Religious Affairs Directorate defends compulsory religious classes

"Compulsory religious classes were are a cultural class not creating problems for secularism and human rights, the deputy head of Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate said Wednesday."

"Defending the Directorate against complaints that it was forcing children to undertake courses in religion Professor Sevki Aydin said that such comments were ill informed.

“To say let us not have this compulsory is to defend ignorance on the subject of religion,” Aydin said, adding that this was his personal opinion.

Aydin said instead of discussing the compulsory nature of the classes that one has look at the content of the classes.

Aydin added that there were no obstacles under the constitution for Alawites in Turkey to ask for their children to receive detailed information on their religion."
Religious Affairs Directorate defends compulsory religious classes