The Chorus that Sings it Own Music

Forces that lack a culture of democracy and refuse to share the government with people use the same methods in the West as in the East by turning civilian movements into semi-official ones.

They take measures against developments in the society by either setting up associations, parties or infiltrate administrative staffs. Losing their independence, these movements pay for it for a lifetime. These forces that make their calculations solely on a worldly basis also claim to be the main supporters of freedom and independence.

What disturbs these circles most are independent movements that cannot be controlled. They perceive themselves to be everything and the rest to be nothing.. One movement even said, "If communism will come to this country, we will be the one to bring it here."

Misusing these movements and their members is a disrespect and insult against human dignity. Particularly in our country, the youth and people who are devoted to their national and spiritual values have been abused since the Tanzimat reforms of the Ottoman Empire in the 1830s. So many outdated idealist movements have been damaged, degraded and wound by their founders by means of cruel hands. Some people who were sincerely devoted to their cause abandoned their ideals long after they came to realize they were being abused and some others were made passive but all of them suffered great pains. The youth before the 1971 and 1980 military coups in Turkey suffered these hardships to the very end. They were generations that pursued some ideals but whose hopes and enthusiasms were also abused.

I would like to mention here the "Movement of Volunteers" much spoken about nowadays with their efforts of dialogue and education all over the world. This movement mentioned with the name of Fethullah Gülen disturbs some forces because of their sensitivity on independence. Though he lives far away, though he was forced to immigrate, some people continue to criticize him every day in Turkey. They use the media and try to associate this movement with foreign links. However, the basic issue Gülen has insisted so far is the independence of activities performed for our country, religion, nation and humanity. What he says is the following:

It is very important that the dialogue and educational activities referred to as "Movement of Volunteers" be independent. Equitable academics mention the independence of this movement at every occasion and say "This initiative is an independent non-governmental activity affiliated with no foreign power."

These volunteers of education launched this mission with the determination of being independent from foreigners. They firstly relied on God, then on the nation's help but they have never become indebted to anyone.

"They believed they would form an earth chorus and our independent lobbies to be Turkey's voice would thus come into being."