Abstract:

Turkey’s political, economic, and social elites speeded up their restrictive policies parallel to the 28 February Process experienced in 1997 against religious conservatives in general and specifically against the Imam Hatip High Schools which were the upward social mobility course of this group. The newly implemented higher education examination system and the ban on headscarves in universities made it impossible for Imam Hatip High School alumni to have a presence in Turkish higher education. As a result of this impossibility, many Imam Hatip alumni migrated in order to be able to attend university and an Imam Hatip diaspora formed in Europe. It has been observed that this diaspora existence and these students attending college in Europe has caused a number of changes in their view of the religious conservative community in Turkey. Foremost among these changes is specifically a critique of the understanding of diaspora the religious conservatives have. The second change is the critical approach developed toward religious conservative circles and specifically against the Imam Hatip community. Lastly, it has been noticed that the Imam Hatip graduate students have left political discourse and explicitly moved toward a cultural discourse. This study is based on in-depth interviews and participant observations made with more than 50 students attending college in various cities in Germany, Holland, and Bosnia-Herzegovina

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