I am 36 years old, I went to high school in Anatolian Imam Hatip High School1. I learned both critical thinking and good English there.
On the other hand, I learned that my voice was forbidden to men. I was a sinner because I was a human being, that the only sinless man was a prophet, that he even repented for hours, and I had to repent.
My balance was broken, I was stunned and perplexed. When I was wearing the headscarf, headscarved women were seen as a bigot, I stubbornly wear it. Then the headscarf ban at schools had been removed. Everyone started to wear it, but there were so many things that I wasn’t okay with, so I took it off.
Children should never be given religious education. What is told to us is not suitable for tiny children’s minds. Religious belief is a concept that a person will decide when they are an adult. Just tell your kids about the rules. It is not “This is true, it is absolute, it is certain.” “That’s his rule, that’s it and believe whatever’s in your mind.” That’s what it should be. Because what matters is morality and respect.
This is how I say to my child so that he will not be stuck in contradictions like me.
- Imam Hatip schools are educational institutes in Turkey where people are trained for religious professions such as imams.
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