From Symbolic Exile to Physical Exile

"From Symbolic Exile to Physical Exile tells the story of Imam-Hatip graduates and their knowledge migration to Europe. Since these pious Muslims were prevented from entering Turkish universities by a secular elite fearful of losing its control of state and society, many of them have sent their best and brightest to European (and American) universities. They have thus formed a potential counter-elite, preparing themselves for leading roles in Turkey on their return. Until now, the existence of this transnational Imam Hatip network has gone unnoticed in academic studies. Çağlar fills this gap by tracing the development and expansion of the Imam-Hatip Schools, institutions that offer a combination of a religious and scientific curriculum, the role of these schools in the social upward mobilization of religiously conservatives and the conservative modernization that took place with the help of Imam-Hatip Schools. Through interviews with numerous students and alumni. Çağlar maps transnational branches of this influential network in Vienna, Sarajevo, the Netherlands and Germany. This research therefore is an important contribution to the study of Turkish transnational religious movements."--P. [4] of cover.