Zenit continues to publish excerpts from the report by Aid to the Church In Need on religious freedom around the world. The latest installments cover Asia (1, 2, 3) and Europe (1, 2). (Also see prior postings 1, 2).
The complexities in parts of Europe are illustrated by a story out of Turkey earlier this week reported by AKI. Turkey's secular Higher Board of Education (YOK), which previously moved the training of public school religious teachers from the theology to education departments of universities, has now announced plans for curriculum revision. University programs training teachers to offer courses in religion in Turkey's primary schools will focus less on Islam. A number of courses on Islam have been removed and the time spent on Arabic language instruction has been reduced. In their place, required courses in philosophy, sociology, music, computers, Christianity and missionary activities have been added. Turkey's union of teachers has strongly criticized the changes.
