Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent remarks on the status of theological Imam Hatip schools reveal his underlying conviction that religious education breeds obedient generations, according to Assist. Prof. Cem Kirazoğlu, a researcher in the field of educational studies.
"What harm have Imam Hatip schools brought upon you that you [decided to] shut them down? What have Imam Hatip [graduates] ever done to you? Did you shut them down because Imam Hatip schools do not breed terrorists [and anarchists?..] Did you shut them down because [their graduates] are aching to serve their country?" Prime Minister Erdoğan said during the inauguration ceremony of the Cedide Abalıoğlu Anadolu Imam Hatip High School in the southwestern district of Denizli.
The government believes in the significance of Imam Hatip schools because they think these institutions breed religious generations that comply with authority and which nurture sentiments of gratefulness rather than inciting rebellious behavior, according to Assist. Prof. Kirazoğlu.
"As Imam Hatip high school graduates, my sons, many a minister friends of mine and I are deeply moved in restoring the prestige of these [institutions] today. People across Turkey today are embracing Imam Hatip schools which are now returning back to their former days of glory," Prime Minister Erdoğan went on.
"They shut down the middle [school] sections of Imam Hatips, and as if this were not enough, they also introduced a new obstacle [by changing the coefficient figure] in university entrance exams to slacken the demand for their high school sections as well," he said.
"Obedient generations that conform to the authorities"
"People turn into 'terrorists' and 'anarchists' in the eyes of the authorities when they begin to act unruly. This reflects a discriminatory language on the part of the authorities. We see this language at the work place and in the family. Those who have power employ this language against those who lack it. When those who lack power [refuse] to obey and [choose] to criticize instead, then they are labelled as such," Assist. Prof. Kirazoğlu said.
Religious people cannot be "bad persons" according to the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which defines "bad persons" as those people who do not seek their rights, fail to obey the authorities and identify with certain political views, he said.
"The prime minister believes in the significance of religious education because religious education permits the breeding of obedient generations that do not rebel or question. In reality, the [terms] 'terrorist' and 'anarchist' in his lexicon" signify people who do not entertain sentiments of gratefulness," he added.
"A project doomed to fail"
"On the other hand, they reduced primary education down to four years with the introduction of the new [education] system. As such, juveniles who reach the age of nine and a half will now be able to enroll in Imam Hatip Middle Schools. Their goal in this is to begin to shape children's [minds] as early as possible," Assist. Prof. Kirazoğlu noted.
Assist. Prof. Kirazlıoğlu also highlighted the fact that Imam Hatip schools offer much more comprehensive curricula than other vocational schools with whom they share the same status, giving the Imam Hatips a special edge.
"There is massive difference between the curricula employed in other vocational schools and the Imam Hatips. The Imam Hatips go beyond the curriculum that is designed solely to train imams and preachers so as to also include courses provided by regular schools," he said.
"They always pushed aspiring students toward one direction [or another] in Turkey. The republican regime pushed them in one direction, and the current regime is now pushing them in another. It is crystal clear that a collosal transformation is in the works at the moment," Assist. Prof. Kirazoğlu said.
"The failure of the republican project, however, bore certain qualities that will also cause the demise of the present regime as well, namely [their tendency to] disregard the people. I believe this project will also fail," he said. (EKN)
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