel the grievances of their Kurdish brothers and sisters and listen to their stories.

Fethullah Gülen’s message to conference on “Mutual Understanding” in Ethiopia

Fethullah Gülen’s message to the conference entitled “Establishing&Sustaining the Culture of Coexistence and Mutual Understanding” Distinguished members of the Ethiopian – Turkish Necaşi School and the African Union, Dear guests, Please accept my warmest regards. I sincerely congratulate any effort to promote mutual understanding and the culture of co-existence which we so desperately need the […]

Fethullah Gulen Suggests Nonviolent Options to Young Activists

Fethullan Gulen suggests some ways to the young activist group that are not based on violence and that are for peace. I think it’s necessary to understand the significance of education and school projects in particular. I try to express this in my articles. Akman: Why are you more interested in sociology of religion? Ozdalga*: […]

Gülen: The coup attempt was an outrageous scenario constructed by Erdoğan

“Last year’s failed coup attempt in Turkey [was] nothing but a false flag orchestrated by Turkey’s autocratic President Erdoğan and his henchmen to create a pretext for [the] mass persecution of critics and opponents in a state of perpetual emergency,” SCF concluded.