Fethullah Gülen

Fethullah Gülen, born on April 27, 1941, was a prominent Turkish Muslim scholar and preacher, best known as the leader of the Gülen movement. By 2010, this movement had garnered a following of eight to ten million individuals worldwide and established a network of over two thousand STEM-focused schools across more than one hundred fifty countries. Gülen's influence extended beyond education; he was a neo-Ottomanist and an advocate for a Nursian theological perspective that embraced democratic modernity.

From 1959 to 1981, Gülen served as a local state imam in Turkey, where he became a significant political figure. However, his relationship with the Turkish government soured, leading to his denaturalization in 2017. Following this, he lived in self-imposed exile in the United States, near Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, from March 21, 1999, until his death on October 20, 2024. His funeral drew an estimated fifteen thousand attendees in a stadium in New Jersey, reflecting his substantial impact on his followers.

Gülen's social critiques focused on faith and morality rather than political ends, advocating for the participation of both religious and secular individuals in society. He was known for promoting a tolerant interpretation of Islam that emphasized altruism, hard work, and education. His followers were encouraged to establish secular schools, charities, and organizations that contributed positively to society.

In 2016, the Turkish government began targeting the Gülen movement, seizing assets worth over twelve billion dollars, including numerous schools and charities. The political landscape shifted dramatically when Gülen's movement initially allied with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party, but this alliance fractured by 2011. Following a corruption scandal and accusations of orchestrating a coup attempt in 2016, Gülen faced an arrest warrant from Turkey, which the U.S. government did not act upon due to a lack of credible evidence.

Despite being labeled a terrorist leader in Turkey and Pakistan, Gülen and his movement are not recognized as such by the European Union, the United States, and several other countries. The aftermath of the 2016 coup attempt saw thousands of Turkish citizens tried for terrorism charges, highlighting the ongoing political turmoil surrounding Gülen's legacy.