Behind the Screen of Tolerance

"As a practicing Muslim deeply influenced by the tenets of my faith, I strongly condemn the brutal atrocities of the ISIS terrorist group. Their actions are a disgrace to the faith they proclaim and are crimes against humanity. Religion provides a foundation upon which to establish peace, human rights, freedoms and the rule of law. Any interpretation to the contrary, including the abuse of religion to fuel conflicts, are simply wrong and deceitful."
"ISIS is not the first group to use religious rhetoric to mask its cruelty -- Al Qaeda did so 13 years ago and Boko Haram more recently. What they all have in common is a totalitarian mentality that denies human beings their dignity."
"Any form of violence against innocent civilians or persecution of minorities contradicts the principles of the Qur'an and the tradition of our Prophet (upon whom be peace and blessings). ISIS members are either completely ignorant about the faith they proclaim, or their actions are designed to serve individual interests or those of their political masters. Regardless, their actions represent those of terrorist group and, as such, they should be brought to justice and compelled to answer for their horrific crimes."
"I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. May God give them strength, patience and perseverance, and alleviate their suffering. I also pray for the immediate and safe release of hostages and ask God, the Merciful, to lead us all toward mutual respect and peace. I invite everyone around the world to join me in these prayers."
Fethullah Gulen, Islam scholar, preacher, social advocate

The above is the partial text of a statement by Fethullah Gullen, the leader of a Sunni Muslim, Turkish worldwide movement. One bitterly contested by the ruling AKP and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as having connived to undermine state rule by an underground, covert parallel government headed by Fethullah Gulen, now living in exile in the United States. The partial text appeared in a paid advertisement by the Intercultural Dialogue Institute and Anatolian Heritage Federation, allied with the Gulen movement.

In the early years of President Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, Mr. Gulen was an ally and an influence, sharing much of the same Islamic agenda advanced by the AKP and Mr. Erdogan. Fethullah Gulen was then a political force in Turkey and in the past decade has become even more influential than ever. For reasons of his own he spoke out against the Turkish flotilla that sailed toward Israel with the intention of breaking the Gaza blockade, while then-Prime Minister Erdogan praised it, knowing full well that a terrorist group was behind it.

Mr. Gulen leads roughly five million followers and his movement operates schools, universities, corporations, non-profits and media organs worldwide. Not only in Central Asia but in countries like Indonesia, Sudan and Pakistan, along with non-Muslim countries like Mexico and Japan. Over one thousand explicitly secular schools and universities are operated by Gulenists in over one hundred countries, emphasizing science and technology, and incongruously enough teaching the Turkish language. They are considered to be good learning institutions.

President Erdogan faced a backlash in Turkey over revelations of corruption within his government. Corruption that reached into his own family, with his son accused of having illegal business arrangements with among other countries Iran, which as a NATO member, Turkey presumably was honouring sanctions against, related to the Iranian Republic's illicit nuclear operations in its purported and quite likely search for nuclear arms production breakthroughs. Mr. Erdogan responded by arresting police, journalists, lawyers and judges, accusing them all of a conspiracy against him as Gulenists.

He once stated that "in order to sterilize this dirty water that contaminated the milk, we will either boil or vaporize it." He does have a fondness flower allusion verging on purple prose, for declaring his hatred of those evincing the unmitigated gall to oppose him, calling in question his allegiance to democratic values and justice, much as he describes his disgust with Israel and Jews likening them to lesser creatures haunting the Earth in a conspiracy to wreak their dastardly plans leading to world domination. Which, needless to say, world domination aspiration being the spiritual and real province of imperialist Islamism with its outreach to achieve a global caliphate.

The man whom President Erdogan detests seemingly just as much as he does Jews, calls himself a man of moderation and tolerance, and is respected by his followers as such. His movement stresses inter-faith dialogue, reaching out to those worshiping other religions, making common cause with their leaders. "Understanding and respect" are the two sentiments that dominate the conversation around the Gulen movement, and Fethullah Gulen prides himself on the plaudits showered upon him by the West as an exemplary Islamic scholar building bridges among the faiths.
He has cultivated ties with Jewish and Christian leaders, and according to his website met with Pope John Paul II, receiving an award for tolerance from the Romanian ministry of education, affiliated with UNESCO. That is his assiduously tailored persona that has been burnished in the years since he left Turkey to live in the United States until such time, presumably, as he can safely return to Turkey without fear of arrest and incarceration as a traitor to the country and a danger to its government.His sermons and writing while he yet lived in Turkey were rife with vitriol directed against Jews, Christians, the West and the U.S.

An instructive bit of intolerance was written in the mid-1990s under his name, appearing his his book Fasildan Fasila-1 ("From Chapter to Chapter"), vol.1, in translation.

“Even though they have lived in exile here and there and have led an almost nomadic existence, Jews have been able to maintain their racial characteristics with almost no loss. Moreover, the Jewish tribe is very intelligent. This intelligent tribe has put forth many things throughout history in the name of science and thought. But these have always been offered in the form of poisoned honey and have been presented to the world as such. For instance, Karl Marx is a Jew; the communism he developed looks like a good alternative to capitalism at first sight, but in essence it is a deathly poison mixed in honey.

Ibn Taimiyya says “some Batini[1] doctrines exhibit substantial Jewish influence” and puts forth much evidence on this subject.  Judaism was represented under Islam among the Jews in Medina and the surrounding areas during the time of our Master and among the Sabaʾiyya[2] during the time of the patriarchal caliphs[3] and is represented today in various nation-states.  It would not be an exaggeration to say that “the purpose behind the creation of such a people is to be the coil spring for human progress.” Just as God unleashes the hawk to evolve the sparrow’s capability for flight, with the Jews He keeps humans alert and under tension. From a different perspective, we can look at Jews as humanity’s vice-urging self [nefs-i emmâresi[4]].

Jews will maintain their existence until the apocalypse. And shortly before the apocalypse, their mission of acting as the coil spring for humanity’s progress will come to an end, and they will prepare their end with their own hands.

Their incurable enmity to Islam and Muslims aside, these people, which look with scorn upon even their own prophets and killed many among them, will finally end up in the position of Nazis and will look for a place to hide in the four corners of the earth.  Nevertheless, since dwelling on the true causes and motives related to this topic will both oppose the business of truth and result in raising undue passions, we shall let this pass for the moment. Yes, until Islam comes to be represented to the desired extent, it seems like luck will favor the Jews for some time still.”

Sigh, another idol shattered.