David Marsh is professor emeritus of education in University of Southern California. He specializes in teacher education, program evaluation, and the comprehensive reform of schools. He has been involved with the National Alliance for Restructuring Education.

‘’I think every country needs a Gülen. Every country needs someone who says, “we need to talk with other groups. We need to find connections.” I think his interfaith dialog efforts have been amazing.’’

‘’Quite honestly, I don’t know of other groups that reach out and make connections in the way he does. I think his movement is very unique and very important. That is, I know that there’s sometimes efforts to promote one religious effort at the expense of some other religious group. What I love about Gülen is, he doesn’t ask that at all. He’s not trying to convert us to Islam. He’s trying to help find common values and important connections of love and telling the truth, even not gossiping.’’

‘’I went to Turkey before the Hizmet trip. And I saw some wonderful things. We went to Antalya and saw the beautiful coast, and then we went to Ephesus and saw the exhibits. We went in Istanbul and saw some wonderful things. But I didn’t connect with the people like I did on the Hizmet trip, and what I saw there were a lot of committed, thoughtful people trying to make a difference in their own communities, trying to make their families stronger, trying to have their selves live out the values of what they thought were important.’’