Every socio-cultural, revival and peace movements have always had their opponents no matter where in the world they originate. Both within Turkey and beyond, there are people who oppose this movement’s services, projects, and activities. The majority of these opponents are marginalized people who have closed themselves to universal values and beliefs, who are dogmatic and against dialogue as they don’t want to lose their status quo in society. People who don’t fit this description may stand against the movement’s activities as they don’t know much or haven’t had the chance to know the movement personally and are influenced by their predecessor’s aspersions.

One of the false subjective remarks made against the schools opened and operated by volunteers is that they are missionary schools propagating Islam. The reason for this accusation is that in the 19th and 20th centuries, generally speaking, missionary activities were started with the establishment of schools. If this allegation were to be true, meaning the Gülen movement’s schools are missionary by nature, the mere fact is that some of the schools, if not the majority, are operating in countries where there’s less tolerance towards religion and that the local authorities are even scrupulously auditing and monitoring the schools every activity is decisive and sufficient proof that weakens this claim.

New Islamic movements and amodern networks: The case of the Gülen movement

Recent studies, Turkish ones especially, have concluded that Islamic movements are successful without any state agenda. Accordingly, new Islamic movements base their ‘mobilization strategy on transforming everyday practices’…

Sacred, Secular, Twin Tolerations and the Gülen Movement

Dr. Ihsan Yilmaz* Until the late 1970s and early 1980s, a relatively widespread consensus had existed in the sociology of religion discipline over the privatization of religion. Some…

Is Gulen Movement an Islamic or Turkish Nationalist Movement?

It’s not Pan-Turkish or Pan-Islamist. It is not a religious sect, fraternity, or cult; nor is it an extension or a branch of any of the above. The…