Fethullah Gülen urges patience over prep schools row
Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen expressed unhappiness over government plans to abolish educational institutions that assist high school students to prepare for the national university admission examination and urged people to be patient in the face of this move, which is interpreted as a blow to education in the country.
In a speech published on herkul.org, a website that usually broadcasts his speeches, Gülen said: “A believer could be shaken, but he won't be toppled. This is how we should interpret this situation. One should be patient over tribulations.”
The government has finished work on the draft version of a law that foresees the closure of all kinds of prep schools, or dershanes, beginning with the 2013-2014 school year and imposing fines on those that continue to operate. The move is seen as a huge blow to free enterprise, and others have criticized the idea for its potential to block upward mobility in Turkish society.
According to the draft, prep schools will be given three years to become private schools. They are also prohibited from operating as study centers. If they don't transform themselves into private schools during this period, they will be closed down. A fine ranging from TL 500,000 to TL 1 million will be imposed on prep schools if they remain open. It also includes a provision which states that teachers from prep schools that close will be eligible to register with the Education Ministry for employment at state schools without the need to take the Public Personnel Selection Examination (KPSS), a national examination for employment with public agencies.
The debate over the elimination of dershanes is not a new topic in Turkey. State officials have mentioned such plans before, but the words have not turned into action thus far. Educators say the elimination of dershanes may sound like a relief for parents, but such a plan inevitably brings with it multiple questions.
When asked about messages on social media by teachers employed at prep schools opened by members of the Hizmet movement, in which they voice no concern over their future if the prep schools are shut down, Gülen expressed contentment. “I thank them. This shows the notion of hizmet [service] is firm in the minds of these friends. They seem to have made up their mind on what they will do. They have alternative options,” he noted.
Gülen also told his followers that if disbelievers or human and demon jinns are bothering them, this shows they are on the right path. “If you do not have earthly expectations and you even feel disgusted when you are offered a mansion in heaven in return for your service in this world, you are walking the right path. … If you are thinking and acting in this way, you are walking the right path. Keep walking,” he said.
“And if some people who attribute everything to themselves and their ego, their earthly interests, and who try to get something from this world are against you, this shows that you are walking the right path. If Pharaoh is against you, this means you are walking the right path. If Karun is against you, you are walking the right path,” he said.
He also urged unity among members of the Hizmet movement. “The devil is together with those who fall into division. It is together with tyrants. And whoever the devil is with, it is impossible for God to be with them,” he said.
Fethullah Gülen says he would free all coup convicts if he had the means
Turkish and Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has announced that he would free all the convicts of coup trials if he had the means to do so.
In a statement published on fgulen.com, a website that broadcasts his speeches, Gülen said he was deeply saddened to see “those elderly men” standing trial in these cases, adding that he would favor their release if he was able to. “If I had the means at my disposal, I would tell them ‘you are all free.' How? Like the Prophet said to all on the day of the Kaaba's conquest, ‘Go, you are all free today.'
A campaign against the Hizmet movement was launched both in Turkey and in the West, in particular in Western Europe and the US, after the start of the coup trials, alleging that the movement was behind these investigations. There was a flood of articles and news stories targeting the Hizmet movement with less than credible evidence while trying to whitewash those who plotted coups.
Turkey has had four military interventions since 1960. Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, Foreign Affairs Minister Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Finance Minister Hasan Polatkan were executed by the military junta in 1961. In 1980, the military coup led to hundreds of thousands of people being imprisoned and thousands tortured. The latest attempt by the military to intervene in politics came in 2007 when then-foreign minister and current President Abdullah Gül declared that he would run for presidency.
In a tacit reference to the government, Gülen implied that members of the government were very happy to see the generals being subdued and were now welcoming civilian authorities with their “military salute,” but are however trying to frame Hizmet as the only force behind these trials.
“However, some are making plans and carrying them out [to punish the coup plotters]. They say ‘those people [coup makers] once stood firm against us and now we are doing this to them.' They are saying this behind closed doors but on the other hand, they are whispering that the Hizmet movement with its members is doing all these. They are engaged in an act of dissension that aims to kill two birds with one stone. These comments do not befit my style but I have to say this much if you let me,” Gülen added.
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