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| Fethullah Gulen |
This
week the application for the Utica Academy of Science Charter School (UASCS) was
approved
by the New York State Board of Regents. Founders of this school have described it
as a “sister school” to the Syracuse
Academy of Science Charter School (SASCS). When it opens next fall, UASCS will
be the fourth Gulen Movement (GM)-affiliated charter school in New
York state.
The
Gulen Movement is a secretive and controversial religious group from Turkey that follows
the teachings of Fethullah
Gulen. Referred to as the cemaat
(“The Community”) in Turkey,
the GM is well-known for its schools. It operates a large number of private
schools in Turkey
and in many other countries
around the world. In addition, the GM operates the largest network
of charter schools in the United
States.
The
Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School (link),
the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School (link),
and the Rochester Academy Charter School (link)
have been identified
as GM-affiliated. The Syracuse and Buffalo schools have exhibited high suspension rates, and
the lease
for the Buffalo
school is a related-party deal. Further investigation into these and other aspects
should be conducted.
All GM-associated
schools provide Turkish cultural and language instruction, although that is
rarely mentioned in their charter school applications. The Syracuse school has
even gone so far as to teach students how to perform the religious ritual dance practiced by
the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order (the GM is Sufi-inspired). It is
unlikely that SASCS parents were aware of this aspect when they enrolled their
children at the school, or even fully understand the reason behind it at this
point.
A case study of a local
politician
This
past Tuesday, New York State Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (HD-45) celebrated
his re-election with a small group of supporters at the Turkish Cultural Center
of Brooklyn. Cymbrowitz has been embraced by the Gulen Movement and he has
fully embraced them back. An observer once noted that the Gulen Movement
employs a “strategy of seduction” towards parents and local governments (see
this 1.33 MB pdf).
In
May 2011, the NY Legislature adopted a Cymbrowitz, et al. sponsored resolution
(K541-2011) “Commending
the Turkish Cultural Centers upon the occasion of celebrating their 6th Annual
Turkish Cultural Day.” The resolution states: “The Turkish Cultural Centers
were first created by Fethullah Gulen...” and “There are 11 Turkish Cultural
Centers in New York State, located in Albany,
Binghamton, Brooklyn, Buffalo,
Long Island, Manhattan, Rochester,
Queens, Staten Island, Syracuse and Westchester...”
In
November 2011, Cymbrowitz and others gathered for the inauguration of a new
building for Brooklyn
Amity School,
a private Gulen school. A report
by Ebru TV (one of many media outlets controlled by the GM) stated: “... New
York State Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz said that founders of school had
stayed true to teachings of Turkish Scholar Fethullah Gulen.”
A
number of individuals from Brooklyn
Amity School
have also been involved with operating the GM’s charter schools.
And
in February 2012, at one of the many dinners hosted by the GM, Cymbrowitz presented
an official assembly proclamation of appreciation to Fethullah Gulen and
mentioned his recent trip to Turkey
(video). GM-affiliated
organizations regularly provide influential Americans with free, guided, pro-GM
propaganda trips to Turkey.
Political
contributions
Like
other special interest groups, the GM strategically invests its energy and
money in politicians. In 2010 a Wall Street Journal article about Fethullah Gulen
stated: “An English-language Turkish newspaper reported that Mr. Gulen has told
his followers they couldn't visit him on his Poconos estate if they didn't
first donate to their local congressman. Mr. Gulen denies making the remark.”
In
2011, Cymbrowitz received at least $7500 in political contributions
from nine individuals involved with either the Turkish Cultural Center of NY or
Brooklyn Amity School.
May
2011
·
$350
from Hayrullah Erdogan (Brooklyn
Amity School
building manager)
·
$350
from Ayse Sevinc (Brooklyn
Amity School
science teacher)
June
2011
·
$900
from Taner Kanbir (Brooklyn
Amity School
website domain owner and teacher)
·
$500
from Mehmet Ozbilgen (Brooklyn
Amity School
employment contact; petitioner of City Academy of Science charter school, a
2009 attempt)
·
$500
from Ayse Sevinc (2nd contribution in 2011; see above)
·
$350
from Zafer A. Akin (Brooklyn Amity School board member; President of Turkish
Cultural Center of NY; lead petitioner of Staten Island Fusion Charter School,
a 2011 attempt)
November
2011
·
$1500
from Cengiz Karabekmez (Brooklyn
Amity School
director)
·
$1000
from Ismail Topkaya (Brooklyn
Amity School
assistant principal)
·
$650
from Hayrullah Erdogan (2nd contribution in 2011; see above)
·
$500
from Erdem Duran (Brooklyn
Amity School
teacher)
·
$350
from Zafer A. Akin (2nd contribution in 2011; see above)
·
$300
from Mehmet Ozbilgen (2nd contribution in 2011; see above)
·
$250
from Mehmet Kilic (Vice President of Turkish Cultural Center of NY)
These
political contributions, had they been made in one lump sum, would have ranked
as Cymbrowitz’ third top contributor.
The Gulen Movement is
highly controversial
Last
May, during the CBS 60 Minutes report
about the Gulen Movement, Lesley Stahl made this observation:
“You know we have confronted real fear about this movement, particularly when
we've tried to get critics to give us an interview.”
Dani
Rodrik, Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard University
and his wife Pinar Dogan recently posted this
commentary on their blog:
The Gülen movement’s rhetoric and activities
have won Gülen plaudits as an exemplary Islamic scholar who tries to build
bridges between different faiths. Over the last decade, he has assiduously
cultivated ties with Jewish and Christian leaders, and his efforts have yielded
praise for his inter-faith activities and tolerance...
It is a massive understatement to say that
these activities are at odds with Gülen’s sermons and writings prior to his
move to the United States, which contain vitriolic passages against Jews, Christians,
the West, and the U.S... Moreover, these anti-Semitic rants can still be found
in their Turkish original on web sites maintained by the movement. At the same
time, the managers of Gülen’s official site have taken care to ensure that
there are no direct links to the content with the most offensive language...
Maybe Gülen has really changed his mind, and
shed some of the offensive views he held shortly before he moved to the U.S... clearly
his devotees are still propagating these odious views, while taking precautions
to insulate Gülen’s official persona, especially the one presented to
non-Turkish audiences, from them.
When confronted with Fethullah Gülen’s own
distasteful writings, Gülen’s defenders shoot back with accusations of
propaganda and disinformation... This is part of a pattern of deception and
hypocrisy we have encountered repeatedly. In Turkey, Gülenist rhetoric is
replete with democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Yet, as we have
documented elsewhere, the movement is entangled in an astonishing
range of misdeeds that run the full gamut from slander to the framing of
perceived opponents...
New
Yorkers should inform themselves about the Gulen Movement, the controversies which
surround it, and closely monitor their state’s expanding network of
taxpayer-supported, privately-managed Gulen charter schools.
