Jihadism to be taught in schools

The new curriculum draft covers jihadism as a concept of "social value"
Monday, 16 January 2017 02:14

The Ministry of National Education declared new curriculum drafts for the 2017-2018 academic year. Curriculum drafts have become one of the matters of debate for their controversial contents. Theory of evolution is excluded from biology courses; the scope of courses on Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, is reduced; 15th July coup attempt is integrated into the curriculum for discussions on democracy.

JIHADISM WILL BE TAUGHT AS A WAY OF WORSHIPPING ALLAH

In imam-hatip religious schools, jihadism will be taught in the introductory courses on religious knowledge. In the 7th grade, jihadism will be discussed together with patriotism and basic rights and freedoms. In the 8th grade, on the other hand, jihadism will be taught as a way of worshipping Allah within the course unit "Serving Allah and Worshipping".

CHILDREN HAD BEEN USED TO PROPAGATE JIHAD

Prior to this step to integrate jihadism as a topic in the national education, some reactionary organizations had made use of children to promote jihadism.

In an İHH event on March 2016, orphan children were given toy guns and swords to propagate jihad. IHH, or the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (IHH), is notorious for its ties with jihadist groups in the Middle East. The İHH foundation then sued soL news portal for reporting the news of the event.  Access to the news in question is still blocked by a court decision.

In April 2016, children were also contested for "the best recitation of azan (call to prayer)" in an event organized by İstanbul Küçükçekmece District Directorate of National Education and District Municipality of Küçükçekmece, run by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

CONTROVERSIAL HISTORY UNITS IN THE NEW CURRICULUM

The siege of Kut Al Amare by the Ottoman Army during the First World War is integrated into the new curriculum draft. Kut Al Amare had become a matter of debate among the historians after the ruling AKP government started to propagate the siege of Kut Al Amare as the beginning of the Turkish war of independence. Some historians criticized it as AKP's move to "rewrite history", since the official history takes 1919 as the beginning of the Turkish war of independence. The ruling AKP government had cancelled official celebrations of April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day in 2016 and instead had organized Kut Al Amare events.