Concept Schools, Gulen Charter Schools Midwest operations
DISCLAIMER:If you find some videos are disabled this is a result of Gulen Censorship and filing of fake copyright infringements to Utube.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Gulen Horizon School in Zambia (sister school) to be monitored closely
Gulen Schools Worldwide: Gulen Schools in Zambia to be closely monitored, o...: "Zambia Flag It seems that President Banda has been to Turkey twice, and was impressed with the schools. Of course, they only showed him..."
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Gulen Politicians - aka "Useful tools of Gulen": Gulen Politicians- Mean Jean or the "Crazy Lady of...
Gulen Politicians - aka "Useful tools of Gulen": Gulen Politicians- Mean Jean or the "Crazy Lady of...: "Evidently 'Mean Jean' is under investigation by the House Ethics committee for accepting free legal services from the Turkish Coalition of..."
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Horizon Science Academy a Gulen Charter School answers question about hiring practices....
Salim, why are you so nervous and jittery? Wait till you have to answer the question about Concept School's 990 tax returns, or perhaps the questions about your request for $93 million in Bond Financing. Then there is the question of the Horizon Science Academys that are on Academic Watch. Or maybe the questions about the lawsuits with past employees (YES PLURAL MORE THAN 1) will make you uncomfortable....or the questions about the unfair business practices and pending lawsuit with CMSA (Chicago Math and Science Academy) Then there is always the impending Federal Investigations on utilizing American Educational tax money for foreign interests.....Ah the list goes on and the Yalanci Concept Schools keeps moving their lips.
The more you lie...
The more we TELL THE TRUTH!
From “See Sam (aka Salim) Squirm
And say it isn't so...
Concept’s boy Sam sent out a rebuttal letter to its “faculty, parents, friends, and supporters.” Seems like Sam just didn’t like the way he was portrayed in the Channel 5 news segment and how all the really “important stuff” that he had to say was edited out.
Gee, Sam, sorry you feel that way – but it just isn’t so. Perhaps if Sam had not taken so long to answer Ron Regan’s question about why Concept did not hire American teachers – he would have had more “air” time instead of “Oh! Crap! How am I going to answer that question,” time.
It’s amusing how the boys love the media when the media is covering their orchestrated events and it fits into their public relation schema, but when it comes down to some serious and not so pleasant insight into their operations, they get a little testy and defensive.
Sam claims that Channel 5 was “sensationalizing” the illegal immigration fee payments. And tell us, exactly how did Channel 5 misrepresent the evidence and findings from the government? The audits speak for themselves and as far as the excuse – we thought it would be okay because “private” companies pay for their employees’ families…” Did someone forget to tell Sam, the Vice-President of Concept Schools, that their schools are publicly funded with taxpayer funds?
And we love Sam’s response about how a bunch of Turkish businessmen wanted to “Raise the bar in Science and Math in Ohio,” and decided that only they could do that – hence the reason to bring over so many H1B visa holders (the majority of whom were Gulen-inspired Turkish men). Sure that makes sense – an alleged shortage of educated, qualified, and licensed American teachers, so bring over – at the cost of American taxpayers -- unlicensed, unqualified, Turkish “teachers” (the majority whom had never taught), and who have limited English reading and writing skills, in order to “raise the bar” on American education.
As a side note, did anyone catch the recent Turkish article stating that the Turkish government is planning to recruit 40,000 English speaking teachers to teach Turkish students English because their reading and writing skills are so low? Wow! Finally an answer to our unemployment issues – we can send all of the American teachers who have involuntarily forfeited their jobs to Turkish H1B visa holders and send them to Turkey to teach the guys they are sending here to take their jobs.
Another point of interest is Sam’s assertion that there are not any current federal investigations of Concept/Horizon schools currently going on. Well, Sam exactly how sure are you? We hope Sam realizes that the “federal” government includes the Department of Labor, the FBI, and Homeland Security. And Sam, we would be happy to share our contacts with you for verification purposes.
It also seems that Sam is really upset about Mary Addi. In his rebuttal, he states, “Third, Mr. Regan’s report on Channel 5 Cleveland, which is used as a reference in other stories, included an interview with a disgruntled former employee named Mary Addi who was terminated in 2009 after she was discovered working a second job on company time. She later filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which was investigated and denied."
The part that Sam left out is that Mary Addi was employed by Horizon/Concepts Schools at 3 different times. That’s right 3. So if Mary Addi was such a bad -- bad -- bad --"disgruntled " employee – then how is it that Horizon hired her not once, not twice, but instead -- 3 times?
According to Sam, Mary Addi, “Later filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which was investigated and denied.”
In fact, Mary Addi filed discrimination charges (retaliation, discrimination based on nationality, age, and gender, and harassment), with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (also a federal agency Sam) in July 2008, prior, not after, her termination of employment, or as Sam would say, “Upon being released.” And the findings were not “denied,” as Sam alleges, in fact, the findings were inconclusive, allowing for Ms. Addi to sue in civil court in the future...
Here’s another excerpt from Sam’s rebuttal, and more specifically, his explanation about “Marry Addi and her husband". Sam states, “Upon being released, Marry Addi and her husband, who was an H1B employee at one of our schools, Horizon Science Academy Denison, filed a complaint to US Department of Labor in 2008. Since then Department of Labor has been auditing/investigating this complaint in a particular school, Horizon Science Academy Denison. We hereby underline one more time that there is no federal Investigation on our schools or Concept as the news stories suggests. "
So which is it Sam, is the federal government investigating or not? First you admit that there is an ongoing DOL investigation, and then “underline one more time that there is no federal investigation on our schools.” Sam – one more time – the Department of Labor is a federal agency.
And Sam, wasn't "Marry Addi released," in February 2009, but according to your statement, the complaint was filed with the DOL in 2008, making it once again -- before and not after --Marry Addi's release."
Sam’s explanation about the 9% H1B visa holders either teaching or “administrating” in Concept Schools is that “Whenever it makes sense, Horizon Science Academies hire Ohio teachers and support staff.” We would really like to know what “makes sense,” to Sam, because it does not makes sense to us when Ohio’s unemployment rate in 2010 was hovering at 10%, and there was an abundance of unemployed, qualified, and licensed American teachers ready and willing to work, then why there are still 9% H1B staff members employed at the Ohio Concept Schools. Surely Sam, with all of the unemployed teachers in Ohio, Concept could find 9% more American teachers to fill those spots.
Further, how does it “make sense,” that 99%, if not 100% of their schools, do not currently have, nor have they ever employed -- a female -- American Director, Business Manager, or Dean of Academics (except for the phantom position Sagnak gave out when he was having his "Identity Crisis" -- but that's another blog), and instead, have filled those positions with Turkish or other foreign national men?
And talk about “sensationalism,” how about Sam’s pitch about the success of Concept schools. Sam states, “Our results speak for themselves with Blue Ribbon Awards, “Excellent” and “Excellent with Distinction” ratings, demand by parents and students, and most importantly 100% college acceptance for many years.” But Sam forgot to include the state’s school ratings of all of the Concept schools which does not include all “Excellent, and Excellent with Distinction Ratings.” In fact, some of their schools are on “Academic Watch, and “Continuous Improvement status.”
Here’s the real deal Sam, and it is not “sensational,” except to say that you guys have been operating under the radar for the past 10 years and the gig is up. It’s not going to be business as usual anymore. So suck it up and expect that those federal agencies and ensuing investigations -- that you so loudly protest do not exist -- do in fact, and will continue as long as you guys continue to violate the rights of American employees, misuse taxpayer funds, and participate in the other nefarious acts that your organization has been so comfortably accustomed to.
Below is Sam’s rebuttal:
Concept’ s rebuttal of recent news stories in Ohio
May 19, 2011
To our Faculty, Parents, Friends and Supporters:
Recently, there have been news stories on local channels in Ohio about Concept managed schools; Horizon Science Academies and Noble Academies. Those stories use Ron Regan’s story on Cleveland’s Channel 5 that aired on Monday, May 16, 2011 as a reference. As often happens with television news, those stories, including Ron Regan’s Channel 5 story, are edited in a way that, in our view, mislead viewers about the operation of Horizon Science Academies in Ohio. As those stories seem to revolve around a few same issues I am writing to set the record straight and clarify any confusion raised by those reports.
First, such reports attempt to sensationalize the repayment by Horizon Science Academy employees of certain immigration fees and expenses as documented in various school audits.
As most people know, charter schools in Ohio are audited annually by the Auditor of State’s Office. Back in 2001 when Betty Montgomery was the Auditor of State, several Horizon Science Academies voluntarily disclosed to the Auditor’s Office certain expenses associated with the immigration of math and science teachers from Turkey who were going to teach at our new schools in Ohio. Horizon Science Academies were founded by Turkish mathematicians and scientists who wanted to raise the bar for math and science education in Ohio. At the time, there was a nationwide shortage of math and science teachers, so we recruited some highly qualified math and science teachers from Turkey. Just as the Cleveland Municipal School District did when it recruited teachers from India in the 1990s and paid for their travel and immigration expenses, so did we. Additionally, we paid these expenses for the spouses and children of our new employees, just like any private company would. The Auditor of State’s Office permitted the expenses for the employees but not their dependents. Audit reports from 2001 show that three Horizon Science Academies, Cleveland High School, Toledo High School, and Columbus High Schools, paid these expenses for 19 employees and some of their family members totaling up to about $13,000. All of these funds were reimbursed at the time the Auditor’s Office made its ruling, not recently as suggested by Mr. Regan and other reporters. Some stories do not even mention the fact that these funds were reimbursed on a timely and swift manner once the auditors brought it to our attention.
Second, these reports raise concerns about hiring out of state teachers and the issuance of H1B visas to some of our employees. These visas are issued to certain workers with skills in short supply in the United States. The Federal Government determines the criteria for issuing these visas. The Horizon Science Academies simply took advantage of a federal visa program at a time when math and science teachers were in short supply. Currently, less than 9% of the workforce in all of the Horizon Science Academies are participating in this government authorized program. Whenever it makes sense, Horizon Science Academies hire Ohio teachers and support staff.
Third, Mr. Regan’s report on Channel 5 Cleveland, which is used as a reference in other stories, included an interview with a disgruntled former employee named Mary Addi who was terminated in 2009 after she was discovered working a second job on company time. She later filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which was investigated and denied.
Upon being released, Marry Addi and her husband, who was an H1B employee at one of our schools, Horizon Science Academy Denison, filed a complaint to US Department of Labor in 2008. Since then Department of Labor has been auditing/investigating this complaint in a particular school, Horizon Science Academy Denison. We hereby underline one more time that there is no federal Investigation on our schools or Concept as the news stories suggests.
Fourth, such reports raise concerns about the Horizon Science Academy in Dayton, which is leasing its facility from an Ohio limited liability company that is owned by a Turkish businessman who was willing to take a risk on the development of this property as a school, when Dayton area banks and others were not. The Dayton school leases the property for $3.78 a square foot, which is a bargain compared to medium grade office space in Dayton, which is leased for $10 a square foot or more. News stories that make this sound like hundreds of thousand of dollars go oversees is nothing but part of an agenda of sensationalizing their stories.
Fifth, some of those reports raise concerns about borrowed money that was repaid to individuals overseas. When our first school opened in Cleveland in 1999 there were financial challenges. The State of Ohio does not provide any facilities funding for charter schools and banks as a rule will not lend to start up charter schools. After attempting to obtain funding in Cleveland, the founder of Horizon Science Academies, Taner Ertekin, reached out to businessmen in Turkey to find short-term non-interest bearing loans. The school paid the loans back. A portion of the loan ($36,000) was paid back via wire transfer. The Auditors never raised any questions about the loan. Instead, the Auditors questioned the method of repayment. We provided the loan documents to the Mr. Regan at Channel 5 Cleveland. It is ridiculous to present this repayment of a non-interest bearing loan as “practice of spending Ohio school tax dollars overseas” and is far from objective and true journalism.
There are 17 Horizon Science Academies and 2 Noble Academies in Ohio. Together they educate about 5000 students each year. More than 95% of Horizon Science Academy students graduate from high school 100% of those students are accepted to college. Our results speak for themselves with Blue Ribbon Awards, “Excellent” and “Excellent with Distinction” ratings, demand by parents and students, and most importantly 100% college acceptance for many years.
Charter schools including ours are high regulated with increased accountability and autonomy. Annual audits by the state auditors and ongoing reporting and oversight is in place. All of the Concept managed schools are not-for-profit organizations with transparency. All of our records and documentations are available for public review. We take pride in the diversity of our community and are proud of every single of our employees, as they are the ones making unprecedented differences in urban communities. What has made successful is our uncompromising focus on our students not on adults as a diverse community. We assure everyone that we will continue doing so and not let anything take away our focus from student achievement.
Should you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail, ucan@conceptschools.org or phone, 224 388-9953 (cell).
Sincerely,
Salim Ucan
Gee, Sam, sorry you feel that way – but it just isn’t so. Perhaps if Sam had not taken so long to answer Ron Regan’s question about why Concept did not hire American teachers – he would have had more “air” time instead of “Oh! Crap! How am I going to answer that question,” time.
It’s amusing how the boys love the media when the media is covering their orchestrated events and it fits into their public relation schema, but when it comes down to some serious and not so pleasant insight into their operations, they get a little testy and defensive.
Sam claims that Channel 5 was “sensationalizing” the illegal immigration fee payments. And tell us, exactly how did Channel 5 misrepresent the evidence and findings from the government? The audits speak for themselves and as far as the excuse – we thought it would be okay because “private” companies pay for their employees’ families…” Did someone forget to tell Sam, the Vice-President of Concept Schools, that their schools are publicly funded with taxpayer funds?
And we love Sam’s response about how a bunch of Turkish businessmen wanted to “Raise the bar in Science and Math in Ohio,” and decided that only they could do that – hence the reason to bring over so many H1B visa holders (the majority of whom were Gulen-inspired Turkish men). Sure that makes sense – an alleged shortage of educated, qualified, and licensed American teachers, so bring over – at the cost of American taxpayers -- unlicensed, unqualified, Turkish “teachers” (the majority whom had never taught), and who have limited English reading and writing skills, in order to “raise the bar” on American education.
As a side note, did anyone catch the recent Turkish article stating that the Turkish government is planning to recruit 40,000 English speaking teachers to teach Turkish students English because their reading and writing skills are so low? Wow! Finally an answer to our unemployment issues – we can send all of the American teachers who have involuntarily forfeited their jobs to Turkish H1B visa holders and send them to Turkey to teach the guys they are sending here to take their jobs.
Another point of interest is Sam’s assertion that there are not any current federal investigations of Concept/Horizon schools currently going on. Well, Sam exactly how sure are you? We hope Sam realizes that the “federal” government includes the Department of Labor, the FBI, and Homeland Security. And Sam, we would be happy to share our contacts with you for verification purposes.
It also seems that Sam is really upset about Mary Addi. In his rebuttal, he states, “Third, Mr. Regan’s report on Channel 5 Cleveland, which is used as a reference in other stories, included an interview with a disgruntled former employee named Mary Addi who was terminated in 2009 after she was discovered working a second job on company time. She later filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which was investigated and denied."
The part that Sam left out is that Mary Addi was employed by Horizon/Concepts Schools at 3 different times. That’s right 3. So if Mary Addi was such a bad -- bad -- bad --"disgruntled " employee – then how is it that Horizon hired her not once, not twice, but instead -- 3 times?
According to Sam, Mary Addi, “Later filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which was investigated and denied.”
In fact, Mary Addi filed discrimination charges (retaliation, discrimination based on nationality, age, and gender, and harassment), with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (also a federal agency Sam) in July 2008, prior, not after, her termination of employment, or as Sam would say, “Upon being released.” And the findings were not “denied,” as Sam alleges, in fact, the findings were inconclusive, allowing for Ms. Addi to sue in civil court in the future...
Here’s another excerpt from Sam’s rebuttal, and more specifically, his explanation about “Marry Addi and her husband". Sam states, “Upon being released, Marry Addi and her husband, who was an H1B employee at one of our schools, Horizon Science Academy Denison, filed a complaint to US Department of Labor in 2008. Since then Department of Labor has been auditing/investigating this complaint in a particular school, Horizon Science Academy Denison. We hereby underline one more time that there is no federal Investigation on our schools or Concept as the news stories suggests. "
So which is it Sam, is the federal government investigating or not? First you admit that there is an ongoing DOL investigation, and then “underline one more time that there is no federal investigation on our schools.” Sam – one more time – the Department of Labor is a federal agency.
And Sam, wasn't "Marry Addi released," in February 2009, but according to your statement, the complaint was filed with the DOL in 2008, making it once again -- before and not after --Marry Addi's release."
Sam’s explanation about the 9% H1B visa holders either teaching or “administrating” in Concept Schools is that “Whenever it makes sense, Horizon Science Academies hire Ohio teachers and support staff.” We would really like to know what “makes sense,” to Sam, because it does not makes sense to us when Ohio’s unemployment rate in 2010 was hovering at 10%, and there was an abundance of unemployed, qualified, and licensed American teachers ready and willing to work, then why there are still 9% H1B staff members employed at the Ohio Concept Schools. Surely Sam, with all of the unemployed teachers in Ohio, Concept could find 9% more American teachers to fill those spots.
Further, how does it “make sense,” that 99%, if not 100% of their schools, do not currently have, nor have they ever employed -- a female -- American Director, Business Manager, or Dean of Academics (except for the phantom position Sagnak gave out when he was having his "Identity Crisis" -- but that's another blog), and instead, have filled those positions with Turkish or other foreign national men?
And talk about “sensationalism,” how about Sam’s pitch about the success of Concept schools. Sam states, “Our results speak for themselves with Blue Ribbon Awards, “Excellent” and “Excellent with Distinction” ratings, demand by parents and students, and most importantly 100% college acceptance for many years.” But Sam forgot to include the state’s school ratings of all of the Concept schools which does not include all “Excellent, and Excellent with Distinction Ratings.” In fact, some of their schools are on “Academic Watch, and “Continuous Improvement status.”
Here’s the real deal Sam, and it is not “sensational,” except to say that you guys have been operating under the radar for the past 10 years and the gig is up. It’s not going to be business as usual anymore. So suck it up and expect that those federal agencies and ensuing investigations -- that you so loudly protest do not exist -- do in fact, and will continue as long as you guys continue to violate the rights of American employees, misuse taxpayer funds, and participate in the other nefarious acts that your organization has been so comfortably accustomed to.
Below is Sam’s rebuttal:
Concept’ s rebuttal of recent news stories in Ohio
May 19, 2011
To our Faculty, Parents, Friends and Supporters:
Recently, there have been news stories on local channels in Ohio about Concept managed schools; Horizon Science Academies and Noble Academies. Those stories use Ron Regan’s story on Cleveland’s Channel 5 that aired on Monday, May 16, 2011 as a reference. As often happens with television news, those stories, including Ron Regan’s Channel 5 story, are edited in a way that, in our view, mislead viewers about the operation of Horizon Science Academies in Ohio. As those stories seem to revolve around a few same issues I am writing to set the record straight and clarify any confusion raised by those reports.
First, such reports attempt to sensationalize the repayment by Horizon Science Academy employees of certain immigration fees and expenses as documented in various school audits.
As most people know, charter schools in Ohio are audited annually by the Auditor of State’s Office. Back in 2001 when Betty Montgomery was the Auditor of State, several Horizon Science Academies voluntarily disclosed to the Auditor’s Office certain expenses associated with the immigration of math and science teachers from Turkey who were going to teach at our new schools in Ohio. Horizon Science Academies were founded by Turkish mathematicians and scientists who wanted to raise the bar for math and science education in Ohio. At the time, there was a nationwide shortage of math and science teachers, so we recruited some highly qualified math and science teachers from Turkey. Just as the Cleveland Municipal School District did when it recruited teachers from India in the 1990s and paid for their travel and immigration expenses, so did we. Additionally, we paid these expenses for the spouses and children of our new employees, just like any private company would. The Auditor of State’s Office permitted the expenses for the employees but not their dependents. Audit reports from 2001 show that three Horizon Science Academies, Cleveland High School, Toledo High School, and Columbus High Schools, paid these expenses for 19 employees and some of their family members totaling up to about $13,000. All of these funds were reimbursed at the time the Auditor’s Office made its ruling, not recently as suggested by Mr. Regan and other reporters. Some stories do not even mention the fact that these funds were reimbursed on a timely and swift manner once the auditors brought it to our attention.
Second, these reports raise concerns about hiring out of state teachers and the issuance of H1B visas to some of our employees. These visas are issued to certain workers with skills in short supply in the United States. The Federal Government determines the criteria for issuing these visas. The Horizon Science Academies simply took advantage of a federal visa program at a time when math and science teachers were in short supply. Currently, less than 9% of the workforce in all of the Horizon Science Academies are participating in this government authorized program. Whenever it makes sense, Horizon Science Academies hire Ohio teachers and support staff.
Third, Mr. Regan’s report on Channel 5 Cleveland, which is used as a reference in other stories, included an interview with a disgruntled former employee named Mary Addi who was terminated in 2009 after she was discovered working a second job on company time. She later filed a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which was investigated and denied.
Upon being released, Marry Addi and her husband, who was an H1B employee at one of our schools, Horizon Science Academy Denison, filed a complaint to US Department of Labor in 2008. Since then Department of Labor has been auditing/investigating this complaint in a particular school, Horizon Science Academy Denison. We hereby underline one more time that there is no federal Investigation on our schools or Concept as the news stories suggests.
Fourth, such reports raise concerns about the Horizon Science Academy in Dayton, which is leasing its facility from an Ohio limited liability company that is owned by a Turkish businessman who was willing to take a risk on the development of this property as a school, when Dayton area banks and others were not. The Dayton school leases the property for $3.78 a square foot, which is a bargain compared to medium grade office space in Dayton, which is leased for $10 a square foot or more. News stories that make this sound like hundreds of thousand of dollars go oversees is nothing but part of an agenda of sensationalizing their stories.
Fifth, some of those reports raise concerns about borrowed money that was repaid to individuals overseas. When our first school opened in Cleveland in 1999 there were financial challenges. The State of Ohio does not provide any facilities funding for charter schools and banks as a rule will not lend to start up charter schools. After attempting to obtain funding in Cleveland, the founder of Horizon Science Academies, Taner Ertekin, reached out to businessmen in Turkey to find short-term non-interest bearing loans. The school paid the loans back. A portion of the loan ($36,000) was paid back via wire transfer. The Auditors never raised any questions about the loan. Instead, the Auditors questioned the method of repayment. We provided the loan documents to the Mr. Regan at Channel 5 Cleveland. It is ridiculous to present this repayment of a non-interest bearing loan as “practice of spending Ohio school tax dollars overseas” and is far from objective and true journalism.
There are 17 Horizon Science Academies and 2 Noble Academies in Ohio. Together they educate about 5000 students each year. More than 95% of Horizon Science Academy students graduate from high school 100% of those students are accepted to college. Our results speak for themselves with Blue Ribbon Awards, “Excellent” and “Excellent with Distinction” ratings, demand by parents and students, and most importantly 100% college acceptance for many years.
Charter schools including ours are high regulated with increased accountability and autonomy. Annual audits by the state auditors and ongoing reporting and oversight is in place. All of the Concept managed schools are not-for-profit organizations with transparency. All of our records and documentations are available for public review. We take pride in the diversity of our community and are proud of every single of our employees, as they are the ones making unprecedented differences in urban communities. What has made successful is our uncompromising focus on our students not on adults as a diverse community. We assure everyone that we will continue doing so and not let anything take away our focus from student achievement.
Should you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail, ucan@conceptschools.org or phone, 224 388-9953 (cell).
Sincerely,
Salim Ucan
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Gulen Turkish Olympiads 2011-12 A Message to Parents Gulen Charter Schools
With a growing enemy base, the Fethullah Gulen Community has already had their schools targeted in Turkey by the PKK. Currently Turkey has jailed over 300 Kurdish children under the age of 15 while the Gulen Community prepares for the 9th Annual International Turkish Olympiad in Turkey the showcase of Gulen propaganda of over 750 children from over 120 countries. This will take place in Turkey on June 15-30, 2011 and are taking place at the same time as elections, and as over 50 Turkish Journalists sit in prison for daring to speak the truth about Gulen. Meanwhile some of the Turkish community has a growing hate for America, Israel and other countries. Is this a safe place for children of the world?
Friday, May 6, 2011
Fethulla Gulen CNN News. Gulen Charter Schools Gulen attacks Free Press
Gulen Movement is about censorship not dialog
please support free press and the journalists imprisoned in Turkey.
Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- The four-year investigation into an alleged plot to overthrow Turkey's government just keeps getting bigger. But as police arrest more and more journalists accused of aiding the coup plot, press freedoms groups are expressing alarm.
With more than 50 reporters currently behind bars in Turkey, activists argue freedom of expression is under fire in a country that is often promoted as a model Muslim democracy for the turbulent Middle East.
Meanwhile, many writers claim that a new taboo has emerged in this Byzantine web of politics, power and press... an enigmatic Muslim cleric who leads a vast network of international schools and businesses from his home in exile, a farm in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Last March, police swept through the Istanbul homes of two high-profile investigative journalists, seizing documents and detaining the reporters: Posta newspaper columnist Nedim Sener and online news editor Ahmet Sik.
These arrests came after police detained the editors of Oda TV, a hard-line secularist internet news portal that often criticized the government of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The journalists have yet to be formally charged. They join hundreds of other jailed suspects awaiting trial in the sprawling investigation into "Ergenekon," an alleged gang led by ultra-secularist Turkish military officers aimed at toppling Erdogan's Islam-inspired government.
Supporters of the Ergenekon investigation argue it is "demilitarizing" Turkish society.
But the arrests have spread fear among many Turkish reporters.
On a chilly and rain-soaked day last month, several hundred journalists marched through the streets of Istanbul, waving signs saying "Hands Off My Opinion."
"We are here to protest the growing repression over Turkish media by the Turkish government for the last couple of years," said Can Dundar, a well-known columnist and anchorman for Turkey's NTV.
"We want to be free to write. We want to be free to talk and we want to be free to publish our books without any repression or fear," he added.
"At present, 57 journalists are in prison in Turkey and the number of ongoing trials that can result in imprisonment of journalists is estimated to be from 700 to 1,000," said Dunja Mijatovic, the representative on freedom of the media for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in a recent report.
Meanwhile, in a report issued this week on World Press Freedom Day, the Washington-based watchdog organization Freedom House rated Turkey "partly free." Turkey, which is currently negotiating to join the European Union, was ranked 112 out of 196 countries, next to Bangladesh, Congo-Brazzavile, and Uganda.
In an interview with CNN last November, Sener ominously predicted that he might be targeted for his criticism of the Turkish government.
"Today there is direct pressure from the political authority. They can easily corner the reporter they don't like for news they don't like and act in ways that can lead to getting fired," said Sener, who received a World Press Freedom Hero award from the International Press Institute for his book investigating the 2007 assassination of Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink.
Turkish government officials deny claims the media atmosphere is growing increasingly intolerant.
"The issue here is not the big bad government trying to silence the press," wrote Egemen Bagis, Turkey's European Union integration minister, in the pro-government newspaper Today's Zaman.
"Despite the expression of concern from the highest echelons of the state on the arrest of the journalists, the prosecutors have clearly stated that they have evidence that links the journalists to the Ergenekon terrorist group," Bagis added.
Some observers, including the two recently detained reporters, have observed a pattern of arrests targeting critics of an enigmatic figure on the Turkish political scene... the influential Muslim cleric and powerful supporter of the Turkish government Fethullah Gulen.
From his home in exile on a farm in Pennsylvania, Gulen is the inspirational leader of an enormous network of schools and universities operating in more than 120 countries around the world. He speaks to his followers through a small empire of pro-Gulen newspapers, publication houses and TV stations in Turkey as well as over the internet. During his victory speech after winning a referendum on constitutional reform last year, Erdogan took care to thank his "friends across the ocean"...code-words for the Gulen movement.
"The government... and the Fethullah Gulen group are the taboos in Turkey. It is very dangerous to write about these in Turkey and I write about them," said investigative journalist Sener said in his November 2010 CNN interview.
Meanwhile, as he was being led from his house to a waiting police car, the arrested journalist Ahmet Sik yelled out to the crowd of people gathered on the street, "If you touch him, you will burn."
When he was arrested, Sik was in the midst of writing a critical book about the Gulen movement titled "The Imam's Army." Police seized his book as evidence.
Another author of a recent book slamming the Gulen movement is also behind bars. In "Devotees on the Golden Horn: Yesterday's State, Today's Religious Movement," former police commander Hanefi Avci claimed supporters of Gulen had infiltrated the Turkish police force. He also accused the "Gulenists" of illegally tapping telephones. A month after the book was published, police arrested Avci. He now stands accused of being a member of a leftist terrorist organization, a charge Avci denies.
Gulen's supporters deny claims that it is dangerous to criticize the movement in print.
"This is a smokescreen campaign and this is also a psychological war," said Professor Ihsan Yilmaz, a political scientist at the Gulen-operated Fatih University in Istanbul.
Faruk Mercan, one of Gulen's biographers, pointed out that other authors have written dozens of other critical books about the reclusive evangelist without facing prosecution. And he argued that the media had often worked in close collaboration with the Turkish military, when it overthrew four elected governments in coups over the last 60 years.
"When you look at Turkish history you can see there are very famous Turkish journalists involved in military coups," Mercan said. "Now is the time for post-modern coups in which un-armed forces like the media or civil society organizations are basically fulfilling a similar task."
After dominating Turkish politics for decades, the military and its allies in secularist political parties have has been in retreat. Since his Justice and Development Party swept to power in 2002, Turkey's fiery prime minister has repeatedly defeated his secularist opponents both at the ballot boxes and in the courts. Initially, Erdogan made joining the European Union a top national priority.
"I thought that Turkey was becoming a more liberal place," said Andrew Finkel, a Canadian journalist who has lived and worked for years in Turkey. "I thought that if you dismantle the military apparatus... that the country would be freer."
Finkel, a free-lance contributor to CNN, had to defend himself in Turkish courts in 1999 and faced a possible six-year jail sentence, after he was accused of "insulting the military" in an article he wrote. More than a decade later, Finkel said he ran afoul of the new powers-that-be that govern Turkey.
After spending the last four years writing a column for the Gulen-owned Today's Zaman, Finkel was fired last month.
He claimed he lost his job because of his last, unpublished column written in defense of the jailed journalists.
"I was criticizing my own newspaper for not being vocal enough in the defense of freedom of expression. I felt we should be doing more about people seizing books, about being more tolerant even if those books were against us," Finkel said.
The editor of Today's Zaman denied these accusations.
"No newspaper is obligated to work with all of its writers until the end of time," wrote Bulent Kenes in an editorial last month. "What has changed is that some of our writers have come under the influence of the strong and dark propaganda that is at play and have started to stagger. Unfortunately, I feel the same way about Finkel."
The stark polarization of Turkish politics and media is likely to get worse in the final weeks before parliamentary elections on June 12. Polls predict Erdogan will win a third term in office. This week, on World Press Freedom Day, Turkish journalists made another appeal to Erdogan, to better protect a fundamental democratic right.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Gulen Schools- Milwaukee Math and Science Academy Community Outreach Dinner
Concept Schools introduces “Milwaukee Math & Science Academy” as its first school in Wisconsin during a “Community Outreach Dinner” at “The Capital Grille” located in Downtown Milwaukee on the evening of Friday, April 15, 2011.
Mr. Salim Ucan, Vice President of Concept Schools, delivered an energetic presentation outlining the Success of Concept Schools and what MMSA will offer the Community. Among the invited guests were key community educational leaders including….Mr. Garret Bucks, Executive Director of Teach for America, Sarah Granofsky-Toce of the Wisconsin Charter Schools Assn. and Dave Steel, Program Officer of PAVE, Mr. Lauren Duff, Branch Manager, North Shore Bank, Mr. Stephen Kamuiru, CEO at Community Engineering & Building Services, Dr. T. Izard, M.D., CEO at Milwaukee Health Services Inc., Rev. Dr. James G. White from Harambee Ombudsman Project Inc., Earl Ingram from WMCS 1290, Jewel Carter from Harambee Ombudsman Project Inc.
Ucan’s presentation provided strong data to support the successful implementation of the Concept Model in an Urban Community such as the Harambee Community of Milwaukee, as evidenced by the success in similar urban communities in areas of Ohio, Indiana & Illinois. 100% College acceptance and over 60% student retention rates were among some of the data shared during Ucan’s presentation. Ucan charted the growth that occurred with other Concept Schools, and projected that same growth for Milwaukee Math and Science Academy, such as the near doubling of enrollment at Horizon Academy in Columbus, Ohio in its three years of existence! Ucan believed that this growth and retention is achieved in part because of the caring, personalized educational approach that Concept Schools offers its parents and students.
The presentation ended with a receptive appeal to Community leaders to partner with MMSA to make an impact in the Harambee Community and to be a resource for our future leaders…the students of MMSA
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