Originating in Turkey, the Hizmet movement has grown in popularity as it has become more visible with its activities. Naturally enough, so have the criticisms and claims in parallel with it. Given the criticisms of the movement, we can safely conclude that there is not a second movement on earth which is directed so diametrically opposite claims as is the Hizmet movement.
The movement is denounced as nationalist while mercilessly attacked by the well-known nationalists in Turkey. It is moreover bombarded like a target board by the same nationalists. Additionally, the allegation that the movement intends to impose shariah contradicts those by renowned Islamist writers in Turkey, some of whom even charge the movement with distorting Islam.
The movement’s initiatives carried out by NGOs staffed/volunteered by Kurds in southeastern Turkey are rather appreciated and find support from the locals. To date, the movement has established high schools and universities offering Kurdish courses intended for Kurds in Northern Iraq. Yet, the movement is still accused of being against the resolution process and peace, and intending to assimilate or even to eradicate the Kurds -the most-voiced claims against the movement in Germany.
Some circles charge it with promoting a “moderate Islam” under the patronage of the US while some others regard it as the most threatening Islamist movement around the world -another claim voiced in Germany.
100% against violence of any kind, the movement neither encourages nor approves of street protests with a few exceptions. Some therefore attack the movement for remaining passive and hindering street protests as opposed to those who claim it is behind the Gezi Park protests. The allegations that police officers affiliated with the movement burnt down the Gezi Park protesters’ tents and that its prosecutors have released the protestors may appear on the same media outlets, despite the apparent contradiction in between.
The Honorable Fethullah Gulen was the first Muslim scholar to support EU membership in the period before 1990. He was at the same time the one who made a bold move to utter: “No turning back from democracy” in 1994, at a time when the Muslim circles wouldn’t speak positively of democracy at all. He did not step back despite the reactions from conservative circles. Those having arrived the same line on the issue, can today denounce Gulen and the movement as “a Soros-like, pro-coup structure.”
Gulen is the first Muslim figure to pioneer dialogue with minorities and diverse faith members. The dialogue initiatives harshly criticized and even condemned as deviation from Islam by a large number of Muslims have become a phenomenon embraced by masses from 2001 onwards. Yet, the movement can be portrayed as the greatest enemy of minorities of Turkey by certain groups.
Gulen says “Religiously observant people too should able to hold positions in any state offices. It would be unfair and nonsense to refer to recruitment of an individual in his/her own state as “infiltration”. The education system and graduates of the Gulen-inspired schools are admired today. However, oddly enough, recruitment of graduates of these schools in state positions, in conformity with regulations, can be labeled as “an attempt to dominate state positions”. The point missed is that, in such a case, these people are placed in a weird and unreasonable paradox of “not holding state positions” when they have no other state.
Regarding the Ergenekon* case, Prime Minister Erdogan had said: “Go to any lengths. You have my full support.” This being the case, it is impossible to reason the allegations against the prosecutors and police who simply followed his directions that “They attempted to go to any lengths against the PM’s will,” and charges on the grounds that they didn’t follow his orders but someone else’s. Following the removal of the prosecutors from the case, no “guilt” but that they investigated a deep organism with charges documented in thousands of folders, to the end, has been made public to date. Oddly enough again, the label “movement member” is voiced against these people contradictorily by both Islamist and pro-Ergenekon journalists. The efforts to label, to demonize those innocent people putting themselves at risk for a more democratic state and to sabotage their careers are nothing but tantamount to execution via propaganda.
Those who claim Hizmet movement –which backs civil constitution and liberal, democratic initiatives by any segment of society- intends to ally itself with particular parties or individuals and share the authority in Turkey remain silent when asked: “In such a case, how possibly will the movement be able to present its initiatives to the locals in 140 countries? Wouldn’t that mean the end of all of its activities outside Turkey?”
Those raising such groundless accusations keep voicing and writing the same, arguing “such issues would need no proof” instead of justifying their claims. And their claims have reached Germans too through German media for the last couple of years.
This column, at least partially, intends to call attentions to the erroneous, unfair and contradictory attitude. Those who would like to read its more detailed version in German can find it at http://dtj-online.de/hizmet-bewegung-wehrt-sich-gegen-diffamierung-und-schafft-klarheit-2901.
The truth has a habit of revealing itself, sooner or later.
*Recognized as a terrorist organization by courts, a clandestine network convicted of attempting to overthrow the Turkish government
Published [in Turkish] on Zaman Germany, 27 August 2013, Monday
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