Even the most sophisticated mind struggles when the possessor of that mind tries to write about a subject without due research. Fethullah Gulen is a figure about whom much has been said and written. Some of that material is based on hearsay and carries identifying expressions such as “been said to be, been described as, is feared to, etc…” One would expect an article to be well researched and full of facts if it is about a global phenomenon like Mr. Gulen. We are not suggesting that everything that is put out there should be in favor of Mr. Gulen’s ideas or praise his work, but to be held up to more adequate standards. Editors of publications are supposed to be watch-dogs not to let pieces find places of their media unchecked.

Mehmet Kalyoncu points out such allegations and their inconsistent discourse. Mr. Kalyoncu analyzes the perception (rather misperception) of Fethullah Gulen in the English-Language media by examining some obvious misrepresentations.

While some groups try to wrongly and ruthlessly defame the work of Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen Movement, others with common sense and a conscience look at things differently. The East West Institute recognized Mr. Gulen’s contributions to peace and prosperity with its Annual Peace Building Award. The EastWest Institute is a global think-and-do tank that devises innovative solutions to pressing security concerns and mobilizes networks of individuals, institutions and nations to implement these solutions.

Fethullah Gulen warned the public opinion of a defamation campaign against the righteous work of Turkish volunteers around the world. This smear propaganda consists of a vicious circle of lies as Kerim Balci of Today’s Zaman put it in his recent article. It appears that some groups believe they have a monopoly over doing “good” so no one else can act righteously without their permission; and if you try to do your part to help humanity in any way you can, then they’ll show you who the boss is. They don’t have to have proof or any sort of evidence against your work, they can just accuse you of “infiltrating” or “undermining” and wait for masses to believe their lies. You, meanwhile, have to proof that you are innocent.

Turkey is undergoing a tremendous change and democratization process. In this continuum, those who would love to keep the status quo do everything they can to stop Turkey becoming a more open society with a much more transparent government. Latest of such demonic efforts was an ambush attack on Turkish Prime Minister’s campaign convoy; and below is the details of the incident along with Mr. Fethullah Gulen’s condolence message.

By Hadi Uluengin (Hurriyet Daily)

To analyze the Gulen Movement, first we must agree on definitions.

Such an agreement will set the discussion on a healthier and a more objective ground. That is because many accusations – rightly or wrongly, made against the same movement require an agreed upon lexicon.

Do the masses, who gather around the spiritual and philosophical persona of the opinion leader in Pennsylvania, carry the characteristics of a “cemaat” as has been called? Or, on the contrary, would using the word “camia” (society) be more suitable? I believe the latter definition to be more accurate: let me get to my reasons.

Gulen Movement’s critics are having a hard time wrapping their heads around the selflessness aspect of the movement. Members of the movement are often faced with questions like “why are you sacrificing so much from yourself?” The answer they usually get is: “to help the inhabitants of this elderly world to have a better, brighter, and a more secure future. I (we) forgo our own happiness, so a greater number of people can find it.” For those who has no worries than that of their own, this explanation might not make a lot of sense, but there are people who appreciate the selfless acts of the volunteers movement and there are many stories to be told even after the heroes and heroines of the stories are gone.

Turkey rapidly becomes a central power in its region. Not only is it becoming an economic power, but also it sets an example for how democratic values can be adopted without having to shed parts of one’s native culture. Turkey has implemented a multi-party democracy since 1950. The Muslim majority country’s struggle wasn’t without its hardships including a couple of coup d’états. Today Turkey’s democracy is stronger than ever before and getting more enduring with a participatory culture setting its roots deep into Turkish society.

Defamation and libeling take many different forms, but they have a few things in common; lying, disinformation, and distortion. The almost global defamation campaign against Fethullah Gulen is no exception to that. On the surface, libelers seem to “uncover” very important “information,” but once we dig out their “information” it turns out to be 95-99% lies or very skillful distortion of facts. Below is another analysis by Mehmet Kalyoncu on the matter.