Turkish Government Abolishes Age Limit for Quran Courses
The Turkish government has abolished the age limit imposed on children who wish to attend Quran courses offered for free at mosques in the summer months.
The age limit for children to attend Quran courses was abolished in a government decree published in the Official Gazette on Saturday. The decree made an amendment to the Law on the Establishment and Duties of the Religious Affairs Directorate. The new law was prepared in accordance with Article 24 of the Constitution and requires permission from parents of children who wish to attend the courses at mosques.
The age limit was imposed following Turkey's notorious Feb. 28, 1997, postmodern coup. As a result of the policies instituted by the military following the Feb. 28 coup, children younger than 12 have not been allowed to attend these courses, a move that drew much criticism from the public. According to most parents, 12 years is too old for children to learn to read the Quran.
Although 13 years have passed since the postmodern coup, in which the military overthrew a coalition government led by a now-defunct conservative party, Turkey is still influenced by some of the decisions made by the National Security Council (MGK) on Feb. 28, which were intended to strictly protect the state ideology. The abolition of the age limit for Quran courses comes as yet another attempt by the Turkish government to do away with the remnants of the postmodern coup.
In a landmark move last year, another product of the Feb. 28 postmodern coup, the Protocol on Cooperation for Security and Public Order (EMASYA), which was harshly criticized for allowing the military to conduct operations and intelligence gathering in cities without the approval of the civilian administration, was abolished by the government.
The controversial protocol was signed by the General Staff and the Interior Ministry on July 7, 1997 and empowered the military to intervene in social incidents on its own initiative. EMASYA gave the military the authority to gather intelligence against internal threats. Although the protocol was severely criticized by politicians and analysts over the years, it remained in force until last year.
Source: Today’s Zaman
The age limit was imposed following Turkey's notorious Feb. 28, 1997, postmodern coup. As a result of the policies instituted by the military following the Feb. 28 coup, children younger than 12 have not been allowed to attend these courses, a move that drew much criticism from the public. According to most parents, 12 years is too old for children to learn to read the Quran.
Although 13 years have passed since the postmodern coup, in which the military overthrew a coalition government led by a now-defunct conservative party, Turkey is still influenced by some of the decisions made by the National Security Council (MGK) on Feb. 28, which were intended to strictly protect the state ideology. The abolition of the age limit for Quran courses comes as yet another attempt by the Turkish government to do away with the remnants of the postmodern coup.
In a landmark move last year, another product of the Feb. 28 postmodern coup, the Protocol on Cooperation for Security and Public Order (EMASYA), which was harshly criticized for allowing the military to conduct operations and intelligence gathering in cities without the approval of the civilian administration, was abolished by the government.
The controversial protocol was signed by the General Staff and the Interior Ministry on July 7, 1997 and empowered the military to intervene in social incidents on its own initiative. EMASYA gave the military the authority to gather intelligence against internal threats. Although the protocol was severely criticized by politicians and analysts over the years, it remained in force until last year.
Source: Today’s Zaman
