Name symbolism in the Gulen Movement
Journalists have remarked on the naming patterns used by the Fethullah Gulen Movement:
Suzy Hanson,"The Global Imam," The New Republic, Nov 2010:
"Such schools—many with fuzzy-happy names like Harmony, Magnolia, Pinnacle, and Amity—are only part of the cornucopia of cultural offerings that the movement has brought to the United States."
Greg Toppo, USA Today, Aug 17, 2010:
"They have generic, forward-sounding names like Horizon Science Academy, Pioneer Charter School of Science and Beehive Science & Technology Academy."
Jane's, in a report entitled "Gulen movement: Turkey's third power," noted that "galactic, cosmic and temporal names are tell-tale signs of FGC [Fethullah Gulen Community] institutions." However, this does not account for all the naming patterns used in the Movement.
The following is an attempt to identify patterns and symbolism in Gulenist names; this is an evolving effort that will require further refinement. It should also be kept in mind that it is not possible to observe the Gulen Movement without perturbing it. No sooner are these motifs noted publicly, than the Gulen Movement will in all likelihood adopt new ones. Mutation is one of the Gulen Movement's most-favored defense methods as it seeks to conceal and confuse.
Heaven Theme
Cosmos, Cosmicus, Sema, Sky, Space, Star, Constellation, Galaxy, Zodiac, Universe
· Cosmos Foundation, Texas
· Cosmicus Stichting (Foundation), Netherlands
· Sema Education and Health Development, Inc (NY corporation) (sema = sky, heaven in Turkish)
· Sema Hastanesi (Hospital), Turkey
· Sema Foundation, Arizona
· Sema Foundation (Fondacioni Sema) Albania
· Sky Foundation, Oklahoma
· Feza Media Group, Turkey (feza = space in Turkish)
· Feza Schools, Tanzania
· Fezalar Educational Institution, Iraq
· International Burch University, Bosnia-Herzegovina (burch / burç = constellation in Turkish)
· Burç Intercultural Centre, Calgary, Canada
· Burç FM, radio station, Turkey
· Samanyolu TV (samanyolu = Milky Way galaxy in Turkish)
· Milkyway Education Center, New Jersey
· Galaxy International School, Ghana
· Eastern Star Bilingual School, Laos
· Star College, Durban, South Africa
· Star International Primary and High School, Capetown, South Africa
· Stars Middle School, Florida
· Cihan News Agency = Cihan Haber Ajansı (cihan = universe)
Sufism: Whirling Dervish Theme
Sema, Sama
It's unclear whether "sema" falls primarily under the Heaven theme or the Whirling Dervish theme, or perhaps both.
· Sama Primary and High School, Johannesburg, South Africa
· Sama Boys School, Midrand, South Africa
· Sema Education and Health Development, Inc (NY corporation)
· Sema Hastanesi (Hospital), Turkey
· Sema Foundation, Arizona
· Sema Foundation (Fondacioni Sema) Albania
Sufism: Light Theme
Light, Ishik, Shafak (Dawn), Nur/Noor
· Ishik College, Iraq (işik / ishik = light in Turkish)
· Işik / Isik College, Melbourne, Australia
· Isik College (Light Academy) Kenya
· Şule College, Australia (School website says "The word Sule is a Turkish word meaning The Light or Illumination." Standard Turkish dictionaries, however, give the definition of "şule" as "flame.")
· Liberian-Turkish Light International School
· Ishik Medical and Education Foundation, Tanzania
· Language and Computer Center “Shafak”, Dushanbe, Tajikistan (şafak / shafak = dawn)
· Groupe Scolaire Şafak – École Ivoiro-Turque, Ivory Coast
· Şafak (Shafak) Turkish School, Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo
· Université Lumière de Bujumbura / Light University of Bujumbura, Burundi
· Lucerna College, Belgium
· Lumina Educational Institutions, Romania
· Nur International (Texas corporation)
· The Infinite Light (Gulenist religious website) www.infinitelight.org
Water Theme
Fountains, Raindrops, Rainbows, Waterfalls, Nile, Niagara
The following is a conjecture as to the symbolic significance of this theme: each Gulenist is a raindrop, not very powerful by itself. But when Gulenists work together, they form powerful waterfalls (Niagara) and powerful rivers (the Nile), and perhaps also fountains (probably having spiritual significance). The basis for this conjecture is, firstly, the motto of the Raindrop school in Mexico, "Because rain always starts with a small drop." Secondly, the names Nile and Niagara appear in locations where they have no geographical connection. Niagara is used in the Midwest US, far from Niagara Falls in New York state. The Nile/Nil name is used in Toronto, Florida, and Somalia (although the Nile does not flow through Somalia).
An alternate explanation is offered by Marsha Hermansen in her paper "The Cultivation of Memory in the Gulen Community." She writes that the use of water as symbolism is related to purity, and that the use of river names, and not lakes, is related to "dynamism and constant action."
· Rain Drop Foundation, TX
· Colegio de Excelencia Raindrop (School Motto: "Because rain always starts with a small drop.")
· Rainbow International School, South Korea
· Kaynak Publishing (kaynak = fountain in Turkish)
· Kaynak Education & Medical Services PLC, Ethiopia
· Fountain International School, Philippines
· Fountain Educational Trust, South Africa
· Fountain Magazine
· Şelale (Shelale) Education, Tajikistan (şelale / shelale = waterfall in Turkish)
· Resha School, a proposed school in Australia (in a newspaper article on this attempted school, resha was said to mean "raindrops" in Turkish, yet this word doesn't appear in standard Turkish dictionaries; it may be Ottoman Turkish but this has not been confirmed yet)
· Damla College, Perth, Australia (damla = drop in Turkish)
· Nile Foundation, Florida
· Nil College, Toronto, Canada (Nil = Nile)
· Anadolu Nil Dersanesi, Turkey
· Nil Yayınları, Turkey (publishing house for Fethullah Gulen's books)
Flower Theme
The popularity of tulip names in the Gulen Movement almost certainly derives from the Tulip Period of the Ottoman Empire. Exactly how other flowers fit in with Gulenist ideology is unclear. A webpage on Fethullah Gulen's website about a book of his entitled "Towards the Lost Paradise" says "The flowery language of M. Fethullah Gulen will at times take you through a different world, the happy world of the future, where 'flowers' sway on 'sloping hills' and birds sing of spring everywhere, and you will come to know how it can be possible to find such a world."
· Lale Youth International School, Maldives (lale = tulip in Turkish)
· Witte Tulp Stichting
· Tulip Cleaning, Texas corporation
· Magnolia Education and Research Foundation
· Manolya Özel Eğitim Kurumlari, Turkey (Magnolia Private Education Foundation; manolya = magnolia in Turkish)
· Daisy Education Corporation, Arizona
· Daisy Early Learning Center, Arizona
· Papatya Anaokulu, Turkey (Daisy Kindergarten, papatya = daisy in Turkish)
· Nilüfer Girls' College, Erbil, Iraq (nilüfer = water-lily or lotus in Turkish)
· Lotus School for Excellence, Colorado
· Lotus Media Productions, web and media company in New Jersey
· Basisschool Witte Tulp (White Tulip Elementary School) Netherlands
· Stichting Witte Tulp (White Tulip Foundation) Amsterdam, Netherlands
· Zambak Publishing, Turkey (zambak = lily)
· Iris Education Foundation, Knoxville TN
· Rosebud Primary School, Hong Kong
· Bluebonnet Learning Center, Texas
Spanning-the-globe theme
Horizon, Ufuk, Meridian, New Dimension, Atlantic, Pacific
A chronology of Gulen's life given on one of his websites states that "13.08.1995, Fethullah Gülen gave an interview to Mr. Eyup Can of newspaper, Zaman, mainly about his own 'Horizon Tour'" This interview later evolved into a published book: Can, Eyüp (1996) Fethullah Gülen Hocaefendi ile Ufuk Turu (A Tour of the Horizon with Fethullah Gulen) Istanbul: Milliyet Yayınları
Marcia Hermansen's paper also talks about "a vantage point at which Gulen received inspiration for future projects, "'seeing' them on the horizons from the terrace of the fifth floor."
· Ufuk Dialogue Foundation (ufuk = horizon in Turkish)
· L'ecole Internationale Ufuk, Benin, Africa
· Horizon Science Academy chain, Ohio
· College Horizon International, Burkina Faso
· Horizon Educational Trust, South Africa
· Horizont Bildungszentrum, Essen, Germany
· Horizon Japan International School
· Liceul Teoretic Orizont, Moldova (orizont = horizon)
· Horizon Turkish Expatriate School, Malaysia
· Atlantic Wind Production, web development company in Georgia
· Atlantic International School, Russia
· Pacifica Institute, California and other western states
· New Dimension Education Foundation, Inc, Texas
Better-World Theme
Harmony, Accord, Grace, Tolerance, Amity, Hope, Friendship, Empathy, Peace
· Harmony Public Schools, Texas
· Accord Institute for Education Research, California
· Brooklyn Amity School, NY
· Long Island Amity School, NY
· Amity Turkish Cultural Center, Florida
· International Turkish Hope School, Dhaka, Bangladesh
· Drujba Schools, Bulgaria (drujba = friendship)
· Ulaanbaatar Empathy-Yurtunts Co., Ltd. Mongolia
· Filipino Turkish Tolerance School, Philippines
· Tolerance Foundation, Calilfornia
· Peace Valley Foundation, Alabama
· Peace Islands Institute, New Jersey
· Colégio Esperança Internacional (Hope International College) Angola
· Grace Institute for Educational Research and Resources, Inc., Atlanta
Strength & Superiority Theme
Pinnacle, Elite, Pioneer, Phoenix, Hercules
· Pinnacle Academy
· Pioneer Academy of Science, New Jersey
· Pioneer Charter School of Science, Massachusetts
· Phoenix-Realgymnasium, Austria
· Bildungszentrum Elite, Switzerland
· Ulaanbaatar Elite International School, Mongolia
· Harmony School of Advancement
· Harmony School of Excellence
· Harmony School of Ingenuity
· Albuquerque School of Excellence
· www.herkul.org (website that Gulen posts messages on)
· Hercules College / Colegio Hercules, Argentina
· Atlas Texas Construction and Trading
Wisdom & Scholarship Theme
Wisdom, Learnium, Concept, Scholars
· Wisdom School, United Kingdom
· Sebat Education Foundation (şebat / sebat = perseverance, steadfastness in Turkish)
· Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania charter school
· LISA Academy = Little Scholars of Arkansas
· Learnium Schools, India, Sri Lanka
· Concept Schools, Illinois
Ottoman/Turkish Hero Theme
Ottoman Heroes, Literary Figures, Famous Turkish Patriots
· Yavuz Selim College, Senegal (A Nov 25, 2011 article in the prominent Turkish newspaper Hurriyet described Yavuz Selim as "the Ottoman sultan who led large-scale massacres of Alevi tribes in the 16th century.")
· Hasan Riza Pasha College, Albania (named for Ottoman army general)
· Mehmet Akif College, Kosovo (presumably named for Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Turkish patriot who wrote Turkish national anthem)
· Private Yahya Kemal College high schools, Skopje (presumably named for Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, famous Turkish poet)
· Ertuğrul Gazi Eğitim Öğretim AŞ, corporation in Turkey (named for Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire)
· Fatih College, high school in Turkey (fatih = conqueror; probably refers to Fatih Sultan Mehmet "The Conqueror")
· Fatih University, Turkey
· Tughra Books, publishing company in NJ (tughra = seal with calligraphy used by Ottoman sultans)
Gulen's inner circle, people who helped found Gulen schools, etc
· Özel Meram Abdullah Aymaz İlköğretim Okulu, Turkey (named for Abdullah Aymaz; high-ranking Gulenist and Zaman journalist)
· Hacı Kemal Tacik-Türk Lisesi, Tajikistan (Hacı Kemal Erimez, a.k.a. Hacı Ata, Haji Kemal, is mentioned in this article in Fountain Magazine written by the wife of a founder of Fulton Science Academy Middle School, a Gulen charter school in Georgia. He is depicted as a hero who risked his life for Gulen schools in Tajikistan.)
· Private Demirel College, Georgia (the country) (named for Suleyman Demirel, Turkish prime minister who promoted founding of Turkish schools abroad)
· Suleyman Demirel University, Kazakhstan
· Private Turgut Ozal Turkish-Turkmen High School, Turkmenistan, now closed (named for Turgut Özal, Turkish Prime Minister who extensively promoted founding of Turkish schools abroad)
· Coral Academy of Science (Nevada) (It is conjectured that this may be for Faruk Mercan, Gulen's biographer; mercan = coral in Turkish.)
· Coral College (United Kingdom)
Zaman, Çağ - Era/Epoch Theme?
Some say that the name Zaman was chosen because it is "namaz" (prayer) spelled backwards. The word "zaman" means "time" or "era, epoch, period" in Turkish.
· Zaman newspaper
· Today's Zaman
· Sunday's Zaman
· Zaman University, Cambodia
· Zaman International School, Cambodia
The Turkish word "Çağ" also means time, era, epoch or period, and is used in several Asian countries:
· Pak-Türk Çağ Eğitim Kurumları (Pakistan)
· Çağ Öğretim İşletmeleri (Azerbaijan)
· Kirkuk Çağ College (Iraq)
· Afgan - Türk Çağ Eğitim Kurumları (Afghanistan)
· Çağ Öğretim İşletmeleri A.Ş. (Turkey)
Willow (=söğüt in Turkish)
The significance of this name is still being investigated.
· École Sogut, Montreal, Canada
· Willow International School, Mozambique
· Willow Education, California (charter holder of Bay Area Technology School)
__________Names that are not symbolic
While Gulenists make extensive use of symbolic names, they also employ names that blend in with the ambiance, such as Beehive in Utah, Fulton in Fulton County Georgia, Bergen and Passaic in New Jersey, Sonoran in Arizona, and Sierra in Nevada.
Finally, some Gulenist names are chosen for their ambiguity. They are very similar to existing non-Gulenist institutions; this is likely a deliberate tactic to either confuse critics or to create a sort of camouflage. Example: North American College in Texas, which is also the name of a Catholic institution.
