BBC Finally Wakes Up, Notices Fethullah Gulen Movement

Go figure. The most prominent news source in Great Britain has finally taken notice of Fethullah Gulen. There have been several bloggers ringing alarm bells about the Gulen movement for years and the BBC pooh poohed such warnings with its silence. Now, all of a sudden, it has decided to look into it. This has become a disturbing trend with leftwing media outlets that ultimately have to face realities they continuously choose to deny and ignore until it's no longer possible to do so. Those troublesome little conservative bloggers that liberal media establishments view with contempt continue to scoop them.

Via Edward Stourton at BBC:

Inspired by a little-known Turkish imam, the Gulen movement is linked to more than 1,000 schools in 130 countries as well as think tanks, newspapers, TV and radio stations, universities - and even a bank.

This massive network is unlike anything else. It has no formal structure, no visible organisation and no official membership.

Its supporters say they simply work together, in a loosely affiliated alliance inspired by the message of charismatic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who promotes a tolerant Islam which emphasises altruism, hard work and education.

Turkish businessmen are attracted by what they see as his international outlook and pragmatic approach to issues like using credit.

In Turkey today, it is thought to have up to 10 million supporters. A recent study suggests many give between 5%-20% of their income to groups affiliated with the movement.

Critics claim its aim is to gain power, to spread socially conservative Islamic attitudes on issues like marriage and alcohol around the globe, and to suppress any opposition.

In the past year, three of its most prominent critics have been jailed in Turkey, sparking claims that it has become a sinister controlling force in its native land.

Mr Gulen's critics point to a video which surfaced in 1999, in which he seemed to tell his followers that they should deliberately attempt to infiltrate mainstream structures:

"You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centres. You must wait until such time as you have got all the state power, until you have brought to your side all the power of the constitutional institution in Turkey."

You'll note that Stourton links to a BBC article in which the entity he writes for reported on Gulen's controversial comments in 1999. This is obviously an attempt by Stourton to show he is not ignorant of Gulen. In reality, the revelation makes it worse for the BBC. It shows that they've known about Gulen and have refused to investigate him as his movement has grown substantially over the last 12 years.

It's good to see BBC finally report on this but GOSH DOG, what took so long?!

h/t Free Republic