Turkey will influence developments in Muslim world -- American academician

By Nawab Khan (with photos) BRUSSELS, May 2 (KUNA) -- Turkey is a good example to be followed by the Arab and Muslim world for the development of democracy and economic progress, according to James Harrington, Director of the Texas Civil Rights Project and a professor at the University of Texas Law School.
"I think Turkey is a good example and can serve as a model and will influence developments in the Muslim world," Harrington told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
He said Turkey can serve as a model in the sense that one can have a secular society where politics and religion are separate yet have a democracy with a powerful economy.
"Turkey has shown that it can be done," said the US law expert who called on the western world to support Turkey to play the bridging role between the West and the Muslim world.
Harrington was in the Belgian capital to present here last week his book titled "Strengthening the Free Speech, Religious Freedom and Democracy in Turkey: The Political Trial of Fethullah Gulen." He said that the Gulen movement is a very good example in the democratisation process in Turkey and it plays a larger role in the wider global context.
"The Gulen movement gives the right model . In the US the movement has helped in changing the stereotype image of Islam. It has done good job and it has shown how it can be done,." the US schoalr told KUNA.
Fethullah Gulen is a Turkish Muslim scholar and education activist who lives in the US. He was an Islamic preacher in Turkey between 1959 and 1981. His movement has motivated millions in Turkey and elsewhere.
Gulen was among the first Muslim scholar who publicly condemned the 9/11 attacks by a statement published in the New York Times and the Washington Post in September 2001. Harringotn's book explores the political trial of Gulen, and how that trial, which began in 2000 in an Ankara state security court and ended in 2008 in a civil appeals court in his favor, helped to greatly expand civil liberties and democracy in Turkey. (end) nk.nfm KUNA 021354 May 12NNNN