Politics, Education, and a Glocal Movement: Gulen-Inspired Educators and Their Views on Education in Politically Turbulent Times

The Hizmet Movement a.k.a. Gulen Movement is a collective initiative of a group of people from Turkey following altruistic ideals. Although it is rooted in Islam and the Sufi tradition, it appeals to all backgrounds via its secular schools and interfaith dialogue outreach. In the U.S., the movement runs educational institutions, interfaith dialogue centers, and charities, and has grown significantly since the start of the new millennium. The academic excellence, college admission rates, and medals won at local and international science and math competitions helped Hizmet Movement schools gain recognition and appreciation in the more than 100 countries where they operate. However, recent political unrest and, as a result, anti-democratic treatment of Hizmet participants in Turkey has taken a toll on this success and has transformed the movement into a diaspora. This paper serves as an introduction to Hizmet Movement’s history, its perceptions in the U.S. and in Turkey, and the educational philosophies of its educators in a post-911 and post-15 July world. The focus on events is between 1960 to present.