Hizmet Bewegung (Gülen Bewegung)
Below you may read an unedited transcript of a presentation* on Gulen
Movement which provides valuable insight and a concise overview:
Gulen Movement: An Overview
First of all, I do not come here as an expert on but as a keen student of
Turkish history, politics and society, and also as a person whose
cultural understanding has been influenced by the service ethics of the
Gulen movement.
1. An attempt at description and a short historical overview of the movement’s development.
2. The values and ideals of the movement participants.
3. Fields of activity, institutions and organizations that are considered within the movement.
4. Participation and fundraising mechanisms.
5. Cultural and social dynamics that underlie the growth of the movement.
6. The views of Gulen or movement participants on key issues
such as democracy, secularism, Turkey’s EU membership, women’s roles,
the Kurdish issue, the Alevi issue, religious minorities and interfaith dialogue, nonviolence, science and arts.
Let me start with an attempt at description of the movement.
Description and Historical Background
The so-called Gulen Movement is a civil society movement. It started out
as a local service group of students, teachers, parents, and small
business owners around the Turkish scholar and preacher Fethullah Gulen
in the city of Izmir. For ease of reference, it is now mostly referred
to as the Gulen Movement, especially by western scholars because of its
main source of inspiration. By its participants, however, it is often
called hizmet, or volunteer services (movement). As far as Gulen
is concerned, he prefers to refer to it as “the movement of humans
united around high human values.”
The Movement originated in late 1960s Turkey as a faith-based (or
Islam-inspired) initiative around creating educational opportunities in
the form of scholarships, dormitories, schools and tutoring centers.
Over the four decades since then, it has grown into a transnational
educational, intercultural and interfaith movement, with participants
numbering in the millions, comprising of hundreds of foundations,
companies, professional associations, formal and informal, but legal,
associations of various kinds.
The first group of people who associated with Gulen were college
students, local mosque-goers, audiences who attend open-to-all question
and answer sessions, seminars, and café meetings.
The students at the Kestane Pazari dormitory/tutoring center in
Izmir where Gulen served as the director were also very important at the
early stages of the development of the movement.
In this stage, in addition to public speeches, Gulen attended conversation circles around tea. There people, discussed the values and ideals such as promoting and investing in sound education.
The next stage is when institutions were established by educators
and business owners inspired by Gulen’s constant encouragement for
investing in education. Example institutions include dormitories, K-12
schools, and tutoring centers.
In the next stage, media organizations were encouraged and
established. At this stage we start to see the media as a continuation
of the educational initiative for the masses.
In the next stage professional associations and intellectual/cultural organizations were formed in different locations by like-minded individuals.
After the collapse of the iron curtain in the late 1980s, with the educational institutions established and run there, the movement became transnational, expanding particularly into the Central Asian states with Turkic cultural background.
In parallel to the institutionalization and transnationalization, the movement heavily engaged in interfaith dialogue, in anticipation and prevention of the so-called clash theories that would be promoted by others after a while.
Today, as there is no central head quarters of registry, yet based on
the media coverage, it is estimated that hundreds of schools exist in
Turkey in addition to a similar number of such institutions in five
continents. They all are inspired by Gulen’s peaceful life and works.
In every city and town of Turkey, it is possible to encounter some
educational facility or other cultural activity that can be associated
with or inspired by the movement.
The Movement grew from a handful of individuals around Gulen in the late
1960s to millions in the 2000s, most of whom is impossible for Gulen to
meet or know. How did this happen? What was so attractive to the
Turkish people who came in contact with the movement?
Message and Attraction
In the late 1960s, or early 1970s, Gulen’s message of deep and practiced
faith, altruism and action was being delivered against a backdrop
of poverty, corruption and moral decay. Non-democratic interventions on
democracy, restriction of religious expression in public life,
political and ideological clashes were prevalent. Tensions among the
Sunni and Alevi, Turkish and Kurdish, and practicing Muslim versus
secular life style citizens were high. But most importantly, political
and ideological armed clashes among “communists”, “fascists” and radical
religious resulted in the deaths of thousands of youth on the streets.
In addition, assumed tensions between modernity and tradition and a
multitude of other problems besieged the educational system.
What appealed to the first audiences was Gulen’s comprehensive approach
to the individual, society, the nation and humanity in general. Gulen
identified poverty, rivalries (schisms in Turkey), and lack of sound
education as the main problems plaguing the nation. In particular, Gulen
represented and taught the following:
1. Reforming oneself and thus becoming a better believer and practitioner of faith. When examined, it can easily be determined that Gulen’s rhetoric focused this aspect the most.
2. Serving something greater than yourself. Do not simply care
for your own interest, but strive toward a greater vision. Why not a
more prestigious Turkey? Why not a humanity in peace? According to Aydin
Bolak, the late chairman of Turkish Petroleum Foundation and Turkish
Education Foundation, Gulen gave a
new vision to the Turkish youth who were getting trained in fulfilling their personal interests/objectives.
3. Education is the key to the solution of our main problems:
Ignorance, division, poverty. And the key to making education work for
the better is to have teachers and administrators who “represent” (temsil in Turkish) the values cherished by the people. Invest in education. If you are young, able and willing, choose
teaching as your profession. If you are a business person, support a
school financially. If you are a parent, encourage sound education and
for that help build a school in your locality. In short, everybody could
do something about any education project. Later other projects, such as
media, hospitals, disaster relief and poverty assistance were
initiated, and appealed to every segment of the population.
4. Not expecting everything from government. As a participant in a
civil initiative, do something yourself, and do not delegate your
responsibilities totally to the government, in similar tone to Kennedy’s
famous saying “ask not what your country can do for you, but as what
you can do for your country.” If you are a business person, do business,
form partnerships and holdings, become rich and give charitably, with
no expectation in return, back to your community.
5. As opposed to isolation from or being reactionary to public life, being present at every institution of our society
with the intention to serve, including the judiciary, bureaucracy,
military, media, art and business. The observant citizens of the country
have shunned these institutions out of assumed pietistic concerns. They
tended to send their children mostly to Qur’an schools and
Imam/Preacher schools. As a consequence, their expectations or worldview
have been seldom valued or represented in the state or public
institutions.
6. A successful synthesis or integration of religion, modernity,
patriotism, democracy, science, arts, secularism and positive action.
According to Bolak, Gulen’s combination of faith, spirituality and
sciences offered the best expression of Turkish understanding of Islam.
7. Outreach, inclusiveness, outward looking, integrationist. From
community to movement, from the transnational movement to whole
humanity. Accepting everybody as they are, in their respective position.
As for the success of the movement, certain factors play a key role:
1. Mainstream nature: The movement participants are not different
from the mainstream population of Turkey in terms of ethnicity,
culture, religion, social class, and attitudes toward violence. Entry
and exit is free and possible for all. It is an open project to anyone
who wants to become part of it. Association and disassociation are
completely voluntary.
2. Certain principles of the movement participants were very attractive to the average citizen. These include:
- Altruism and the absence of any self interest. Gulen set an
example by not owning any wealth or property and even discouraging his
relatives from pursuing wealth (see Faruk Mercan).
- Trust and independence: There has never been a credible suspicion of financial self interest or foreign aid or intervention.
- Abiding by the law has always been a key principle. Respect
for the state (as opposed to cause ‘failing state’, and democracy as
opposed to attacking the state categorically was also noted by his
audience who saw their state as essentially legitimate despite concerns
around corruption and oppressive policies.
- Another important principle was non-partisanship. There was
no allowance for division for any political reason. The movement always
had a comprehensive perspective in which every fellow citizen is seen as
a potential future participant. Gulen refused proposals to support a
particular political party or a candidate on every such occasion.
Values and Ideals
The values Gulen discussed and promoted can be gleamed from the titles
of the series of articles he wrote for popular magazines or from the
titles of the transcribed sermons and talks he gave. Some of these
values include deep-conscious faith, altruism, equity, tolerance, love,
hope, modesty, chivalry, the complementary nature of science,
rationality and spirituality, interfaith dialogue, and freedom of
thought.
A look at the list of sermon series by Gulen is also instructive:
- Social Justice – Ictimai Adalet,
- Ethics and Morality: values and virtues (Ahlak),
- Family and Child Education,
- Ritual Prayer,
- Afterlife,
- Metaphysical world in the light of the Qur’an,
- Virtues that elevate humanity,
- the Life of Prophet Muhammad,
- Pilgrimage,
- Destiny and Free Will,
- Fasting,
- Messengers of God,
- Zakah charitable giving,
- Belief in the oneness of God,
- The World of the heart,
- Qur’an and Science
- Reflections on business and economics, and frugality
The book entitled “
The Statue of Our Souls” is a good representative of some these values that have been promoted by Gulen.
Fields of activity, institutions and organizations encouraged/inspired/established by Movement participants
Movement participants inspired by Gulen’s understanding, by his
discourse, writing and action have set up charitable foundations and
companies that are active in the fields of education, media, health
care, disaster relief and business. They are all ‘decentralized’:
- Educational Institutions: By some estimates, over a thousand
educational institutions such as K-12 schools, tutoring centers and
reading rooms have been established around the world inspired by Gülen’s
ideas and life. These are nonreligious, non-denominational, secular
schools sponsored by local entrepreneurs, altruistic educators and
dedicated parents. Regardless of their location, these schools are
symbols of harmonious interfaith and intercultural relationships;
successful unification of faith and reason; and dedication to the
service of humanity.
- Media Institutions: Newspaper, magazines, national and local TVs, Internet sites, radios.
- Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Asistance: A relief
organization ‘Kimse Yok mu?’, which was established upon Gülen’s
encouragement, has been instrumental in bringing aid to disaster victims
around the world such as the victims of the Tsunami in South-east Asia;
the floods in Bangladesh; the earthquakes in Pakistan and Peru and the
ethno-political violence in Darfur. The organization assumed the
sponsorship of a village in Darfur for rebuilding their schools and a
new medical clinic.
- Health care: Hospitals and medical services.
- Professional Associations: White collar, blue collar, other.
- Business Associations in small towns and big cities.
Participation and Fundraising Mechanisms
New participants in the movement get to know about the movement through multiple paths. These include the following:
1. Personal or interpersonal relationships,
social networking. By
meeting business owners, women or people of various professions who are
participants in the movement. Some of these encounters involve an
invitation to a once-a-week tea party in which spiritual topics are
discussed.
2.
At college, at college prep centers, while staying with fellow students in houses and dormitories.
3. By meeting with the members of
professional organizations established by movement participants.
4. Through
publications, audio cassettes and videos, and media institutions, such as STV national TV channel, or local TV channels, or
Zaman newspaper or radio stations.
5. By participating in a
social service campaign such as a disaster relief or health screening or scholarship activity organized by Kimse Yok Mu relief organization.
Fundraising: Himmet
The movement has been very careful to reject any governmental help or
financial contribution from foreign foundations to maintain independence
and civic nature of the projects. The main fund-raising mechanism of
the movement is a meeting called “
himmet” which could be
translated as “donation pledge.” This is very similar to the notion of a
fund raising dinner in the western sense. It is usually held during the
month of Ramadan in which it is believed that virtuous charitable acts
are more valuable. In such a meeting, participants make a financial or
in-kind contribution pledge to an institution such as a foundation. (For
a sociological study of the process of giving, please see the
book by Dr. Helen R. Ebaugh)
Other fundraising mechanisms include separate pledge drives for students scholarships, sacrificial animal pledges,
kermes or bake-sale type events organized by ladies.
Everybody Gives: It is a principle within the movement that
everybody contributes something of their time and financial resources.
For a businessman, a typical contribution rate of 10% may mean a million
dollar a year. In addition to the financial pledge, the business people
are encouraged to do outreach visits to other business people and
introduce the movement projects. For a blue-collar worker, a 5% pledge
may mean fifty dollars a month. No one is obliged or coerced to give.
All donations or contributions are free and kept a god record of that
institution it was donated, but not a central board of committee of the
whole movement
Participation in the movement activities are totally voluntary and there is no membership. Volunteers participate by
1. Financial contributions
2. Volunteering their time or performing their profession pro bono for some time but not all
3. Kermes organizations by ladies,
4. Doing outreach visits,
5. Hosting guests or meetings in their homes.
Cultural and social dynamics that underlie the growth of the movement
The movement’s fast growth from a few individuals to millions within four decades can be attributed to what I call the “
crystallization effect.”
If you remember the high school days and the over saturation
experiment, then you will understand what I mean. If a cup of water is
heated continuously, it can absolve increasing quantities of sugar. If
this cup is then cooled down, and a sugar piece is held in the center, a
crystal formation begins around this seed. It then grows until all the
sugar that is in the water but in excess of its capacity crystallizes
around the seed. Gulen’s effect on the Turkish people can be likened to
this process. The values championed by Gulen are not new to his
audiences. Values such as faith, altruism, taking Prophet’s life as an
example, valuing science, dialogue, tolerance, brotherhood-sisterhood,
striving together for a better society are values that are dear to the
Turkish heart. Even mechanisms of association and participation such as
sohbet and himmet are not new. Their roots can be traced to such
religious values as
adanmislik, zakah, sadaqah, karz-I hasen, sohbet (motivational or inspirational gatherings around tea or coffee).
Organizational Nature
The movement can be described as
a collection of millions of individuals with multiple voluntary associations
in hundreds and thousands of foundations, companies, professional
associations, intellectual and cultural organizations. The unifying
theme among these institutions, in other words what makes them a
‘movement organization’ is their shared
values and ideals.
Some of these institutions collaborate to improve efficiency. For
instance, foundations in a particular city may meet to designate
specific areas of activity to avoid duplication of effort or
inefficiency.
Noteworthy Stances of Gulen
1. Public condemnation of
9/11, media interviews, book, and BinLaden.
2. Promotion of education even at the expense of
headscarf for girls.
3.
EU membership of Turkey. Cooperation of civilizations.
4.
No return from
democracy.
5.
Women can have any role in the society, including judge and president.
6.
Nonviolence since the inception of the movement, that is since 1970s.
7. Interfaith dialogue initiative.
8.
Spiritual depth in faith. Called a modern day Rumi by Sefik Can.
9.
Science and faith in harmony.
Views of movement participants on key issues
State
Movement participants see the state as the guarantor of order in the
society, individual rights, human rights, justice and equity.
Democracy
Fethullah Gulen on a number of occasions repeated his belief that
there will be no return from democracy.
Quote: “An atheist should be able to live as such without worry, and a
believer should be able to live his religious life fully.” (See
Mehmet Gundem interview 2005.)
He suggests that democracy is the best form of government devised by
humankind. Democracy will continue to improve itself and for countries
such as Turkey where democracy is not well established, the
strengthening of democracy will provide the ultimate opportunity for
development, freedom and improving the human condition.
Secularism
It would be fair to say that the movement participants would be very
happy to have a secularism policy like that of the United States. Those
who live in Europe and the United States are happy to be contributing
residents/citizens to their respective societies.
Turkey’s EU membership
Movement participants are predominantly pro-EU due to their expectations
of the strengthening of democracy at the expense of non-democratic
manipulation of politics, increased transparency and decreased
corruption, better economic competition and improved standards of
living.
Women’s roles
Gulen has stated on a number of occasions that in the Turkish religious
interpretation of Islam which is informed essentially by the Hanefi
school, women can be anything in the society including judges,
ministers, prime ministers and presidents. There is no profession that
is beyond limits for women. However, it is easy to sense that some
professions are not seen as ideal for women such as military combat.
Women participate in every institution associated with the movement,
such as teacher or administrators in schools, columnists, producers or
directors in media institutions, doctors in hospitals.
The Kurdish issue
On the Kurdish issue, Gulen’s views can be summarized as a combination of four factors:
1. Addressing of the grievances of the population
2. Emphasis on common cultural elements
3. Education and economic development.
4. Opinion leaders
5. Balancing of diplomacy and the use of force
The Alevi issue
Gulen promotes the building of
cemevis along mosques where there
is an Alevi community. Gulen also promotes the documentation of the oral
Alevi tradition for preventing abuses for political reasons.
Religious minorities and interfaith dialogue
Gulen has been a pioneer of interfaith dialogue in Turkey and abroad.
Just remember the fact that Turkey got its independence after the WW1,
after a troubled period of state formation, and after a war against
occupation in which all of the enemies were Christians. In the 1990s,
several years before 9/11 Gulen promoted interfaith dialog saying that
as leaders of faith communities, they needed to show solidarity to
demonstrate that religion is not and should not be a reason for
conflict. He met and coorganized events with the leaders of Greek
Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Jewish and other faith communities in
Turkey. To this day, he remains close friends with them.
Gulen’s efforts served as opening a new page for interfaith relations in
Turkey from suspicion into collaboration. The government’s Directorate
for Religious Affairs established an office for interfaith dialogue.
Prime minister’s office, universities and city governments participated
in interfaith activities after these initiatives. Due to the
significance of his initiatives, he received a personal audience with
the late pope John Paul II. These brave moves were not without a cost.
Gulen was criticized by radical circles as a hidden Christian, or a
hidden cardinal of Rome.
Nonviolence
Gulen’s stance against violence has been consistent since the 1970s.
During the political anarchy years, Gulen consistently denounced terror,
anarchy and violence and instructed his audiences to never respond to
violence in kind. During the first gulf war, he protested Saddam’s
rockets targeting Israeli civilians in mosque sermons in the presence of
thousands of Muslims. After 9/11 he condemned the attack with an
advertisement on
the Washington Post. He called Bin Laden a
monster along with people around him. He condemned Bin Ladin’s actions
on humanitarian as well as religious grounds.
Science and arts
Gulen has promoted science and arts in multiple works. In his work
entitled “The Statue of Our Souls” he describes new horizons for arts
and science as ideals for the new generations.
Nationalism
Patriotism, not racism. Inclusive, positive, affinity-based national
pride, not antagonist. There are Kurdish participants. Generally
positive role of Turkish nation, inclusive of all ethnicities of
Anatolia.
* by Dr. Alp Y. Aslandoğan, President of Alliance for Shared Values - June 17, 2009
Evolution of the Gulen Movement
(A follow up discussion on Oct. 19, 2012)
