Sociologist Helen R Ebaugh who authored a book on the Gulen Movement, stressed that the movement is a strong challenge to the Islamophobia that arose after the September 11 attacks. Ebaugh also praised the Gulen Movement for its important contribution to global peace.
American sociology professor Helen Rose Ebaugh, who is also the author of a book analyzing the Gulen movement, said the movement is a powerful challenge to the fears that people have after the 9/11 attacks and also praised the movement for its tremendous contribution to world peace.
The professor visited İstanbul last week upon an invitation from the Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) and shared her opinion with Sunday’s Zaman. Ebaugh is known for her book titled “The Gülen Movement: A Sociological Analysis of a Civic Movement Rooted in Moderate Islam.”
The Gulen movement is inspired by internationally renowned Turkish scholar and intellectual Fethullah Gulen.
What attracted the professor to the Gülen movement was the protest raised by Fethullah Gülen in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
“After 9/11 I was looking for Muslims who would speak up and challenge the terrorism. And 11 days after the attack, Mr. Gülen protested the attack,” she said.
For her, there are civil movements similar to the Gülen movement in other parts of the world, but what distinguishes the Gülen movement from others is that it is a “decentralized” movement. “This is very important. Because rather than going from top to down, it goes from down to top. And this gives dynamism and commitment to the movement.”
