Having been inspired by Turkish preacher
Fethullah Gülen, their stated goal is to "[serve] as a voice for civic, culture and service organizations around the U.S dedicated to promoting community service, education and interfaith dialogue."[2] The president of the organization is Alp Aslandogan.[3]
Member groups
According to the official website, the following groups are a part of the Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV):[4][5]
Atlantic Institute, formerly known as the Istanbul Cultural Center,[6] a non-profit group from
Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, Clemson South Carolina that "promotes dialogue between different faiths, cultures and religions." AI holds a free annual
iftar (the evening meal at which Muslims end their daily fast during
Ramadan), where non-Muslims can learn about the Muslim Ramadan traditions and have their questions answered by the institute.[7] Similarly, it organizes cultural interfaith events in South Carolina.[8] The institute also occasionally paid for trips to Turkey for legislators in South Carolina. Its president and director is Akif Aydin.[9]
Pacifica Institute, a nationwide nonprofit organization which opened in the
San Fernando Valley in California in 2003,[10] but is now based in
South Salt Lake, Utah. In February 2015, the institute sponsored and hosted a screening of "Love is a Verb", a documentary on Fethullah Gulen's life.[14] The Pacifica Institute traditionally had annual trips to Turkey, but these stopped in early 2016 because of instability in the area and the increase in ISIS-fueled terrorist attacks.[15] The institute, like the other member groups of the AFSV, also holds interfaith
iftars.[16][17]
Institute for Interfaith Dialogue (or Dialogue Institute of the Southwest, its new official name), based in
Houston.[18]
Niagara Foundation. A non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of fostering civic conversations and sustained relationships between people of different cultures and faiths.
In 2014, the AFSV released a statement in which they condemned what they called "politically-motivated attempts to crackdown [sic] on law-abiding citizens" by then-
Prime Minister of TurkeyRecep Tayyip Erdoğan against members of the organization, including defaming Gülen and demanding his extradition without any charges or legal case against him. They also accused him of taking advantage of
Turkey's strategic relationship with the United States.[19]
In 2016,
Turkish President Erdoğan and other members of the Turkish government blamed Fethullah Gülen and his movement for the
Turkish coup attempt. The AFSV condemned both the coup and accusations of being involved in it, releasing a statement on the day of the attempt:[20][21][22]
News media reported about developments in Turkey today regarding actions of Turkish Armed Forces.
For more than 40 years, Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet participants have advocated for, and demonstrated their commitment to, peace and democracy. We have consistently denounced military interventions in domestic politics. These are core values of Hizmet participants. We condemn any military intervention in domestic politics of Turkey.
Events on the ground are moving quickly and it would be irresponsible for us to speculate on them. We remain concerned about the safety and security of Turkish citizens and those in Turkey right now.
Comments by pro-Erdogan circles about the movement are highly irresponsible.