Tweet
BIAnet.org, Turkey
Sept 21 2012
`PM ErdoÄ?an Believes Religious Education Will Breed Obedience'
Education specialist Assist. Prof. Cem KirazoÄ?lu said Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's recent comments on the status of theological
Imam Hatip schools reflect his underlying belief that religious
education will breed obedient generations.
Ekin KARACA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an'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 KirazoÄ?lu, 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 ErdoÄ?an
said during the inauguration ceremony of the Cedide AbalıoÄ?lu 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.
KirazoÄ?lu.
"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 ErdoÄ?an 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. KirazoÄ?lu 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.
KirazoÄ?lu noted.
Assist. Prof. KirazlıoÄ?lu 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. KirazoÄ?lu 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)
http://bianet.org/english/education/140924-pm-erdogan-believes-religious-education-will-breed-obedience
Sept 21 2012
`PM ErdoÄ?an Believes Religious Education Will Breed Obedience'
Education specialist Assist. Prof. Cem KirazoÄ?lu said Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an's recent comments on the status of theological
Imam Hatip schools reflect his underlying belief that religious
education will breed obedient generations.
Ekin KARACA
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an'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 KirazoÄ?lu, 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 ErdoÄ?an
said during the inauguration ceremony of the Cedide AbalıoÄ?lu 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.
KirazoÄ?lu.
"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 ErdoÄ?an 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. KirazoÄ?lu 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.
KirazoÄ?lu noted.
Assist. Prof. KirazlıoÄ?lu 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. KirazoÄ?lu 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)
http://bianet.org/english/education/140924-pm-erdogan-believes-religious-education-will-breed-obedience