From Symbolic to Physical Exile: Turkey’s Imam Hatip Schools, the Emergence of a Conservative Counter-Elite, and its Knowledge Migration to Europe

Abstract

Turkey's Imam Hatip schools, which offer a combination of Islamic and secular subjects, operate in a country ostensibly committed to secular education. This thoughtful study examines the routes of these schools' graduates to various European universities. Against the backdrop of the largely secular Turkish academic establishment, the Imam Hatip students frequently choose Europe for their university education because they are excluded and banned from native universities. This important volume contributes to the discussion of the role these schools play in the social mobility of religious conservatives in Turkey, as well as offering new research in the study of Turkish transnational religious movements.