Gulen v. Chertoff
Statements made in Fethullah Gulen's green card case contradict
later public statements about the Gulen schools
Page created Feb 7, 2011; last updated Oct 21, 2012
On May 25, 2007, Fethullah Gulen filed suit against Michael Chertoff (Secretary of Homeland Security), Emilio T Gonzalez (Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS), Paul E Novak, Jr (Director of the USCIS Vermont Service Center), Evelyn Upchurch (Director of the USCIS Texas Service Center), Donald Monica (District Director of the USCIS Philadelphia District Office) and Robert S Mueller, III (FBI Director) in a federal court in eastern Pennsylvania.
Gulen had petitioned USCIS to grant him permanent residency in the United States, using a Form I-140 Petition, which is for an "Alien of Extraordinary Ability."
The court ruled in Gulen's favor, and he is thus able to reside in the United States indefinitely.
Documents associated with this lawsuit include filings by Gulen's legal team, letters written by Gulen's supporters, and even an affidavit signed by Gulen himself, which contain statements that contradict many of the public denials regarding Gulen's role in schools founded and run by his followers.
Document 28 - Joint Stipulation of Facts. Signed by Gulen's lawyer Theodore J. Murphy on Gulen's behalf.
Verbatim excerpts from this document:
"48. Mr. Gulen is the founder of the 'Gulen Movement.'
49. The principles of the Gulen Movement are the foundation for hundreds of schools
established in North America, Europe, and Asia.
...
74. While in the United States, Mr. Gulen founded the Institute for Interfaith Dialog
(Houston, Texas). The Institute of Interfaith Dialog (IID) is a non-profit organization. (A.R. pp. 1029-1033).
...
77. While in Turkey, Mr. Gulen founded The Gulen Movement. In his position as the
Founder and Head of The Gulen Movement, Mr. Gulen has overseen the establishment of a conglomeration of schools throughout the world, in Europe, Central Asia, and the United States. (A.R. pp. 658 - 679, pp. 1343 -1370, pp. 1518 - 1546).
78. While in Turkey, Mr. Gulen founded the Journalists and Writers Foundation
(Turkey)."
[Compare this with statements made by Gulen to USA Today, published in August 2010: "It is well-known that I have no relation with any institution in the form of ownership, board membership, or any similar kind. ... I do not approve that those who are familiar with and share these ideas and opinions to any extent, or the institutions they work at, should be viewed as connected with my person."]
| doc_28.pdf |
Document 32 - Plaintiff's Response to Defendants' Summary Judgment Motion
Verbatim excerpts:
"Plaintiff’s work in religious tolerance and education is used by a variety of institutions that transmit knowledge and culture, namely the hundreds of schools with curricula based on Mr. Gulen’s methodology, universities that use his scholarly work as a basis for higher education courses, and educational conferences and symposia organized specifically around his work."
"Mr. Gulen has developed an educational methodology that is used in the hundreds of Gulen schools throughout the world. In the late 1960s, he taught children at religious summer camps."
"Gulen’s early experience in teaching and establishing schools led him to refine a methodology for education."
"To achieve this, Gulen has encouraged the social elite and community leaders, industrialists, as well as small businessmen, to support quality education. With donations from these sources, educational trusts have been able to establish hundreds of schools, both in Turkey and abroad."
"This methodology has lead to the development of the tripartite educator-parent sponsor relationship that the Gulen schools follow."
[This last line is reminiscent of the phrase "Parent-teacher-student triad" that is used by so many Gulen charter schools in the US.]
"Mr. Gulen does not seek to be classified as a “teacher,” but instead seeks to establish that he has extraordinary ability in “education.” Plaintiff educates other teachers and educators who then apply his principles in the classroom. ... In short, Mr. Gulen is an educator to other educators."
"Mr. Gulen inspired a movement now known as the Gulen Movement. Mr. Gulen has also published over 40 books and nearly 100 articles. His books are the foundations of his teachings, which are also the foundations for the hundreds of Gulen schools across the world. This evidence establishes that Mr. Gulen has personally affected the development of hundreds of schools across three continents."
[The above lines can be contrasted with Daisy Education Superintendent Ozkur Yildiz' response to Arizona journalist Tim Steller's questions about Sonoran Science Academy and its charter holder, Daisy Education Corporation: "We would like to stress and underline the fact that the establishment of Daisy Education Corp. was not, and is not, linked to any movement that can possibly have any substantive influence on school’s mission, vision and operations. DEC is an educational institution. It is not attached to any ideology or movement."]
"The high caliber of Plaintiff’s referees demonstrates that he is one of a few at the top of the field of education."
"Mr. Gulen has submitted evidence that entire conferences have been held on the subject of his scholarly work, including his work in the field of education. For instance, the International Conference: Muslim World in Transition – Contributions of the Gulen Movement was held in London, October 25 – 27, 2007."
"As Vinici states, “[h]e began to stress in his discourses that schools concentrating on non-religious subjects could serve religious needs..."
"According to Gulen, 'education will permit to shape a new generation of people (the golden generation) which will be able to use scientific knowledge according to Islamic ethics and to lead society along the right path.' "
"Plaintiff submitted a personal affidavit in response to Defendants’ Request for Evidence (RFE), in which he stated: '....I also serve as a consultant to the organizers and sponsors of conferences that focus on my work and scholarly contributions to the field.' "
"Mr. Gulen has attested that he will continue to promote education through the authoring of scholarly articles and advising others in the field of education. The evidence shoes [sic] that Mr. Gulen continues to work as an educator who gives guidance to other educators."
| doc_32.pdf |
Document 32 attachment - Affidavit of June 17, 2008 signed by Fethullah Gulen
Fethullah Gulen signed this affidavit, which includes the following lines:
"I continue to work with organizations that host conferences featuring my work. I currently am working with the Rumi Foundation, which is hosting a conference that explores alternative perspectives of the Gulen Movement within the larger framework of Islam in the Age of Global Challenges. The conference will take place at Georgetown University on November 14-15, 2008. ... I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct."
Notice how Gulen used the term "Gulen Movement" in this signed document. This can be contrasted with the statement he gave USA Today reporter Greg Toppo in August 2010, in which he said: "I do not approve the title "Gulen Movement" given to the civil society movement that I call 'volunteers' movement."
| doc_32_gulen_affidavit.pdf |
Document 32 attachment - Letter from H. Ali Yurtsever
In this letter dated June 17, 2008 and signed by H. Ali Yurtsever (a.k.a. Hasan Ali Yurtsever), Yurtsever states:
“In November 2008 the Rumi Forum will co-sponsor a conference that explores alternative perspectives of the Gulen Movement...As president of the Rumi Forum, I am in constant contact and consultation with Mr. Gulen regarding the conference proceedings.”
This letter is not the only time that Yurtsever has acknowledged having a personal relationship with Mr. Gulen; in a 2007 interview at the Berkley Center at Georgetown University, Yurtsever said: "My father was a close friend of Gulen; they were the same age, and saw each other often. I was in primary school and went to Friday prayers where I heard him preach; Gulen was at my house often, so I came to know him well."
Hasan Ali Yurtsever has served on the board of the Chicago Math and Science Academy, a Gulen charter school. His statements regarding his personal relationship with Fethullah Gulen can be compared with the statement Gulen gave to USA Today in August 2010, in which he denied personally knowing anyone involved in the US Gulen charter schools:
“There might be some educators who have listened to or read my thoughts ... and have come to the United States for various reasons and work at private or public schools. My relation to them is not different from the one between me and any academician working at a U.S. university who may somehow value my thoughts. Those are individuals whom I do not know personally, ....”
As an aside, we note that a separate piece of evidence contradicting Gulen's statement can be found in a Nov 13, 2009 news article from the Utah station KSL, which stated that "Erdogan says some staff members personally know the Pennsylvania preacher." Frank Erdogan was at that time the principal of Beehive Science and Technology School, a Gulen charter school in Utah that was the subject of the news article.
In this letter dated June 17, 2008 and signed by H. Ali Yurtsever (a.k.a. Hasan Ali Yurtsever), Yurtsever states:
“In November 2008 the Rumi Forum will co-sponsor a conference that explores alternative perspectives of the Gulen Movement...As president of the Rumi Forum, I am in constant contact and consultation with Mr. Gulen regarding the conference proceedings.”
This letter is not the only time that Yurtsever has acknowledged having a personal relationship with Mr. Gulen; in a 2007 interview at the Berkley Center at Georgetown University, Yurtsever said: "My father was a close friend of Gulen; they were the same age, and saw each other often. I was in primary school and went to Friday prayers where I heard him preach; Gulen was at my house often, so I came to know him well."
Hasan Ali Yurtsever has served on the board of the Chicago Math and Science Academy, a Gulen charter school. His statements regarding his personal relationship with Fethullah Gulen can be compared with the statement Gulen gave to USA Today in August 2010, in which he denied personally knowing anyone involved in the US Gulen charter schools:
“There might be some educators who have listened to or read my thoughts ... and have come to the United States for various reasons and work at private or public schools. My relation to them is not different from the one between me and any academician working at a U.S. university who may somehow value my thoughts. Those are individuals whom I do not know personally, ....”
As an aside, we note that a separate piece of evidence contradicting Gulen's statement can be found in a Nov 13, 2009 news article from the Utah station KSL, which stated that "Erdogan says some staff members personally know the Pennsylvania preacher." Frank Erdogan was at that time the principal of Beehive Science and Technology School, a Gulen charter school in Utah that was the subject of the news article.
| doc_32_yurtsever_letter.pdf |
Document 29 - Defendants' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment
One of the documents filed by the defendants, representing the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the FBI, contained the following lines:
“In other words, the evidence submitted by plaintiff indicates that, far from being an academic, plaintiff seeks to cloak himself with academic status by commissioning academics to write about him and paying for conferences at which his work is studied.”
“Thus, despite the many conclusory references to plaintiff as a scholar or an educator in the materials submitted, plaintiff has actually submitted no evidence of his own work or achievements as an educator.”
“The record in this case contains substantial evidence to support the agency’s finding that plaintiff is not a person of exceptional ability in the field of education."
"Plaintiff attempted to meet the one-time achievement standard by submitting evidence that he reeceived an Award of Merit from the Romanian Commission of UNESCO. ...The AAO determined that plaintiff had not provided evidence that UNESCO considers the award plaintiff received significant, evidence explaining the selection process, or evidence of media coverage outside Turkey. Accordingly, the AAO found that plaintiff had not demonstrated that he had received an award recognized internationally in the field of education.”
“The AAO found that ...plaintiff’s own writings were not scholarly treatises.”
One of the documents filed by the defendants, representing the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the FBI, contained the following lines:
“In other words, the evidence submitted by plaintiff indicates that, far from being an academic, plaintiff seeks to cloak himself with academic status by commissioning academics to write about him and paying for conferences at which his work is studied.”
“Thus, despite the many conclusory references to plaintiff as a scholar or an educator in the materials submitted, plaintiff has actually submitted no evidence of his own work or achievements as an educator.”
“The record in this case contains substantial evidence to support the agency’s finding that plaintiff is not a person of exceptional ability in the field of education."
"Plaintiff attempted to meet the one-time achievement standard by submitting evidence that he reeceived an Award of Merit from the Romanian Commission of UNESCO. ...The AAO determined that plaintiff had not provided evidence that UNESCO considers the award plaintiff received significant, evidence explaining the selection process, or evidence of media coverage outside Turkey. Accordingly, the AAO found that plaintiff had not demonstrated that he had received an award recognized internationally in the field of education.”
“The AAO found that ...plaintiff’s own writings were not scholarly treatises.”
| doc_29_defendants_motion_part_sum_jud.pdf |
Letters in support of Gulen's petition
The list of individuals who wrote and submitted letters to the court in support of Gulen's petition can be found in several Turkish books on Gulen, as well as on this webpage:
George Fidas
Graham Fuller
Morton Abramowitz
Aleksander Karlutsos
John Obert Voll
Dale Eickelman
Yildirim Akbulut
Mehmet Saglam
Bernadette Andrea
Paul Barker
Bishop Floyd Schoenhals
Murat Sarayli
Fr. Thomas Michel
Rev. Donald Senior
Kenneth Echols
Jill Carroll
Lynn Mitchell
Sheryl E. Santos
David Capes
Terry Mathis
James E. Bowley
Loye Ashton
Lawrence T. Geraty
H. Ali Yurtsever
Kemal Oksuz
John Esposito
The list of individuals who wrote and submitted letters to the court in support of Gulen's petition can be found in several Turkish books on Gulen, as well as on this webpage:
George Fidas
Graham Fuller
Morton Abramowitz
Aleksander Karlutsos
John Obert Voll
Dale Eickelman
Yildirim Akbulut
Mehmet Saglam
Bernadette Andrea
Paul Barker
Bishop Floyd Schoenhals
Murat Sarayli
Fr. Thomas Michel
Rev. Donald Senior
Kenneth Echols
Jill Carroll
Lynn Mitchell
Sheryl E. Santos
David Capes
Terry Mathis
James E. Bowley
Loye Ashton
Lawrence T. Geraty
H. Ali Yurtsever
Kemal Oksuz
John Esposito