A sneaky smear network against the Hizmet Movement, is run by people associated with the Fear Inc, a secretive and controversial extremist xenophobic sect. With several bloggers cooperating with a group of commentators, this sneaky smear network is substantially pervasive than most news networks. A lack of awareness about this situation persists despite it being addressed by a national think-tank study, a national paper column, also refutations by Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement (here and here).

Review of James C. Harrington’s Wrestling with Free Speech, Religious Freedom, and Democracy in Turkey: The Political Trials and Times of Fethullah Gulen. 2011. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 185pp. ISBN 978 0 7618 5461 6.

Free speech, human rights, and religious freedom are thought of as key elements in democracy. They are central to the entire scholarly literature on legal and moral philosophy and are at the heart of our understanding of an ideal democratic regime. Not surprisingly, today they continue to dominate the field as the relationship between religion and the state is reviewed through the prism of “twin tolerations” and secularism.

The Gülen Movement, although it initially sprouted as a faith-based movement in Turkey in the late 1970s by a few Turkish followers of Fethullah Gülen, seemingly portraying a new formation as a result of a slightly different interpretation of Nursi (Said Nursi) tradition, a historical and ontological analysis of the movement indicates that Gülen movement is a social movement that does not have religious, ethnic, cultural and political agenda. Seemingly a faith-based movement but beyond any faith,  cultural movement but hosting members of other cultures in its body, Gülen movement today demonstrates a harmonious global network of volunteers, teachers, intellectuals, students, businessmen/women of any ethnic, religious, race, and socio-economic backgrounds who are inspired by Gülen’s social philosophy based on dialogue and peaceful coexistence[i].

Poverty is the lack of basic human needs, such as clean water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter due to the inability to afford them. This condition is also referred as the absolute poverty. According to the World Bank, 1.4 billion people in the developing world live on absolute poverty, which is usually assumed as living on less than $1.25 a day. Relative poverty, on the other hand, is the condition of having fewer resources or less income than others within a society or country, or compared to worldwide averages.

Fethullah Gülen has stated that society’s three greatest enemies are ignorance, poverty, and internal schism (disunity) and inspired people to consider applying some practical solutions.

GULEN’S SOLUTION FOR IGNORANCE
Ignorance is the most serious problem, and it is defeated through education, which has always been the most important way of serving others. Fethullah Gülen has been encouraging people to serve humanity through education, intercultural and interfaith activities in formal and institutionalized efforts and projects.

More than a decade after Fethullah Gulen moved to the US, three articles appeared in the western media in 2010 providing a closer look to the life of Gulen, and the movement he inspired. One was written by Suzy Hensen and published in The New Republic on November 10, 2010. The other appeared in The Wall Street Journal on June 4, 2010 right after the Gaza flotilla incident. Another comprehensive article was published in The Time magazine on April 26, 2010. Aside from being the only three major articles that appeared in the western media covering Fethullah Gulen, all three articles had one common word in their titles: Surprisingly it was not Gulen's name, but the term "imam".