Similarities Between FETO and Jehovah's Witnesses

I think there is no one who does not know about the troubles that a preacher named Fethullah Gülen caused to Turkey. But most people don't know about this man's life and the emergence of the organization he led. However, the most important thing that determines who a person is is where he lives, how he lives and what he experiences. The organization that that person founded has a direct relationship with where he lives, how he lives and what he goes through.

You know, "Geography is destiny.", "Geography is everything.", "Man is the product of geography." There are words such as; what is meant by these words is that the geography, social environment and people with whom one is in contact are effective in almost every field such as a person's thoughts, personality, political and religious stance.

In this article, Fethullah Gülen's; The environment in which he lived and founded and developed his organization will be discussed in general terms, and it will be tried to make inferences about how his discourses, thoughts and the structure of the organization he founded were affected by the regions where he lived throughout his life and some structures in these regions.

Fethullah Gülen's Youth:

First of all, I would like to point out that my feelings and thoughts about Fethullah Gülen and the community he founded go back to the times when the community was just beginning to organize. Here, I would like to talk about it briefly. But first, I would like to talk about the environment where Fethullah Gülen was born and grew up, and the places where he initially tried to spread his beliefs.

Fethullah Gülen was born on April 27, 1941, in the village of Korucuk, in the Pasinler district of Erzurum, as stated in Wikipedia. His father, Ramiz Bey, is the imam of the mosque; His mother, Refia Hanım, is a housewife. Fethullah; He is the second of eight siblings, six boys and two girls.

Fethullah started learning to read the Qur'an (from his mother, according to his own statement) in 1945, when he was only four or five years old. Fethullah, who went to primary school in 1946, had to drop out of primary school because his father became imam in the village of Alvar in 1949 and his family moved there. He received his primary school diploma after an external examination in Erzurum. So many professors, generals, bureaucrats, businessmen, etc. Fethullah, followed by the educated person, is a primary school graduate.

Although he did not go to school, it is possible to say that he received a special education in religious matters. Fethullah, who took Arabic lessons from his father and tecvid and Quran lessons from Hacı Sıtkı Efendi in Hasankale, became a hafiz in 1951. In 1954, he took madrasa lessons from Sadi Efendi, the grandson of Alvar Imam Muhammed Lütfi, at Kurşunlu Mosque Madrasa in Erzurum.

Some of Fethullah's behaviors that he said he did during this period in some press organs and speeches on the internet show that he had some problems since childhood. For example, one day he threw a stone at a policeman and then pretended to be interested in something else, that is, deceiving the police, and therefore the police beating other children on the street thinking that the stone was thrown, is the most obvious example of this. While describing this event, Fethullah does not hide that he enjoys it and presents it as one of his superior qualities. This is just a simple example of his personality disorder.

It is understood that Fethullah continued his religious education seriously until 1955, in addition to such behaviors that can be considered as a rehearsal of the traps and conspiracies that Fethullah would later set for the nation. After 1955, he received fiqh and religious education from Osman Bektaş until he went to Edirne in 1959.

Starting to Work and Professional Life at the Presidency of Religious Affairs

Fethullah, who started to work in Edirne in 1959 as a member of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, served as imam at Üç Şerefeli Mosque for a total of four years before and after his military service. During his duty in Edirne, he started private conversations in the imam room of the Dar'ul-Hadis Mosque. In other words, as soon as he started working, he started to gain experiences that he would benefit from while forming the organization he would later establish.

Fethullah, who went to Erzurum in 1963 and stayed with his family for about a year, took part in the establishment of the second branch of the Anti-Communism Association in Erzurum and entered the management of the association. Fethullah, who took part in the activities of this association for two years, was appointed to Kırklareli in 1965 and served as a preacher there for a year.

In 1966, he was appointed as the central preacher to İzmir and continued this duty until 1971. During this duty; He went on a pilgrimage with an official assignment in 1968 and gave sermons and conversations in various provinces and districts of the Aegean Region as a traveling preacher. During this period, he also met Turgut Özal. According to Fethullah's statement, Özal frequently attended the Bornova Mosque and attended the sermons he gave.

These activities must have drawn the attention of the relevant organs of the state, as he was arrested on May 5, 1971 under Article 163 of the TCK and was held in detention for seven months. He was released pending trial on 5 November 1971 and while his trial was still going on, he was appointed as the preacher of Edremit district of Balıkesir on 23 February 1972. During this duty, he was appointed as a preacher in Manisa.

In this period, Fethullah's name gradually began to be recognized among religious people. It was during this period that I first heard the name Fethullah. I don't remember exactly when, but I do remember that before 1980, my late grandfather once listened to a preacher named Fethullah Hodja by chance in a mosque in Manisa and said that the man spoke very effectively.

My uncle, who is a muezzin, must have realized what Fethullah was worth at that time, when Fethullah's name was mentioned, "That man speaks very effectively, but what he says is nothing but heresy. That guy isn't a preacher, he's a pervert. He's very dangerous. It can corrupt one's faith." He used to make sentences like this and tell my grandfather and father not to listen to him. My grandfather didn't like cults anyway. Since we lived in the village, my grandfather would not have come across his sermon in Manisa, where he rarely went, and I don't remember it being mentioned after that.

While continuing his preaching activities, Fethullah was acquitted in 1974 in the case he was tried under the TCK 163 without arrest since 1971. After that, he was appointed as the preacher of the Bornova district of Izmir, but continued to give sermons in the mosques in the neighboring provinces. He also gave conferences on the Qur'an and Science, Darwinism, the Golden Generation, Social Justice and Prophecy in some cities of Anatolia in 1975 and 1976.

Fethullah, whose number of followers increased considerably in İzmir, also entered the media life. In this context, a magazine named “Sızıntı” was established by his followers. Fethullah started to write first editorials and then center page articles in Sızıntı Magazine, the first issue of which was published in February 1979.

Activities After Retirement

However, after the September 12 Coup in 1980, which took place shortly after, Fethullah left İzmir when the warrant for his arrest was issued by the İzmir and Aegean Army Martial Law Commands. In this process, he wandered around various cities in Anatolia and stayed with his friends and relatives. On March 20, 1981, he resigned from his duty as a preacher at the Presidency of Religious Affairs.

I don't remember the exact date, but I came across the name Fethullah for the second time in the 80s. I went to a relative living in İzmir (Çamdibi district) and stayed for a week. It turned out that Fethullah Gülen was giving a sermon in a mosque 500-600 meters from the house where I stayed on Friday that week.

Some of the children I was friends with in the neighborhood said that a person called Fethullah Hoca was preaching in that mosque, that they would go to that mosque to perform the Friday prayers and that I should come with them, but I went to the mosque in the neighborhood, which is closer to home. My friends, whom I met on the street in the evening, could not finish telling me about Fethullah Hodja.

"I always hate the word deep because some people call such maniacs a deep teacher and some call a few mafia rogue vagrants the deep state. He gave such a beautiful sermon, he gave such a beautiful sermon, he made us all cry. I was very curious about the man's words, but after a day or two I returned to the village and I did not have the chance to see him (Fortunately, it did not happen).

It is an interesting coincidence that I met Yaehova Witnesses for the first time at the same time. Three young people (in their 20s) came to a radio-television repairman in the neighborhood, who were well-dressed, dressed very well, and spoke very politely, and they were talking passionately to the repairman, the father of a friend I had just met. While I was sitting in front of the door, I noticed the conversations of these young people inside, so I went inside and started to listen to them.

When what I heard piqued my curiosity, even though the mechanic's eyes were on me as if to say "where did you come from", I did not hesitate and asked them a few questions. More than one of these three young people was speaking, sometimes the other two were speaking in support of him. Then they told me about people going astray, looking for (and finding) a way out of it, about the apocalypse and so on.

After they left, I went to the imam of the mosque right next to the house where I was staying and said, "Who are these guys?" I asked. Because the three young Jehovah's Witnesses left the shop, they said that they would meet with the imam of the mosque soon and convey the message to him, and then they would stop by the shop again and bring books and brochures. Hodja told me that they were a heretical sect that had a mixture of Christianity and Judaism, but considered themselves Christian.

In addition, he stated that this sect was very active in İzmir and its surroundings, that the members of the sect made contact with almost every circle and made propaganda, and even invited him to become a Jehovah's Witness, but he gave them examples from the Qur'an, the Bible and the Bible. explaining that it is ridiculous, thereupon those people; that they said they could respond to his theses by bringing a more knowledgeable friend and 

He told me that they made a date to meet at the end of the week. Of course, he added that he informed the police about the activities of these individuals, but that he did not receive much attention from the police.

Now, considering all these experiences and logically analyzing the events, it is very unlikely that such an organization, which, as a young boy, could reach me on the streets of Izmir and even the imam of the mosque, did not meet with Fethullah Gülen, who was trying to establish his own organization at that time and to contact every circle for this. seems like a possibility.

In any case, considering the fields of activity and organizational form of the Fethullah Gülen Community, the notorious FETOists, it is seen that they have a lot of similarities with the Jehovah's Witnesses and some other Christian and Jewish sects. At that time, many sects and organizations, both Jewish and Christian, were operating in Izmir. If this subject is investigated in detail, it is likely that Fetö's relationship with these sects and how much he was affected will become clearer.

In any case, İzmir is a place where many Christian, Jewish and Muslim sects operate effectively even today. As it is reflected in the press from time to time, many missionary organizations operate in İzmir and these missionaries have associations, societies, etc. There are many churches they founded under their names. Needless to say, Jehovah's Witnesses are one of them.

Similarities of FETO and Jehovah's Witnesses:

Later, when I came across some publications about this sect, I bought them and read them. In fact, some of these publications are still available in my personal library. Now, as I learn from these publications, I will try to tell you who Jehovah's Witnesses are, what they believe in, and their activities. I just warn you in advance, don't be surprised when you read what I've told you and see how similar they are to FETO.

The Jehovah Witnesses are a Christian sect named after Isaiah's (40/10) verse. Those who belong to this sect; They believe that Jehovah will become a mighty god and Jesus Christ the king of the promised New World, and that those who now heed Jehovah's warnings and submit to him will live forever in a new world to be established on earth.

Founded in 1870, this sect has been educating all its members as preachers since the day it was founded. For this reason, all sect members are working hard to spread the sect wherever they live. Although Jehovah's Witnesses were founded in America, their field of activity is the whole world.

They attach importance to gaining witnesses from every nation and organizing in all countries. As such, the sect has an international structure. Their worldwide organization stems from the fact that they see the existing states, nations and religions as heretical structures and believe that only their own sects can achieve salvation. I guess I don't need to say that what I said is the same for Fethullahists.

Another important similarity is that the two groups predict the same inevitable end even though they belong to different religions. While Jehovah's Witnesses say that Jesus will descend from the sky to establish the kingdom of the holy world, but before him, the devil will come to the world and set people on the wrong path. FETOists use the word antichrist instead of the devil, and the mahdi instead of Jesus. According to them, while the Dajjal was Atatürk at first and R.T. Erdogan after 2015, the Mahdi is Fethullah Gülen.

Jehovah's Witnesses are very similar to FETO members in terms of organization and activities within the sect. For example, just like the FETO members, they also attach great importance to meetings and education, especially to training within the sect. For this reason, they hold meetings regularly every week, and at these meetings, they provide their members with information about both the education of their own beliefs and how they should communicate with other people in order to gain supporters for their sect.

During the interviews held to explain to the new sect candidates what they learned in these lessons, preachers or groups of preachers use the Bible and books and brochures describing their own beliefs. Interestingly, FETOists also use Fethullah's sermons and books alongside the Qur'an and even more than him.

There are also great similarities between the methods used by the two sects to operate. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses attach great importance to the press and publication, just like FETO members. The fact that they started to publish a magazine shortly after their establishment shows this. In parallel with their propaganda work, Jehovah's Witnesses hold training and evaluation meetings in the world's largest cities each year with the participation of some of their delegates from all over the world.

These and similar activities are also carried out by FETO members. Abant meetings are an example of this. served in London 

When I heard that they were going to have a meeting, I asked someone I know to join their meeting to find out what they were talking about. Surprisingly, I learned that only a few of the attendees were Turkish, while the rest were British and other nationalities.

There are dozens of other similarities between these two sects. The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Fethullah Gülen Congregation are so similar to each other that even the names they give to their own cults, cult members and activities are the same. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses call their members "servant" or "servant", and their activities "service".

Interestingly, FETO members refer to the activities of their members as "service", to their communities as "service movements" and to their members as "servicemen". In addition, the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses is similar to the organization of Fetöists. For example, they do not keep a list of cult members like FETO members. So they are not officially registered. They also hide their organizational structure from everyone.

Conclusion

As it is understood from his own narratives, Fethullah has some innate psychological characteristics. This troubled child received his first religious and social views in Erzurum, which is located in the easternmost region of Anatolia. Fethullah, who spent his youth in Erzurum, naturally began to develop his ambitions and goals according to this environment.

Erzurum is historically an important center on the trade route from Iran. Although Erzurum became a small city far away from its former glory days, the traces of commercial traditions and cosmopolitan ideas are probably still alive.

Fethullah worked in Edirne in the first years of his professional life, and he could not establish a deep-rooted organization there, but he understood the society, the people and the power of speech. The social structure may not have given him the opportunity to gain a large fan base in Thrace, but it should not be forgotten that he is only at the beginning of the road and is inexperienced.

The place that made Fethullah a famous person and founded his organization was the Aegean Region in general and İzmir in particular. When Fethullah was appointed to Izmir, he is now quite experienced. He has learned by experience that he can make effective speeches and connect people to him. For this reason, in his 40s, he started to gain supporters in a modern and open society in İzmir and to organize these supporters into a power. While establishing his organization, it is highly probable that he came into contact with sects, congregations and missions of other religions, especially Jehovah's Witnesses, which were active in Izmir. The similarity of his organization and his actions with them shows this.

For this reason, the organization established by Fethullah is quite different from the classical Anatolian sects. After the closure of the lodges and zawiyas, the other sects that went underground and sprang up in rural areas where the state control is weak are more local and more peasant. For example, a sect, whose name is frequently said to be organized in the state these days, invests in land as property. These lands belong to the cult leader and his family.

When we look at Fethullah's organization; It is seen that they invest in the press and broadcasting, private teaching institutions, private schools, trade, mining and even banking. These investments are not on the leader, but on various people whose contact with each other is not recorded in any way. In fact, Fethullah expressed in many of his speeches that the first thing he said when he decided to organize was that three or five disciples united to establish a supermarket and trade. In other words, FETO has also been directly affected by this culture of Izmir, which has been a trade center throughout history.

The cosmopolitan structure, contact with sects belonging to other religions and the lifestyle of the local people also affected Fethullah, his beliefs, discourses and organization. For example, Fethullah never wore a turban or robes like the leaders of classical Anatolian sects. He wore trousers and jackets in a way that would seem familiar and reasonable to the general public of Izmir. Although he was circumcised, he did not grow a beard.

The most important point to be emphasized here is Fethullah's personal position. Almost none of the sects in Anatolia are religious workers. A dervish lodge is a person who grew up in a Qur'an course or a similar religious environment and spent their lives there. Fethullah, on the other hand, spent his life as an officer of the Diyanet. From time to time, some circles say that the sects should be closed and the religion should not leave any space for the sects in the field of religion. Fethullah shows that this discourse is empty.