Fethullah Gulen and the Gulen Movement

I have read several of Mr. Fethullah Gulen's books, and there is no way to mistake his message of religious reconciliation, mutual tolerance, and respect for all faiths. His charge to all nations and faith communities to reach out to each other in love is consistent, has never wavered, and represents a moderate Islam of peace, not violence. His words, to me, are a Turkish equivalent to the words of our country's Martin Luther King. In visiting Turkey, the families of the Gulen movement that I encountered echoed every aspect of his message in their commitment to peace, their modern education of the young to international standards of excellence, and their openness to dialogue with world communities and cultures. It is a sadly misguided act to suggest that the Gulen community is in any way connected to a "slide into Islamism."