ANKARA - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) tomorrow will hear the case, filed against the mandatory classes in religious culture and ethics at elementary and high-schools in Turkey.
ECHR will hear the views of the applicant`s and the Turkish government`s lawyers and will set the verdict on a future date.
The applicant Hasan Zengin who is an Alewite, submitted a request to the Provincial Directorate of National Education in Istanbul for his daughter to be exempted from lessons in religious culture and ethics.
Upon refusal of his request, he applied to the Administrative Court of Istanbul arguing that the course in question is incompatible with the principle of secularism and that the lessons, which are based on the teaching of Sunni Islam, are not neutral.
The court refused the application, saying that the classes are in accordance with the constitution and the Turkish legislation. Later the applicant`s appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court resulted with the upholding of the decision.
The applicant maintains that the way in which religious culture and ethics is taught in Turkey infringes the freedom of religion and the right to ensure one`s education in conformity with one`s religious convictions and rely their argument on Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 2 of Protocol No. 1