The Presidency of Religious Affairs has announced its summer program, which, through a regulation amendment that removes the age limit, allows even 4-year-old children to participate in residential summer Quran courses. According to the regulation, there are no restrictions on participation in the courses for children under the age of 18, other than the requirement to obtain parental consent.
‘So that children can pray in congregation after the holiday…’
In the summer Quran course program announced by the Presidency of Religious Affairs, it was noted that the program “aims to help children spend their summer vacation in a meaningful way,” and it was stated that the goals include “raising awareness of national and spiritual values” and ”raising children with self-confidence.”.
According to the program, the courses are “important in that they encourage the participating children to pray with the congregation after the holiday.”
‘Feeding cats and dogs is forbidden; watching TV is a sin.’
On the other hand, it was notable that the Board of Religious Affairs’ Boarding Quran Course Program placed special emphasis on teaching the Shafi’i school of jurisprudence.
In the courses, under the heading “Practices in the Realm of Worship,” children will be taught about the distinct practices of the Shafi’i school of thought in the realm of worship, which deems feeding cats and dogs haram, watching television a sin, and men and women holding hands “makruh.”.
The program, which described worship practices specific to the Shafi’i school of thought, drew attention for the absence of other schools of thought. This came despite the statement by Mehmet Görmez, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, who had previously said, “We have two red lines: The first is describing Alevism as a path outside of Islam, and the second is portraying cemevis as places of worship for another faith,” it was notable that discrimination was made between schools of thought in courses opened with the justification of teaching the Quran and explaining Islam to children.