January 31, 2012

The Imam: Fethullah Gulen in the Western Media

More than a decade after Fethullah Gulen moved to the US, three articles appeared in the Western media in 2010 providing a closer look to the life of Gulen, and the movement he inspired. One was written by Suzy Hensen and published in The New Republic on November 10, 2010. The other appeared in The Wall Street Journal on June 4, 2010 right after the Gaza flotilla incident. Another comprehensive article was published in The Time magazine on April 26, 2010. Aside from being the only three major articles that appeared in the western media covering Fethullah Gulen, all three articles had one common word in their titles: Surprisingly it was not Gulen's name, but the term "imam".

Time Magazine called Gulen "The Turkish Imam" whereas The Wall Street Journal referred to him as "Reclusive Turkish Imam", and finally The New Republic went with "The Global Imam". So what does "imam" mean, and why did such prestigious media choose to call Gulen "the imam"? This note provides a little analysis on the perception of Fethullah Gulen in the Western media and suggests alternative terms that could better define and describe him.