‘Imam’ pile in Kurdish cities

With the appointment of trustees to HDP municipalities in Hakkari and Van, religious communities, particularly the Directorate of Religious Affairs (t: Diyanet), have increased their activity. The Directorate of Religious Affairs, public education facilities linked with the Directorate of National Education, and communities have opened hundreds of Quran courses and organizations in practically every street, avenue, neighborhood, and hamlet.

Cities such as Van, Urfa, Amed, and Erzurum have the highest number of imams in 2020. In Van, there are 422 mosques serving a population of 1 million 200 thousand people, and in Hakkari, there are 487 mosques serving a population of 280 thousand people. In Van and Hakkari, there is a mosque on practically every street and avenue, and each mosque has multiple imams and a muezzin who teaches Quran Courses. It is noteworthy that the appointed imams, muezzins, and Quran Courses are predominantly from the Black Sea and Central Anatolia regions.

Mosques employ imams, muezzins, and Quran course instructors who convert some mosques into classrooms and provide religious education to children. These officials go from house to house, asking children’s families to enroll them in the courses.

In Hakkari, the AKP-MHP administration established numerous imam-hatip high schools, clubs, and Quran courses. In the center of Hakkari, there are 7 imam-hatip high schools and many imam-hatip secondary schools; in the districts of Gever, Şemdinli, and Derecek, there are 6 imam-hatip high schools. In Van’s central district and its surrounding regions, there are 37 imam-hatip high schools. In Van, there are hundreds of Diyanet schools and courses, communities, and foundations, as well as in Hakkari.

FOUR IMAMS IN ONE VILLAGE

It’s also notable that more imams have been appointed in Hakkari and Van’s center districts and villages. Despite the fact that Tingi (Büyükagaç) village in Van’s Çatak district has one mosque, four imams are on duty. There are other imams serving in dozens of villages, including the Büyükağaç village.

ACTIVITIES FOR WOMEN

In addition to the dozens of Qur’an classes offered in every community, Religious Values Courses are being offered with a specific focus on women. Courses are taught by imam-hatip students and public education master students in the Family Support Centers that have been established in neighborhoods as part of the National Education and Public Education bodies. Similarly, empty flats are rented and courses are taught to dozens of women.