When Gandhi of Islam staged the preacher Fethullah Gulen, also in Europe, he has a huge community. Now his followers challenge the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan. The conflict reveals the dangerous influence of the religious movement.

He insists to be a civil society movement who claim otherwise, is sued or threatened: For years, the community of Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen staged as loose initiative, interested in education and the world peace. In Europe, the Gülen community operates more than 300 schools, tuition centers, media enterprises.

They described Gulen, 72, as a godfather who endure no opposition, his church as a cult like Scientology. Now the Gülen community is embroiled in a bitter power struggle with the government of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The conflict reveals what followers of the preacher always been dismissed as a conspiracy theory: that the community is pursuing a political agenda that it has infiltrated the police and judiciary in Turkey.

Shortly before Christmas, Turkish security forces arrested more than 50 suspects, including senior ACP members, business owners and the sons of three ministers. They are collected bribes and have threaded illegal oil deals with Iran. Experts interpret the arrests as Revenge of the Gülen Movement to Erdogan.

Mighty Gulen Network:Gulen has millions of followers worldwide

The Prime Minister announced in the fall, to suggest tutoring centers in the Gulen movement . He accuses followers of the preacher to have created a ” state within a state ” . The judiciary in Turkey is notoriously biased. For years, secular rulers abused to eliminate opponents. For some years, but the balance of power has shifted : Today, observers believe that the judiciary is often controlled by cadres of the Gülen movement .

Gulen himself lives in the USA, in the state of Pennsylvania. In 1999 he fled from Turkey, the former secular government accused him of trying to Islamize the country. His supporters maintain schools, media houses , clinics and a bank in 140 countries. For a long time Erdogan and Gulen allies. Together they fought against the military and opposition. After his election victory in 2011 but believed Erdogan , to be no longer dependent on Gülen . The two camps were arguing about how to deal with the Kurds . Gülen criticized Erdogan’s foreign policy.

The threat of the Prime Minister to close the tuition centers could escalate the conflict. The Gülen movement has millions of followers worldwide, but no address , no register . The municipality operates in secret. Fethullah Gulen determined course and orientation. Familiar of the preacher , “brothers” , control the most important companies in the movement , including ” Zaman ” , the highest circulation newspaper in Turkey , and Bank Asya , one of the largest financial institutions in the country.

Mighty Gulen Network:Loyal squad

In their schools and tutoring centers cemaat (municipality) recruited new supporters in order to train in residential communities, so-called “light houses” to resolute fighters of their ideology to “Soldiers of Light”. They should expand the influence of the community and Gülen’s vision of a pious, Islamic society spread: as a manager in a company of cemaat, as politicians, teachers, judges. A senior dropouts reported numerous Turkish state officials were acting on the orders of the Gulen Brothers: “They were our students we have trained them and support If these grateful children take office, they continue to serve Gulen…”

The loyalty of the Gulen roster, obviously not Turkish Prime Minister – or even the rule of law . It does Gulen . In Germany the congregation of the dubious preacher learned so far in spite of everything a lot of encouragement . Politicians praise the educational commitment of the movement. Their clandestine structure , their political ambition , the brainwashing young believer , the persecution of critics – all of which is often hidden.

Even today, the CDU politician Rita Süssmuth and Omid Nouri Pour, security spokesman for the Greens , in associations of the Gülen movement involved . In the “Sueddeutsche Zeitung ” was released a few days ago a surprisingly positive portrait of Fethullah Gülen . The Imam is described therein as ” the most important preacher of Islamic modernity.” Detailed Gülen is honored commitment to understanding and tolerance .

No mention is made of the background of the ” SZ ” author : He was himself a student of Gulen schools and employees of the Gulen – friendly newspaper ” Zaman ” .

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