Turkey criticises ban on Quran courses in Northern Cyprus

Turkey criticised a court ruling on the closure of Quran courses in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), saying the decision “is the product of an ideological and dogmatic mind”, Anadolu Agency reports.

According to the news wire, Turkey’s communications director Fahrettin Altun said: “To interpret secularism in such a shallow and wrong way is a step towards abolishing fundamental rights and freedoms.”

Secularism, he continues, guarantees freedom of religion and cannot be used as a means of banning religious education.

Meanwhile, the limitation of Quranic lectures in Europe raised concerns on human rights in the region.

Last week, the French Senate approved the addition of a ban on religious practices in university corridors to a controversial bill that French President Emmanuel Macron’s government believes will combat so-called Islamist separatism.

Human rights group Amnesty International said that the new regulations “would be a serious attack on rights and freedoms in France.”

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