Gulen Charter Schools Funded by Bill Gates and Walmart?

Bill Gates has become the symbol of Gulen Charter Schools(!)

The below piece written by Goose Network Blog is a good example of how ill-intention and ignorance can take a hate group to new heights. "Better late than never," says a proverb. So, I think it is a good idea to introduce this piece written at the early days of Gulen Charter Schools concept.  

Journalists and Writers Foundation Responds Accusations on Gulen Movement

I think the response below is something very significant in terms of answering the allegations about the Hizmet Movement. 

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (GYV) has responded to a series of controversial claims and slanderous accusations made about the Hizmet movement which the foundation said are designed to pit the government against the movement and create tension between the two.

A Rare Meeting With Reclusive Turkish Spiritual Leader Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gulen was interviewed by Jamie Tarabay, Baghdad Bureau Chief of NPR News and he candidly answered her questions. Between the lines, you can read very humble approaches to many of the questions including the one where he "admits" that he might have misinterpreted some Quranic verses. That is really humility at its best... Enjoy the read.

The Atlantic: It's so rare to have an interview with you, why is that?

Fethullah Gulen: I grew up in a humble family with a shy personality. I accept these kind offers out of respect for those who are requesting such interviews, otherwise, I would prefer to live a secluded life just by myself.

We just saw your living quarters, and I saw a very small bed, a small mat, a small room. When you can have all the space you need, why do you use such a small area for yourself?

My whole life has been this way, during my years as a student, and later on in life I have always lived in such humble spaces. It's because I would like to live like my fellow citizens because I consider myself among them. By no means do I consider myself superior in any sense. Also, it is in my nature. I believe in the hereafter; I believe that's the true life, therefore I don't want to attach myself too much to this world.

Do you still teach every day?

I try to spend time with the students here every day as much as my health allows me. Some days my health prevents me from doing so, but I'd like to continue to study with them for as long as I am alive.

A Gulen-Inspired School in Iran?

Several months ago, a breaking news appeared on some media outlets. According to that news, a Gulen-inspired school in Iran (!) was raided and 83 CIA agents (!) were arrested (!) in the school. It is a rare talent to be able make three mistakes in one sentence.

Of course, this "breaking" news was immediately picked up by ODA TV, who is also the zealous supporter of so-called Gulen Charter School concept in the US.

First, there is no "Gulen-inspired" school in Iran, because Iran, as the example of perfect democracy (!) never allows the Movement to open a school. Second, in this non-existent school, you can't hide 83 CIA agents. Of course, with no school and agents around, you can't arrest them. And here is the proof for this blatant lie:

This is the only one that I could find, because later on they deleted the news and apologized for their blatant lie. Here is the apology:

Here they say, "The Movement is right. That news was untrue. Unfortunately, ODA TV also made the same mistake." Below is the full text for their apology. 

You can still find their apology here.

Top-notch School isn’t Marred by Loose Ties to Turkish Cleric

This is a slap-in-the-face type of answer to the doubters. As the author suggests, the labeling of top-notch charter schools is the outcome of xenophobic current. Just because there are some international faculty at a school, it does not necessarily mean that the school is doing a bad job!

SHOULD MASSACHUSETTS be afraid of Fethullah Gulen? That’s the question at the heart of the whispering campaign against the Pioneer Charter School of Science, a high-achieving public school in Everett whose loose connections to the influential Turkish religious figure came under heightened scrutiny when it sought state permission to expand to a second location in Saugus.

Gulen is a moderate Muslim cleric who emphasizes science and whose followers have started schools worldwide, including hundreds of charter schools in the United States. Pioneer’s director, Barish Icin, says the Everett school isn’t connected to Gulen, but some of the school’s choices suggest at least a casual link; the school has hired 16 Turkish science, math, or technology teachers with temporary visas, though only four are currently on the school’s staff. It has also contracted with a law firm tied to the Gulen movement.

But that doesn’t really matter. Public schools should be judged based on their performance, and according to state statistics, Pioneer is doing an exemplary job. The school has received state awards for its high MCAS scores, which are significantly above statewide averages; when it sought to expand, many parents attested to the education their children at the grade 7-12 school are receiving. The school offers 200 days a year of instruction, almost a full month more than district schools. Of the 34 students in the school’s first graduating class last year, more than 30 were accepted to four-year colleges. If this is foreign interference in American education, maybe we need more.

Indeed, part of the point of charter schools is to provide a testing ground for unconventional educational approaches; schools are given wide latitude to set their own policies, as long as they adhere to basic guidelines. Importing Turkish teachers is about as unconventional as it gets. But the school broke no rules, the state has received no complaints about religious influence at the school, and its academic results speak for themselves.

Nationally, much of the controversy over Gulen-inspired schools has carried an undercurrent of xenophobia, as if the mere possibility of Muslim educators were inherently alarming. But educators of all religions can be inspired by their faith to help others. As long as they don’t discriminate against other religions, or try to inculcate their beliefs into schoolchildren, then it shouldn’t be a concern. Unless such complaints arise, there is no reason to object to the Pioneer school, and the state made the right call by approving its expansion.

Ergenekon Terrorist Organization Suspects Get Sentenced

The long marathon of the court battle has come to an end and many of the Ergenekon suspects got very harsh but deserved sentences. If you need background information, please refer to Ergenekon Fact vs. Fiction page. On this page, this sentence is noteworthy:

"It is not unexpected for a member of the Ergenekon terrorist network to oppose the government in Turkey; after all, Ergenekon was allegedly trying to topple the government. From the evidence submitted to the court, we also know that these people are also staunchly anti-West, labeling the US imperialist and the EU and NATO Trojan horses vis-a-vis Turkey."