Fethullah Gulen on Turkish Schools Abroad

This is a part of an interview with Fethullah Gulen by Mehmet Gundem of Milliyet Daily in January 2005.

Mehmet Gundem: What is your opinion about the Turkish schools that have been established abroad based upon your encouragements?

Fethullah Gulen: Let sociologists and historians of philosophy answer this, not me. And let any people who have had a chance to visit these schools to write their good opinions about them.

Did the state understand their importance?

I see these as an opportunity not to be missed. I think what is important is that we make sure that we continue these educational activities, no matter how. The state can either back these activities, carried out by voluntary organizations, and finance them or they can totally take over them–by the army or civil servants–and fulfill the same functions, but they must do this. It would be wrong to ascribe different meanings to these schools and to show antipathy towards them just because some certain people are involved in them. Putting forth the same things with a higher estimation is the correct thing to do. (If they cannot do this) then those who do not like it automatically will have nothing to say on the subject.

There are concerns that these schools will open the way to a "siege on Turkey" from abroad.

I think just the opposite. I don't know what it to lay siege on Turkey from abroad means. I can only say that they are letting their imaginations run away with them.

What do you think about the fact that the reaction did not come from the countries where the schools are, but from some groups in Turkey?

A professor among the people who visited these schools, a social historian, said "In my opinion, being against these schools is just treason" at the end of his lesson in an academy. By the way, there are also those who are against them, in spite of the fact that they never saw, visited, or know anything about these schools. Essentially, these people know neither the history, nor the past of the Turks. With their efforts –even though they are petty– some negative thoughts have emerged, but I don't think they will be lasting. You close down the Sun by throwing mud at it.

The countries where the schools have been established are those which remained under the effect of communism for a long time. They have intelligence agencies that have KGB experience. These agencies monitored the activities very closely. And they just let the schools run, whereas, unfortunately, some people in our country were hostile toward the same schools. We know that they several times they sent messages to the intelligence agencies we have just mentioned. An important person who loved Turkey said "We are about to convince a person in such and such a place." After a while, the same person says "What can I do, after our meeting with you a service from Turkey has come up with another file." In spite of all these, they say in reply to all those files "We cannot see anything wrong with these people, as you claimed." They keep on giving awards and the others keep on causing harm. These efforts to cause harm incite the locals to make more meticulous investigations. Even if they try harder to cause us harm, I do not think they will believe it anymore.

Some say that the schools should have been established in the Middle-East instead of Central Asia.

Central Asia was a different romance for us, ballads were being sung about it. And God made it possible for us. Another dimension of the issue is that the Arabs look down on us in religious matters and they don't even think for a minute that have anything to offer them.

There is a great movement we see. Everybody is asking how it can be possible, asking "where does the water come to work the mill?"

These services are educational activities which began in two places, and then gradually developed in Turkey and abroad step by step. The teachers knew that they would face several difficulties when they were going out there, with the support of rich people, foundations, and societies. And they really did face serious problems. The late Aydin Bolak would be on the verge of tears when he told how some of our friends served without getting any payment in a country where the temperature can be below -60 Celsius. Now, on the one hand, such things were taking place, and on the other hand, someone openly asked me "where does the water come to work the mill?"

What was your answer?

"The power behind these educational activities is the same power that gave our nation its independence back during a certain period" I said. Just as a nation brought out everything they had, down to the pots and pans in the kitchen, and the ox carts, and even women joining the struggle. They are doing the same thing today in the belief that "persuasion is the way to for civilized people to attain success."

These people established schools throughout the world, thinking that we can only elevate people through education, that we can put a stop to conflict only through education. This is where the water to work the mill comes from.

As a matter of fact, there were some attempts, caused by feelings of rivalry, but the teachers who worked there asked for salaries of between $ 2000 and $3000. But our friends who volunteered accepted salaries as low as a scholarship (around $ 300-400). Some of them even had to find additional jobs. The representatives of the foundations and societies which supported the schools also worked for the construction of the schools, like common workers. There is no source behind these schools, only the sincere efforts of this nation. The water to work the mill comes through sacrifice. When a movement is this way, it means that it's independent and does not owe anything to anyone. Moreover, even the states can sometimes be indebted.

There are suspicions concerning the schools inside Turkey.

Those who have such suspicions also, with the same attitude, raise suspicions about the system of our state. These schools were inspected in very unusual ways. Some inspections to the girls' schools were carried out in such a way that it was incompatible with the moral code of our society, i.e. virtually carrying out night raids. They broke into the bedrooms, went through their belongings. These events did not appear in the press. Our friends did not complain to government ministers. They said that those who had come to inspect were the inspectors of our own state, let them come fifty, not twenty times. In spite of having found nothing at any of these inspections, the rumors still did not stop; this signifies ignobleness; this means having lost the feeling of shame.

Published on fgulen.com, 26 January 2005, Wednesday