Choose religious elective courses for your children, Turkish PM advises parents

MALATYA - Anadolu Agency

‘It is important for mothers and fathers to be more careful in choosing their children’s elective courses,’ says Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. DHA photo

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called on families to choose Quran classes and lessons on the biography of the Prophet Muhammad as elective courses for their children at school.
 
“You wanted us to do it. My brothers, mothers and fathers, the life of the most loved one, the only leader [the Prophet Muhammad] is a guide for us. We can achieve many things under his guide. This is why I believe it is important for mothers and fathers to be more careful in choosing their children’s elective courses. Let’s take such a step so that those who do not respect the will of the people will learn how to respect it,” Erdoğan said, speaking at a ceremony in the eastern province of Malatya Sept. 22.

Changes for headscarf

While on the subject, he also stressed that the government had made the necessary changes in the education system so that students wearing headscarves could attend the schools.

“Our headscarved daughters were not allowed to attend universities. They closed down the vocational secondary schools [including the religious imam hatip schools]. What happened? We told you to be patient and promised to remove all these,” said Erdoğan. “That day has come. With the 4+4+4 system, vocational high school students and imam hatip school students can now go to primary, secondary and high school.”

The prime minister said girls with or without headscarves could enter any school they wanted, as long as they were successful. “They put obstacles before our success, we have removed them,” he added.

Erdoğan also said they would always be against the war but would do whatever was necessary against those who violated the borders, referring to the downing of a Syrian helicopter near the border. 

“We will always be against war. But you should know that there were some [states] that violated our border. We will do whatever is necessary against those who violate our border,” he stressed. 

In the speech, the prime minister also touched upon the military coup in Egypt that ousted the then-president Mohamed Morsi from his office. 

“Those who did not respect the will of people made a military coup in Egypt … The coup-makers have taken the power with their weapons. But they should know that their weapons may one day turn against them,” Erdoğan said.