Social and Political Reform through Religious Education in Turkey: The Ongoing Cause of Hayrettin Karaman

This article examines the complex relationship between the Islamic movement and a set of religious schools that are known as the Imam-Hatip schools in Turkey. To this end, it focuses on Hayrettin Karaman, a revered Muslim intellectual with close ties to the schools and their communities. The article presents Karaman's ideas and analyzes his writings to demonstrate how he envisions Imam-Hatip schools and their communities becoming the cornerstones of Turkey's Islamization process. An analysis of Hayrettin Karaman illustrates the extent to which Islamic schools in Turkey comprise an integral part of the substantial network of people and institutions that advance the Islamic cause.