Fethullah Gülen’de Bati Algisi: Bir ‘Iyi’, ‘Kötü’ Ve ‘Çirkin’ Hikayesi
The Western Perception of Fetullah Gülen: a Story of ‘The Good’, ‘The Bad’ and ‘The Ugly’

Summary/Abstract: Determining how intellectuals perceive the West requires understanding both the history of intellectual struggle and an ancient problem. Some prominent and traumatic truths of this ancient problem include being stuck between the East and the West, the application of synthesis as a practical solution to the matter, an on-going payoff, and a state of hostility triggered by backwardness. Although the West is a fundamental problem to all intellectuals in Turkey, it has been perceived especially by Islamist intellectuals as Christianity and materialism and all of the opposing ideas, uttered against it, have focused on these two concepts. Fethullah Gülen, an Islamist intellectual, also feeds on these political cultural veins at times. He shares the references he compiles from these veins with his readers; however, he has ideas of his own concerning the West. In his ideas, which become apparent under the titles of Western thought and philosophy, Christianity, communism, capitalism, and atheism, Gülen believes that the only thing such concepts lead human beings to is ‘evil’. According to him, the ideas and purposes of the West concerning the world of Islam have not changed since the Crusades. Although the source of the same purposes is the West, at times local collaborators (intellectuals, artists, writers, etc.) are also appointed to realise them. Gülen never neglects to warn ‘the innocent Anatolian people’ against this fatal threat through his writings as well. Gülen’s warnings aim to save the future of the people. Consequently, for Gülen, who has such foresight, the West and Western thought then transform into an eternal and sworn object of struggle. Therefore, Gülen’s efforts are actually the history of a struggle for honour of ‘the good’ against ‘the bad’ and ‘the ugly’. With the world domination of ‘the good’ (i.e., Islam), this struggle will come to an end, and humankind will dispose of this evil.

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