Date of Award
January 2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
History
First Advisor
Caroline Campbell
Abstract
This thesis argues that the positive portrayal of the Gulen (Hizmet) movement in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal is a direct result of persistent Orientalism in the American academia and news media. The evidence reveals that most of the articles published in the New York Times and in the Wall Street Journal Between 1985 and 2016 and the majority of academic works completely ignored the controversial nature of the Gulen movement. This favorable approach portrays Islam as monolithic and indicates the otherness of Muslims by subjecting them to a separate set of standards for “moderation.” This is problematic for two distinct reasons. First, it shows that Orientalism is still persistent well into the year 2016. Furthermore, when referring to Gulen as “moderate and progressive,” the journalists and academics falsely portray all Muslims negatively since this portrayal indicates Gulen’s ideology is moderate in comparison to all
interpretations of Islam.
Recommended Citation
Cubuk Uzundag, Yonca Ipek, "The Persistence Of Orientalism And The Positive Portrayal Of The Gulen Movement In The New York Times And In The Wall Street Journal Between 1985 And 2016" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 2396.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/2396