It’s turning into a pandemic to scapegoat Mr. Fethullah Gulen or the Gulen movement for everything. You misbehave, violate the law, even commit despicable crimes; and if you get caught blame it on the Gulen Movement. Start crying wolf, try to convince the public that your right to free speech has been infringed upon and you’ve been a “victim” of Gulen movement. Lately, an Istanbul prosecutor decided to stop the publishing of a book by Ahmet Şık temporarily on the ground that it could jeopardize an ongoing trial. The public prosecutor’s office made it very clear that it would publish the book within the indictment when it’s appropriate. Below is a statement by Fethullah Gulen through his attorney.

In the wake of the emergence of claims that he ordered the blocking of the publication of a book by a jailed journalist, Ahmet Şık, Islamic scholar Fethullah Gulen, known for his widely lauded messages of tolerance, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, issued a statement through his lawyer, Orhan Erdemli, in which he denied the accuracy of the claims. Statement as follows:

Fethullah Gulen is one of us. He lives among us. Like many Turks he was born in a remote village in this country (Turkey). He has come a long way to arrive where he is today.

He now is in the center of a civic movement like no other in the world. Those who do not know him and his personality wonder if he does all this by himself. They, then, knowingly or unknowingly mythicize him.

The tragic earthquake and the ensuing tsunami in Japan, a nation-with whom we have always maintained friendly relations, has upset us all and our nation feels deep hurt for the Japanese people. I have faith and trust that the hardworking and dauntless Japanese nation will overcome this tragedy and heal their wounds in a short period of time, as they have done in the past.

Prominent Turkish scholar has always stated that he felt the hurts and difficulties of all people like his own regardless of faith, race or ethnicity. Such tragic stories as the ones we’ve been hearing form Japan have devastating effects on Mr. Gulen’s heart and soul; he tries to reach out to those in need and encourage the people around him to do the same.

Fethullah Gülen has donated $15,000 to support post-disaster relief efforts in Japan, which was shaken by a magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunamis last week.

West Virginia Branch of American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA), in collaboration with the Mid Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Alliance (MAFTAA) organized a cultural reception in Charleston, WV, on Thursday, March 10. All 100 delegates of house and 34 members of senate were invited to the event that took place in the state capitol. Despite the fact that it was the last and the busiest week of the legislature, the attendance was high. As the members of the organization committee reported, 54 members showed up. Guests enjoyed a variety of Turkish food, live Turkish music, and traditional Ebru art display.

Much has been said about “peace and Islam” over decades. In the discussion, views vary from “Islam is spread by sword, therefore peace is just a cover” to “Islam by definition means peace and serenity, it brings about the desired life” but there haven’t been a scholarly work to show how these two concepts’ relationship in terms of peace making. Dr. Jon L Esposito and Dr. Ihsan Yavuz had completed such a work recently on how active civic engagement could eventually bring peace. Esposito and Yavuz focus on the initiatives undertaken by the Gulen Movement, this article is a review of their work by Hakan Yesilova and published on the Turkish Review magazine.

Maryland Turkish American Inhabitants and Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations organized the 2nd Annual Legislative Reception of Turkish American Cultural day on 3rd of February in Maryland Senate Building. The event turned out to be a great success with the participation of more than 80 distinguished legislatures from Maryland House of Delegates and Senate. Maryland Secretary of State John McDonough was the keynote speaker of the reception. The evening started with the opening remarks by Sen. James Robey. After guests enjoyed their dinners, Delegates Brian Feldman, Adrienne Jones, Dan Morhaim, Senators Delores Kelley, Brian Frosh, Edward Kasemeyer took the stage to share their views on promoting the relationships between Turkey and United States.

Today we live in a world of intolerance. Our societies seem to become more bigoted by the day, more and more groups of people adapt a discourse that is either partially or wholly xenophobe. All of this only stresses the need for a voice of wisdom and sanity to remind us that we’re all human beings and can live together despite our differences. A voice that will pull us out of our “sterile” worlds which are shaped by our prejudices and show that “others” deserve the same chances we want for ourselves. That of Fethullah Gulen’s is such a voice according to Paul Weller.