Turkey: Police seize manuscript about the Gulen Islamic community

Erdogan vs Gulen, Capone vs Dillinger, whatever.

Anyway, banning books and seizing manuscripts are somewhat outmoded concepts in today's world of on-line publishing. It is instructive to watch who the antagonists are, however.

A plague on both their houses.

'Istanbul police raided a printing house.... destroying all digital traces of the manuscript.'

Destroying all digital traces of the manuscript....? Well, I'm pretty sure that a digital copy still exists somewhere. Just as in Soviet Russia, a 'samizdat' copy of the book will come to the surface.
And when it does, there will be much more interest in the content given the widespread knowledge that it's disapproved of by the state.

I'm pretty sure a jailed journalist would not be so careless. He knows what's at stake. There's a copy of this book somewhere - if not still inside his head.

OT, for DDA:

There is a wonderful interview of Jerry Pournelle your husband will undoubtedly enjoy (and if he's never heard Pournelle's voice before). Some things I didn't know about him before.

See http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=86&load=5084

The Western Left loves Islam because they, like Hitler and the Arabic Mohammed, the creator of Islam, love absolute and maniacal political power too! Hitler, the God-hating Socialist, loved Islam and the Arabs/Turkish, who are Hitler's biggest collaborators or advisers! And now, the Western Left realized that in order to win ruling political power over long-established conservative parties, they need immigrants' votes, especially from Muslim communities, who will be ferociously loyal to parties who are on their and Islam's side - thus is why the Western Left are championing for more Muslim immigrants and Islam in Europe despite of the hardship to native population and Islam's dangerously Nazi-like fascist ideology. Further, Europe is under conquest from the increasingly Arab/Turkish Muslim-controlled Western Left. They even controlled the Green Party, like in Germany here, who might win the next election in the Left coalition- which is now more concerned about bringing in more Arabic-Turkish Muslim refugee exodus to Germany from Italy than being concerned about the environment! See - http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20110215-33107.html

Politicians bicker over Tunisian refugees
Published: 15 Feb 11 08:56 CET

.....Meanwhile Green party co-leader Cem Özdemir told daily Rheinische Post that the EU must distribute the number of refugees fairly across member states. “The north can’t leave the south alone on this,” he said.
Centre-left Social Democratic interior policy expert Sebastian Edathy told daily Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung that the EU desperately needs a quota rule to spread the burden of the refugees across the continent…….

Turkey: Police seize manuscript about the Gulen Islamic community
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This is a profoundly tough one for lovers of freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Yes, I find the seizure of manuscripts and the prevention of their publication profoundly abhorrent.

On the other hand, given Fethullah Gülen's history, it is likely that this book advocates violently overthrowing the secular Turkish state and replacing it with a Shari'ah regime, so it might be too simple to condemn this as a simple incident of censorship...

Yeah, let 'em join the EU quick... now that the Gestapo, Stasi, KGB et al are defunkt Europe is sorely lacking in these traditional "governance" techniques ~ if we don't get the Turks involved soon we might lose these skills, so beloved of our European forefathers, forever... [/sarc]

@gravenimage, you are not getting it, Ahmet Şık was writing a book exposing the Gulen movement's control of the Turkish police, among other institutions. Şık is currently charged in the socalled 'ergenekon trials', which looks more like an absurd erdogan backed purge of Turkey's secular military, press, and intellectuals.

There is another aspect to this, not commented on yet: the influence of Gulen money in tertiary institutions in the West. Very topical in light of disclosures of Libyan money and influence at the LSE in the UK. Not to mention Arab money in Western universities generally. From The Australian of 16 January 2008:

Catholic Hits Islamic Chair

A Catholic scholar of Islam has attacked the new chair of Islamic studies at the Australian Catholic University's Melbourne campus.

Father Paul Stenhouse suggested ACU had been naive in establishing the new Fethullah Gulen chair in the study of Islam and Muslim-Catholic relations, named for a Turkish Sufi leader now living in the US.

In last month's edition of Quadrant Father Stenhouse said Gulen was a disciple of another Sufi leader, Said Nursi, and alleged Nursi's goal was Islamic supremacy.

"Is one being over-cautious in recommending prudence on the part of Catholic and other Christian, Jewish and non-Islamic bodies generally, when they are invited to give moral support to, and to engage formally and publicly in dialogue with (Sufi) groups promoting the teachings of Said Nursi and his disciple Fethullah Gulen?" Father Stenhouse asked.

But another scholar of Islam, Monash University professor Greg Barton, who has also made a special study of Gulen, has dismissed Father Stenhouse's objections.

Dismissing the article as poorly written and "not particularly well-argued", Professor Barton said the Gulen movement was marked by the commitment of its members to work hard, live modestly and to serve others, which often meant donating money to worthy causes, such as education and interfaith initiatives.

"Father Stenhouse conflates this quiescent Sufism with some of the rare examples of Sufi militantism," Professor Barton said. "For the most part, Sufis are accommodationists rather than confrontational."

"(The Gulen movement) is the antithesis of Islamist movements."

Father Stenhouse used quotes from sermons by Gulen, including this one: "You must move in the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centres, until the conditions are ripe." The launch of the chair was supported by Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart and attended by Victorian Governor David de Kretser.

The non-profit Australian Intercultural Society has made the first donation of five instalments of $586,000 to fund the initiative. The first chairman is Turkish scholar Ismail Albayrak, from Sakarya University's divinity school.

According to AIS spokesman Orhan Cicek, about half the money came from the Australian Turkish community and the rest from overseas donations through AIS contacts.

AIS was established in 2000 by Australian Muslims devoted to interfaith work and to giving second and third-generation Australian Muslims a sound education in the faith.

Cicek said Gulen, who was granted a private audience with pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1998, was an inspirational figure. "In the Muslim world he is like the Dalai Lama or Nelson Mandela," Mr Cicek said. He said the chair was not set up to spread the views of Gulen and as far as he knew Dr Albayrak was not a follower.

ACU pro vice-chancellor Gabrielle McMullen was unavailable for comment yesterday and Dr Albayrak could not be reached.

DDA, Sheikyermami - do you know if Monash or Melbourne U have received Gulen largesse?

That's a worrying development for free-thinking Turks. Surely electronic copies of this book must still exist somewhere?

Talking of worrying developments, Muslim militants took to the streets of London yesterday cursing the UK, France and US to hell as usual. Once again, they called for Shariah. Video footage and commentary here: http://durotrigan.blogspot.com/2011/03/muslim-militants-march-in-oxford-street.html

That's a great commentary on your blogspot Durotrigan. .especially the jetliner idea. Thanks for cracking a wry smile on my face..

The "International" press says "how dare they censor texts about trying to conquer, rape & pillage our civilization!"

Way to go International press. What a ridiculous umbrella term, for a ridiculous collection of losers.

"Father Stenhouse conflates this quiescent Sufism with some of the rare examples of Sufi militantism," Professor Barton said. "For the most part, Sufis are accommodationists rather than confrontational."
Professor Barton by this statement indicates to me he has never studied the Muslim invasion and occupation of India. If he had he would know that the Sufis did nothing to stop the massacre and enslavement of the Hindus and very often provided the spiritual justification for the destruction of Hindu temples and the massacre of the people.
He probably has been bought over by the Muslims or he is practicing taqqiya.