Why do a minority fear Hizmet [Gulen Movement]?

Martin Taylor

Fethullah Gulen

Before addressing the above question it’s important to first put things in perspective. The Hizmet movement (a transnational faith inspired human centric movement inspired by the Turkish Islamic scholar and peace activist Fethullah Gülen) enjoys huge support and sympathy among the Turkish people in mainland Turkey and among communities around the world where it operates. It could not otherwise deliver the services that it does – a thousand schools; even more dialogue organisations; clinics; media outlets; humanitarian aid and other charitable NGOs – in over a 130 countries around the world. Operations on this scale require a massive amount of human and financial resources, inconceivable without the sustained commitment of its participants and the support of sympathisers. Empirical research tells us that participants in Hizmet donate between 5 and 25 per cent of their annual income as well as a considerable amount of their time and know-how to Hizmet services. Others have suggested that 84 percent of Turks have a favourable opinion of Fethullah Gülen and the the movement he inspires. Both the sheer size, scale and variety of the movement’s activities and empirical research into its resource mobility prove that Fethullah Gülen and the Gulen movement enjoys the support and sympathy of the majority of the Turkish people.