Gülen on Education Activities: Strength of Anatolian People Enough
The fourth episode of Samanyolu Television's interview with Fethullah Gülen, who has been living in the US for six years, was broadcast on the evening of October 23. Gülen made important announcements about the educational activities that have spread all over the world and that have been received in every country with acclaim. Gülen stressed all of these activities stemmed from the heart of Anatolia. "Even long before I reached this age, "Gülen said, "I thought the Anatolian people should do this and no one else should be involved, otherwise rumors would emerge."
Relating that he advised his friends not to receive aid even from non governmental organizations, Gülen said: "We do not need to receive aid from anybody. We will pursue the matter to the extent the Anatolian people are capable. We should regard benefiting from others and not to be content with what we gain as forbidden as stealing."
Underlining that they did not receive a grain of aid from anybody, he said, "If any aid, however little, was accepted, those who accepted it are the basest persons of the world. If I condoned any such aid or accepted aid my self from others, let Allah crush me."
In relation to that matter, Gülen explained a memory of his: "There has been those who addressed me with the question, 'where does the water of the mill come from?' This question was addressed to me even by the wife of the head of the state at the time. I probably responded to her in the following way: 'for God's sake are there still such mills that are turned by water. Everybody turns their mill through different means. This is an issue assumed by the nation."
Gülen illustrated the Anatolian people's inclination to donate in the following way: "Our people continuously give. If they are told to stop giving they sadden. I saw many crying because they were bereft form giving. Someone who had worked in important establishments all his life had bought a house with his retirement money. On that day it fell upon me to speak about donations. When, following my speech people there offered certain things, he could not find anything to offer. After a while he climbed up the stairs breathlessly to come next to me to offer me the keys. 'I just bought this house,' he said, "it is what I offer to you.' In response, I said to him: 'We are not in a position to take anybody's house or the keys. This is something you gained by working. If you get more, you can then give as much as your situation allows.' This is how the Anatolian people are, they are miraculous."
Describing the Turkish schools abroad as an "epic," Gülen said, "Had there been anyone like Firdevsi who wrote the "Sehname" for Celalettin Harzemsah, he would have to write another such Sehname for them as well. What Celalettin Harzemsah did was not as valuable and historically worth recording as they are."
Addressing those who defamed the service that was accomplished, Gülen concluded: "God willing, those who want to defame this service by attributing this and that to it, those who want to eradicate it from the nation's mind, will realize their abuse and begin supporting it. They will say we too should contribute to this important service."
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