Imam in the Middle from page 15 “I’ve been in their homes and enjoyed their hospitality,â€? McDaniels says. â€œâ€Ś I doubt that any of the people writing these missives have ever done that, been in the Turkish homes of some of the followers of Gulen. I doubt they’ve been in a single home, and I’ve been in four-dozen. Never have I seen hate or exuding anything ‌ other than kindness, hospitality, peace and love toward humanity. That’s been my experience.â€? Such counter arguments abound for every theory damning Gulen or the Gulen Movement. In “Fethullah Gulen’s Grand Ambition: Turkey’s Islamist Danger,â€? a recent article in the scholarly journal Middle East Quarterly, author Rachel Sharon-Krespin writes that “Gulen and his backers not only seek to influence government but also become the government.â€? She continues: “That the U.S. government and, specifically, the Central Intelligence Agency support the Gulen movement is conventional wisdom among Turkey’s secular elite even though no hard evidence exists to support such allegations.â€? Sharon-Krespin cited statistics that don’t appear in her references, according to Koc, author of one of her references. The majority are “from sources with no academic or scientific control for credibilityâ€? he says, including TV programs and blogs. Koc, who countered Sharon-Krespin’s article in the Fethullah Gulen Forum (fethullahgulenforum.org), responded to each of the accusations “to show how biased, selective, misleading, misrepresentative and miscalculatedâ€? her data is.
To say that Gulen heads up the movement that carries his name or is somehow pulling the strings of the organization the way an American CEO leads a multi-national corporation is inaccurate, according to his followers. Even calling it the Gulen Movement is disrespectful to the many people doing its work, Gulen said in the June 2010 interview with The New York Times. Instead, he preferred to call it the Volunteer Movement. Gulen also stood by his long-time ascetic lifestyle. His only belongings, he said, were “a quilt, bed sheets and a few prized books,� adding that he did not know “how many countries this movement is active in, nor do I know how many teachers and students there are.� “My role in this movement is very limited, and there is no leadership, no center, no loyalty to a center and no hierarchy,� he said. Ashton, whose forthcoming book delves into the grassroots political and social impact of the Gulen Movement in Turkey, said that if he were to compare Gulen to another public figure, it would be activist nun Sr. Joan Chittister or Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh. Ashton has met Gulen, and said it’s easy to see why he’s inspiring. “It’s clear when you’re around him that he has a spiritual gift,� Ashton said, adding that through example, “he teaches me how to be a better Christian.� History will tell whether Gulen is a force for good or
evil. Few writers seem to have a moderate opinion of the man or the movement. Perhaps, as Joshua D. Hendrick, assistant professor of sociology and global studies at Loyola University of Maryland, wrote in the Middle East Report this fall, it’s true that the movement’s “loyalists operate as private actors in a competitive global marketplace of goods and ideas.â€? “Continuing to refer to the Gulen movement as either a benign social network of ‘selfless volunteers,’ or as a clandestine ‘radical Islamist’ organization, is simplistic and counterproductive,â€? Hendrick concluded in “Media Wars and the Gulen Factor in the New Turkey.â€? “Indeed, considering Turkey’s emerging role as a political and economic power, a candidate for the European Union, a regional leader and an important ally of both Israel and the United States, the Gulen movement’s transformative impact in Turkey is significant not only for the 79 millionplus Turks, but for the entire world.â€? “In the history of sociological movements, there is no movement that has not received criticism,â€? Ozcan says. “Big changes in society come with criticism all the time. ‌ I always ask (those who criticize): ‘Have you read any of Gulen’s books? Have you visited any Gulen-inspired schools or institutions? Have you listened to any of his sermons?’ If not, read, visit or listen.â€?
‘Come and Eat’ SOPHIE MCNEIL
by Sophie McNeil
Sharing traditional Turkish food is one way IID brings people together.
November 30 - Dcember 6, 2011
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CARROT SALAD 8 carrots, grated 1/4 cup corn oil 2 cups plain yogurt 1 cup sour cream 1 garlic clove Salt (as needed) Sumac (can be found at Mediterranean groceries)
Place oil and carrots in pan and
sautĂŠ until carrots are tender. Let carrot mixture cool. In a bowl, mix together yogurt, sour cream and pinch of salt. Mince garlic and add to mixture. In a shallow dish, spread carrot mixture to cover bottom. Place yogurt mixture on top, sprinkling sumac over yogurt as desired.
CEZERYE 1 pound of carrots, grated 2 sleeves of vanilla-flavored tea biscuits 1 stick of butter 1-1/2 cups of sugar Grated coconut
Combine grated carrots and sugar in a pan and sautĂŠ for about 20 min-
utes or until softened. Once soft, let carrots cool. In a bowl, combine carrots and butter. Crush tea biscuits into small pieces and combine with carrots and butter until dough forms. Form quarter-sized balls with the dough and roll in grated coconut.