Will a cliché of an era become history? The imam is no longer just in the mosque...

“I Am Sensitive to My Environment, I Protect My Values” (ÇEDES) project, there is ongoing backlash against imams entering schools under the name of the.

Students continue to be taken to mosques, and imams continue to give “conferences” in schools.

It has emerged that in many cities, from Muğla to Aydın, and from Mardin to Eskişehir, students are being taken to mosques for morning prayers as part of ÇEDES, while also being included in religious programs organized in school dormitories affiliated with the Ministry of National Education.

THEY LED MORNING PRAYERS

According to a report by Deniz Güngör from BirGün; it was revealed that students from Hacı Mustafa Öden Imam Hatip Middle School in the Orhaneli district of Bursa were taken to the Durdubey Central Mosque for morning prayers.

In a post by the Orhaneli District Mufti's Office, it was stated: “After the prayer, a program was held at the Diyanet Youth Center with the participation of the District Director of National Education, the District Director of Youth and Sports, school administrators, spiritual counselors from the Orhaneli Mufti's Office, and the Youth Coordinator, where topics such as the importance of the three holy months, preparations for Ramadan, religious nights, etc., were discussed. Soup was served to the participants by our district mufti's office.”

CONFERENCE FOR STUDENTS

In Eskişehir, one of the pilot provinces for the ÇEDES project, it was revealed that Yunus Alkan, the imam of the Hilal Mosque, gave a conference to students at Gündüzalp Middle School.

The school's website stated that Alkan had a “chat” with the students about “manners, courtesy, and respect.”

In Mardin, a religious program was organized in the girls' and boys' dormitories of Artuklu Anatolian Imam Hatip High School. It was revealed that religious official Mücahit Önen and School Principal Mehmet Ali Gümüş attended the program in the boys' dormitory.

The school's website included the following statements: “We revived our night in our boys' dormitory with a Quran recitation by our teacher Mücahit Önen, and a chat and prayer by our School Principal Mehmet Ali Gümüş. In our girls' dormitory, we revived our night with a Quran recitation, hymns, a chat by the female preacher, and prayer.”

‘VISIT’ FROM SCHOOL TO MOSQUE

Students from Sazlıköy Hilmi Fırat Primary School in the Söke district of Aydın were also taken to the Felekşan Fırat Mosque under the name of the ‘ÇEDES project.’ The program was attended by Söke District Mufti Ali Saim Doğru, District Preacher Elif Gümüş, Felekşan Fırat Mosque Imam Ekrem Bey Çelik, Sazlı Neighborhood Mosque Imam Muhammed Ahmet Kaya, and school staff. It was learned that gifts were given to the students after the program.

In a statement made on the Söke District Mufti's Office website, the following expressions were used: “Information was provided to the children by talking about the importance of religion, that Islam is a religion of love, and the importance of learning religion well; then, the mosque and its sections were explained to the primary school students. Various gifts were distributed to those who answered correctly to questions asked about the Prophet and the basic creeds of Islam.”

In the Dalaman district of Muğla, students were also taken to the Dalaman Central Mosque for morning prayers.

The program held on January 12 was attended by Dalaman Mayor Muhammed Karakuş, Director of National Education Taner Şen, District Mufti Abdullah Yakalı, as well as school principals and teachers.

The statement from the Dalaman District Mufti's Office included the following: “Our teachers, religious officials, children, official institution employees, and our congregation attended the program. Before the morning prayer, the Quran was read, and District Mufti Abdullah Yakalı gave a talk. He spoke about the importance of the ÇEDES project. After the prayer, soup was served, sponsored by our Municipality.”