Mischief-makers and the Hizmet movement

Gültekin Avcı

Mischief-makers continue to work hard. Every objective conscience sees that the Hizmet movement now has to struggle for its rights and to defend itself against some unjust and fallacious accusations, such as that the Hizmet movement has created a parallel state, that it is an illegal organization and that it is even a junta.

The government keeps quiet while the Hizmet movement is exposed to such accusations. I swear that I have never seen such a period, during which lots of grim slander and black propaganda was prepared against the Hizmet movement. I think the main reason for these baseless accusations is jealousy. Members of the Hizmet movement opened schools in countries where no one knew anything about Turkey and where there were no Turkish embassies, and this movement is envied as the world's biggest nongovernmental organization. If the Hizmet movement had been a movement related to politics, it would not be favored by large numbers of people and would not have international success. Reacting to the wrongdoings of the government is not solely reserved for the opposition parties. In a democracy, societies can show opposition to the government. When the Hizmet movement reacts to some steps taken by the government, mischief-makers take action against the Hizmet movement immediately.

Published on Today's Zaman, 17 December 2013, Tuesday