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Saturday, June 23, 2007

Koran lessons provoke fury in the north

"Koran lessons provoke fury in the north
By Simon Bahceli

LESSONS IN Islam have sparked a war of words between the north’s authorities and unions after the ‘education ministry’ announced it would be providing religious instruction to primary students over the school summer holidays.

The move is intended to put an end to “unofficial” Koran courses being taught to children in mosques in the north. Last year, fierce debate erupted after it emerged that hundreds of primary school children were being given instruction in the Koran by Imams, who the ‘education ministry’ said had no pedagogic experience or qualifications.

The Cyprus Turkish Teachers Union (KTOS), however, sees the move as “a stain on secularism” and nothing more than a sop to Turkey’s Islamic-rooted ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)."

More:www.cyprus-mail.com