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What is Turkey's Gulen movement?
Inspired by an obscure Turkish imam, the Gulen movement is associated with more than 1,000 schools in 130 countries as well as think tanks, newspapers, TV and radio stations, universities - and even a bank. It has no set structure, no visible organisation and no authorized membership.Its supporters claim to simply work together, in a loose affiliation inspired by charismatic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who promotes altruism, hard work and education. Turkish businessmen admire his international outlook and pragmatic approach to issues like using credit. In Turkey today, they are believed to have up to 10 million supporters. A recent study says many give between 5%-20% of their income to movement affiliated groups. Critics accuse the movement of wanting power, to spread socially conservative Islamic attitudes on issues like marriage and alcohol around the world, and to suppress opposition. During the past year, three prominent critics have been jailed in Turkey, leading some to say that it has become a sinister force in its native land. Gulen's critics point to a video which showed up in 1999, where he seemed to tell his followers to infiltrate the mainstream: "You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centres. You must wait until such time as you have got all the state power, until you have brought to your side all the power of the constitutional institution in Turkey," said Gulen. In 2000, Gulen was charged with trying to undermine Turkey's secular state. He left for the United States, claiming the recording had been tampered with. He has been cleared in absentia of all charges. Today, at age 70, Gulen lives the life of a recluse on a country estate in Pennsylvania. He urges his followers to build schools instead of mosques, and encourages interaction with people of other faiths through dialogue societies. Posted by: ryuge 2011-05-25 |
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