Pro-government newspaper Akit demanded "Quran and prophetic biography [siyer] courses should be compulsory!" in a subheading on February 20, as if conducting a campaign.
Speaking to soL news, Ali Rıza Aydın from the Enlightenment Movement Against Reaction evaluated the Turkish government's step to make Quran and prophetic biography courses compulsory.
"THESE COURSES ARE ELECTIVE ON PAPER, BUT ACTUALLY COMPULSORY"
"Courses such as Quran, Prophetic Biography and Basic Religious Knowledge seem to be elective, but in practice, they have become compulsorily courses imposed on students by school administrators in many schools," Ali Rıza Aydın says.
Stating that educators encounter many examples of this situation in schools, Aydın noted, "Elective course means that 'it may not be elected by students. Yet, many school administrators or school counsellors force children to elect Quran and prophetic biography courses in addition to two other courses."
"COMPULSORY RELIGION CLASSES ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND AGAINST THE LAW ON THE UNITY OF EDUCATION"
Reminding that the 4+4+4 educational system – a contentious 12-year compulsory education system with four-year phases of primary, middle and high school – paved the way for religious middle schools and was not found unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court on the pretext that religious courses are "optional", Aydın states that "the Constitutional Court referred to a new and flexible definition of secularism with this decision and attributed it to 'religious freedom' as the AKP wanted."
"Even if the Constitutional Court tries to refer to a flexible definition of secularism, de facto applications regarding religious classes are unconstitutional and against the Law on the Unity of Education," Aydın emphasizes.
"AKİT’S SUBHEADING IS THE BEGINNING OF A CAMPAIGN"
Underlining that the pro-government daily Akit’s subheading is the beginning of a campaign and not an ordinary heading, Aydın says, "Their aim is to remove the word elective there, to officially make these religion classes compulsory just as it is in [religious] imam hatip schools, to raise the issue of a possible constitutional amendment and to prepare society for it."
"Even this headline alone is evidence that religion has been imposed on social life and education. This headline lies to the people and deceives society. We, as the Enlightenment Movement against Reactionaryism, are fighting against such pressures. The final outcome of these steps is the strict consolidation of Islamist fascism with its all institutions and rules", Aydın concluded.
