"What is Hizmet Movement?"

Karen A. and Michael J. Fontenot

"The Hizmet (Service) movement associated with the Turkish theologian M. Fethullah Gülen is probably the most powerful Islamic reform movement operating in the world today. Promoting religiously inspired modernization, it offers a revitalized form of mysticism that is wedded simultaneously to traditional Muslim practice and to the scientific and technical methods that have so clearly lifted the material level of Western society.

While business people and students form the core of the movement, Gülen also appeals to a much wider audience within Turkey. Fethullah Gulen promotes a particularly sophisticated view of Turkish identity, claiming it was forged in pre-Anatolian times, then shaped and honed by the Ottomans into a multi-national, multi-cultural civilization of extraordinary cosmopolitanism. That interpretation, which satisfies ethnic pride while avoiding a narrow nationalistic definition, resonates with many Turks.

Furthermore, he has taken a very strong stand against the use of terror; moderate Turks who are unsympathetic to Islamic extremism and secular republicanism find Gülen's positions very attractive.

The Hizmet movement has also attracted numerous non-Muslim supporters. It is difficult to estimate how many people are involved, but supporters are active in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East."

An excerpt from the article entitled, "M. Fethullah Gülen as a Transformational Leader: Exemplar for the “Golden Generation”" by Karen A. Fontenot and Michael J. Fontenot as presented at the recent Gulen Conference titled East and West Encounters: The Gulen Movement

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