It looks like Fetullah Gulen and his band of merry thieves are going to have to find an alternative source for one of their funding projects – if Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has his way. Erdogan has proposed closing down all fee based and free (nothing’s ever truly free) high school and college prep school testing centers, the majority of which are run by the Gulenists.
An article published in the US News on December 2, 2013, and written by Michael Skank, the director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation and adjunct faculty at George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, implies that this is an effort by Erdogan to further suppress Gulen’s growing influence in Turkish students. Skank is correct – it looks like Erdogan is in fact trying to influence Gulen’s power hold on Turkey by hitting him where it hurts the most --- his pocketbook.
Skank cries foul – stating that Erdogan is simply using his power to bully Gulen and as a result, only reinforcing the alleged “Islamophobic” and anti-Gulen sentiment that is making headway in the United States, and in particular, as it relates to the 140 plus Gulen administered and United States' publicly funded charter school network. Skank seems to forget that Erdogan himself is a Muslim, and the Prime Minister of Turkey, a country whose predominate religion is Islam, both of which makes him a most unlikely candidate to spread Islamophobia on either shore.
What Skank does not write about is the fact that the Gulen prep schools in Turkey are nothing more than a grooming factory for future Gulenists. The Gulenists seek out students, many of them from poor families that cannot afford to send their children to the best high schools and universities and as a consequence -- gratefully accept the Gulenists’ offer to “prep” their children for the highly competitive admission tests.
But test preparation is just a sideline adjunct activity to the more specific goal of “prepping” the students for their future roles as Gulenist cult puppets – eager “fundraisers,” via Hizmet contributions and other funds money laundered through the organization.
So it looks like Erdogan is actually doing the students and their families a huge favor by shutting down Gulen’s shady money-making and related exploitive activities. Now if we can only get Erdogan to move to the United States, run for office, and do the same over here – because our politicians are too busy stuffing their pockets with Gulen’s campaign contributions and free trips to Turkey to care that he is pillaging our tax coffers through his educational odyssey.
Skank appears to be another biased and whiny supporter of Gulen’s agenda, citing Georgetown professor John Esposito’s reference to Gulen as akin to the “Dalai Lama and as praised by Madeline Albright and James Baker III for his democracy and dialogue.” It seems that Skank and Esposito have been drinking from the same Kool-aid cup filled with denial and cooled with Gulenist propaganda.
Below is the article by Skank as well as a recent map of the United States’ Gulen charter school organization (hmm… an oxymoron of sorts) put together by Sharon Higgins of the Parameter Primate website:
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2013/12/02/turkeys-concerning-crackdown-on-gulen-schools?s_cid=rss:world-report:turkeys-concerning-crackdown-on-gulen-schools
Turkey's Education Crackdown Is Cause for Concern By Michael Shank
Published in US News on December 2, 2013
It appears that Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based Islamic preacher from Turkey who promotes peace and tolerance, and the schools associated with his religious Hizmet movement can't get a break.
They were first targeted in America, via discrimination aimed at the Turkish American community centered on his educational efforts, which was initially identified in the Center for American Progress' report "Fear Inc: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America." The report found a well-financed, well-organized network of advocates, experts and media partners conducting a strategic campaign throughout America and "spreading hate and misinformation," as CAP put it.
The new supposed Turkish threat to America: "Muslim Gülen schools, which [members of the Islamophobia network] claim would educate children through the lens of Islam and teach them to hate Americans."
The authors of the CAP report flatly reject this assertion, however, saying that the schools started by Gülen are "nothing of the sort" and that "they are a product of moderate Turkish Muslim educators who want a 'blend of religious faith and largely western curriculum.'" Indeed, two Gülen charter schools ranked fifth and sixth on Newsweek's 2011 "Top Ten Miracle High Schools" and two Gülen schools ranked 144th and 165th on Newsweek's 2011 list of "America's 500 Best High Schools." Clearly, they were doing something right.
Now, Gülen's schools are being targeted in his home country by the Turkish government's ruling Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, which should dispel any notion in the U.S. that the AKP is somehow in cahoots with the Gülen movement.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan recently announced a plan to shut down private prep schools, many of which are run by the Gülen movement. Erdogan's draft legislation would abolish the fee-based private preparatory courses for college or high school admission exams and the free private tutoring centers. In doing so, the prime minister said Turkey "will be putting an end to under-the-counter education" and that "this business which takes place in apartment flats needs to stop." To show his commitment to this crackdown, Erdogan even expelled a dissenting parliamentarian who took issue with his plan.
Speculations are that this is really about who will rule the country going forward, as Erdogan is perhaps keen to undermine Gülen and his, as Reuters noted, "global network of schools over the past four decades promoting Turkish language and culture" and its "powerful movement whose members hold influential positions across Turkish society, from the police and judiciary to the central bank, political parties and media." To put this "threat" in perspective, keep in mind that Gülen talks of peace and tolerance and was compared by Georgetown professor John Esposito to the Dalai Lama and praised by Madeleine Albright and James Baker III for his advocacy of democracy and dialogue.
Erdogan's move was immediately criticized. The former director of the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning from 2006-2010, Mark Bray, said that the government should work to deemphasize the weight of the centralized exam instead of attempting to abolish prep schools. Ersan Sen, a law professor at Istanbul University, added, "In a representative democracy, the parliament should not abolish prep schools with legislation that does not serve a public need and has no legal foundation."
The critics are onto something, as there are some serious concerns with Erdogan's proposed move. Conservatives and liberals alike feel that this is another step in government's increasing proclivity to control and micro-manage civic and private life and demonstrate disregard for democratic values such as the participatory process. But there are more reasons to be alarmed.
First, eliminating education services operating within the law and providing a much-needed service to parents voluntarily sending their children should be cause for concern. Any government attempt to monopolize the provision of educational services, and thus suppress an important component of the civil society, is equally disconcerting. And if the legislation passes, expect greater inequality and lack of opportunity for the children of low-income families.
Second, closing free tutoring centers limits opportunities for low-income Turkish youth to pursue education that can lead to an actual career. This is what socio-economic mobility and development looks like. Keep in mind that some of these tutoring centers serve youth who are targets of violent insurgent recruitment in east and southeast Turkey. Integrating and educating these youth is a far better option than disenfranchising them further, a reality to which Erdogan's schools closures will inevitably contribute.
Third, undermining the resolutions of the European Human Rights Court, of which Turkey is a member – especially the freedoms of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the protection of property – shouldn't be tolerated. This clear crackdown on Gülen and Hizmet participants – who have never endorsed a political party and who have only praised the government's latest democratization package and even supported, in true inter-religiously tolerant fashion, the re-opening of a Greek Orthodox seminary (which the government opposed) – demands a second look by the international community.
This brings us back to America. The Obama administration has recently and closely courted Turkey's government in an effort to help bring stability in almost every Middle East and Central Asia war zone, from Syria to Afghanistan. Consequently, we have Erdogan's ear if we want it. We should take the opportunity to encourage education, tolerance, private enterprise and inclusion, not marginalization. This is how you create an open and more stable democracy, something Erdogan should desire given the instability surrounding him.
Michael Shank, Ph.D., is the director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation and adjunct faculty at George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
An article published in the US News on December 2, 2013, and written by Michael Skank, the director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation and adjunct faculty at George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, implies that this is an effort by Erdogan to further suppress Gulen’s growing influence in Turkish students. Skank is correct – it looks like Erdogan is in fact trying to influence Gulen’s power hold on Turkey by hitting him where it hurts the most --- his pocketbook.
Skank cries foul – stating that Erdogan is simply using his power to bully Gulen and as a result, only reinforcing the alleged “Islamophobic” and anti-Gulen sentiment that is making headway in the United States, and in particular, as it relates to the 140 plus Gulen administered and United States' publicly funded charter school network. Skank seems to forget that Erdogan himself is a Muslim, and the Prime Minister of Turkey, a country whose predominate religion is Islam, both of which makes him a most unlikely candidate to spread Islamophobia on either shore.
What Skank does not write about is the fact that the Gulen prep schools in Turkey are nothing more than a grooming factory for future Gulenists. The Gulenists seek out students, many of them from poor families that cannot afford to send their children to the best high schools and universities and as a consequence -- gratefully accept the Gulenists’ offer to “prep” their children for the highly competitive admission tests.
But test preparation is just a sideline adjunct activity to the more specific goal of “prepping” the students for their future roles as Gulenist cult puppets – eager “fundraisers,” via Hizmet contributions and other funds money laundered through the organization.
So it looks like Erdogan is actually doing the students and their families a huge favor by shutting down Gulen’s shady money-making and related exploitive activities. Now if we can only get Erdogan to move to the United States, run for office, and do the same over here – because our politicians are too busy stuffing their pockets with Gulen’s campaign contributions and free trips to Turkey to care that he is pillaging our tax coffers through his educational odyssey.
Skank appears to be another biased and whiny supporter of Gulen’s agenda, citing Georgetown professor John Esposito’s reference to Gulen as akin to the “Dalai Lama and as praised by Madeline Albright and James Baker III for his democracy and dialogue.” It seems that Skank and Esposito have been drinking from the same Kool-aid cup filled with denial and cooled with Gulenist propaganda.
Below is the article by Skank as well as a recent map of the United States’ Gulen charter school organization (hmm… an oxymoron of sorts) put together by Sharon Higgins of the Parameter Primate website:
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2013/12/02/turkeys-concerning-crackdown-on-gulen-schools?s_cid=rss:world-report:turkeys-concerning-crackdown-on-gulen-schools
Turkey's Education Crackdown Is Cause for Concern By Michael Shank
Published in US News on December 2, 2013
It appears that Fethullah Gülen, a U.S.-based Islamic preacher from Turkey who promotes peace and tolerance, and the schools associated with his religious Hizmet movement can't get a break.
They were first targeted in America, via discrimination aimed at the Turkish American community centered on his educational efforts, which was initially identified in the Center for American Progress' report "Fear Inc: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America." The report found a well-financed, well-organized network of advocates, experts and media partners conducting a strategic campaign throughout America and "spreading hate and misinformation," as CAP put it.
The new supposed Turkish threat to America: "Muslim Gülen schools, which [members of the Islamophobia network] claim would educate children through the lens of Islam and teach them to hate Americans."
The authors of the CAP report flatly reject this assertion, however, saying that the schools started by Gülen are "nothing of the sort" and that "they are a product of moderate Turkish Muslim educators who want a 'blend of religious faith and largely western curriculum.'" Indeed, two Gülen charter schools ranked fifth and sixth on Newsweek's 2011 "Top Ten Miracle High Schools" and two Gülen schools ranked 144th and 165th on Newsweek's 2011 list of "America's 500 Best High Schools." Clearly, they were doing something right.
Now, Gülen's schools are being targeted in his home country by the Turkish government's ruling Justice and Development Party, known as the AKP, which should dispel any notion in the U.S. that the AKP is somehow in cahoots with the Gülen movement.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan recently announced a plan to shut down private prep schools, many of which are run by the Gülen movement. Erdogan's draft legislation would abolish the fee-based private preparatory courses for college or high school admission exams and the free private tutoring centers. In doing so, the prime minister said Turkey "will be putting an end to under-the-counter education" and that "this business which takes place in apartment flats needs to stop." To show his commitment to this crackdown, Erdogan even expelled a dissenting parliamentarian who took issue with his plan.
Speculations are that this is really about who will rule the country going forward, as Erdogan is perhaps keen to undermine Gülen and his, as Reuters noted, "global network of schools over the past four decades promoting Turkish language and culture" and its "powerful movement whose members hold influential positions across Turkish society, from the police and judiciary to the central bank, political parties and media." To put this "threat" in perspective, keep in mind that Gülen talks of peace and tolerance and was compared by Georgetown professor John Esposito to the Dalai Lama and praised by Madeleine Albright and James Baker III for his advocacy of democracy and dialogue.
Erdogan's move was immediately criticized. The former director of the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning from 2006-2010, Mark Bray, said that the government should work to deemphasize the weight of the centralized exam instead of attempting to abolish prep schools. Ersan Sen, a law professor at Istanbul University, added, "In a representative democracy, the parliament should not abolish prep schools with legislation that does not serve a public need and has no legal foundation."
The critics are onto something, as there are some serious concerns with Erdogan's proposed move. Conservatives and liberals alike feel that this is another step in government's increasing proclivity to control and micro-manage civic and private life and demonstrate disregard for democratic values such as the participatory process. But there are more reasons to be alarmed.
First, eliminating education services operating within the law and providing a much-needed service to parents voluntarily sending their children should be cause for concern. Any government attempt to monopolize the provision of educational services, and thus suppress an important component of the civil society, is equally disconcerting. And if the legislation passes, expect greater inequality and lack of opportunity for the children of low-income families.
Second, closing free tutoring centers limits opportunities for low-income Turkish youth to pursue education that can lead to an actual career. This is what socio-economic mobility and development looks like. Keep in mind that some of these tutoring centers serve youth who are targets of violent insurgent recruitment in east and southeast Turkey. Integrating and educating these youth is a far better option than disenfranchising them further, a reality to which Erdogan's schools closures will inevitably contribute.
Third, undermining the resolutions of the European Human Rights Court, of which Turkey is a member – especially the freedoms of expression, freedom of thought, conscience and religion and the protection of property – shouldn't be tolerated. This clear crackdown on Gülen and Hizmet participants – who have never endorsed a political party and who have only praised the government's latest democratization package and even supported, in true inter-religiously tolerant fashion, the re-opening of a Greek Orthodox seminary (which the government opposed) – demands a second look by the international community.
This brings us back to America. The Obama administration has recently and closely courted Turkey's government in an effort to help bring stability in almost every Middle East and Central Asia war zone, from Syria to Afghanistan. Consequently, we have Erdogan's ear if we want it. We should take the opportunity to encourage education, tolerance, private enterprise and inclusion, not marginalization. This is how you create an open and more stable democracy, something Erdogan should desire given the instability surrounding him.
Michael Shank, Ph.D., is the director of foreign policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation and adjunct faculty at George Mason University's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
