Out of Turkey
Turkey has been all over the media recently due to the governing AKP's (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi [Justice and Development Party]) latest electoral triumph and subsequent election of an "Islamist" president, as well as the outbreak of a possible war between it and the PKK (Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan [Kurdistan Workers Party]) guerillas based in Iraqi Kurdistan. Given current political realities, such images sell. What does not sell are stories of people who have dedicated themselves to interfaith understanding, bringing people closer together through interaction, and using modern education to improve Muslims' lives. One such person is Fethullah Gülen, 67, popularly known as Hodjaeffendi (respected scholar). Have you ever heard of him?
Schools, Not Words
In the 1950s, Ankara's anti-Islam attitude began to weaken as the Democratic Party assumed power. During this same decade, Gülen had a simple yet remarkable idea: let's focus on education, especially the positive sciences that created modern civilization. Unlike many others, however, Gülen decided to act upon his vision instead of just complaining and waiting for someone else to do it. A graduate of the Turkish seminary system, in 1966 he began spreading his message in Izmir.
At first, his followers opened houses for university students. Life was communal and characterized by praying in congregation and attending study sessions. These were financed by Turkish businessmen, who saw themselves as following in the footsteps of caliphs Abu Bakr and 'Uthman ('alayhuma rahmah). Right from the outset and until today, Gülen and his supporters have been strictly apolitical, despite some allegations (always unproven) to the contrary, because they do not want to see their work destroyed by charges of partisanship. In 1977, when houses were deemed insufficient, the movement began to build dormitories that could house 250 students. People who listened to him preach began visiting these dorms to see the group's proclaimed moral and Islamic values in practice.
Some five years later, in 1983, businessmen who were inspired by Gülen began opening private schools. These schools first appeared in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. Focusing on the positive sciences, these English-medium schools are entirely secular. Those who want to learn about Islam have to go elsewhere. However, Gülen stresses that the teachers and administrators are to be role models of universal moral values and beliefs. His overriding goal is to produce practicing peace builders who are at home in modern secular civilization by marrying knowledge of positive sciences with universal) morals and values.
Official concern was somewhat allayed as the schools' successes became apparent and were accepted by a large part of Turkish society. Within a couple of years, 300 of these schools were established throughout Turkey. Over the decades, they have sprung up in such far-removed (from Turkey) countries as Chile, Cambodia, and Mozambique. H. Ali Yurtsever, a former resident of one of the first houses and now president of the Washington, DC-based Rumi Forum, credited this spread to "the people's hunger for successful schools and moral values." According to him, Turkey now boasts approximately 1,000 Gülen schools, educational institutions and reading rooms.
When the USSR collapsed in 1991, Gülen directed his followers' attention toward Central Asia, for "our brothers and sisters are waiting for us." Given the region's largely Turkic ethnicity and Muslim history, not to mention the many shared linguistic and cultural ties, this was natural. Turgut Ozal (prime minister 1983-89; president 1989-93), an enthusiastic supporter of this new venture, wrote to the Central Asian leaders about the Gülen movement and how these people could benefit the new countries. As a result, there are now approximately 250 schools throughout Central Asia and Russia.
Around 1998, a decision was taken to open schools in Africa, mainly in Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa. According to Yurtsever, this was done because "they are our brothers and sisters as human beings." None of these countries have significant Muslim populations; again, the overriding concern was to produce educated people who could help their nations' progress. Yurtsever made a telling comment in this regard: black Africans were very surprised that white people would take such an interest in them. This suspicion, based on countless negative experiences with former colonial masters and white citizens of these African countries, was completely valid. However, after several months, concerns about hidden agendas disappeared in the face of the Turkish teachers' and administrators' obvious sincerity and dedication. As the people and their governments began asking them to open more schools, they responded: there are now approximately fifty Gülen schools in Africa.
Opposition
However, some people remain unconvinced, Over the years, Gülen has been arrested and jailed (for seven months in 1971) for "clandestine religious activities," plotting to overthrow the government, having a hidden agenda to take Turkey down the road followed by Iran, and seeking to subvert the army from within by encouraging his followers to join the armed forces. He has always denied such charges. During Ozal's premiership, Gülen was granted official protection. Now sick and elderly, he lives in America and maintains an active schedule of speaking, writing, and guiding his community mainly through the Internet.
Jay Willoughby, Islamic Horizons, January - February 2008
* Jay Willoughby is associated with the "American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences."
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