Until, 1937 the Italian Administration allowed the Turkish children to attend Turkish and Religion
lessons. However,in 1937 and 1938 because of the strict and oppressive fascist policies of the Italian
Administration, the madrasahs (schools) were closed.lnstead, education in Italian was started in eight
Turkish schools.Also,Turkish children were given Turkish and Religion Lessons only twice a week.
The lessons of religion were given by educated muezzins and hodjas such as Dana lade Huseyin Hodja,
Bastiyah Hafiz Mehmet ,Yozgatli Hafiz Mustafa, ihsan Kayserili Hodja from the Kandilii village.
Also, the religion lessons were given in some private madrasahs in Rhodes. Among these madrasahs
are the Hurmali Mescidi Madrasah, the Dernirli Mosque Madrasah,the Enderun Mosque Madrasah, the
Madrasah in the inner castle,the cayir Village Mosque Madrasah,and the Medrese-i SOleymaniye School.
Following the destruction of the Suleymaniye Madrasah in the earth quake and fire in 1895, the religious
education was given in the Fethi Pap Rustiye School ( the secondary school) until the Suleymaniye
Madrasah was rebuilt in 1900. The Turkish children were given religious education until the school year
1944/45.
When Mufti Hafiz Ibrahim Ethem prayed for the defeat of the Italian forces fighting against Ethiopia, he
was dismissed from the Office of Mufti. The Italian at ministration appointed Seyh SUleyman Kashoglu to
the Office of Mufti. The new Mufti, who followed an obedient policy, kept his position both under the
administration of Italy and Greece. After his death in 1972, nobody was elected to the Office of
Mufti.After the death of Mufti ihsan Kayserili, who represented the Rhodes Moslim Turks as the Imam of
Rhodes in protocols, nobody as elected to the Office of Mufti.
After the invasion of the islands by the British Army, Turkish and Religion lessons were given to the
Turkish Children again.
After 1947, the Greek administration forced the hodjas whose salaries were paid by Evkafi Mektebiye
(school foundation) to become government officers and started education in Greek in Turkish Schools.
In 1972 the Greek Authorities closed all Turkish Schools on the islands and forbade Turkish Education
and religious lessons. The Turkish teachers in these schools, namely, Kemal Kaymakct, Sinasi Siladova,
Husniye Arnitaimami, Mehmet Rauf Kalaycioglu and ihsan Kayserili were forced to retire. Some of these
teachers attempted to give private lessons to the Turkish children in their homes. However, they couldn't
continue to give lessons because of increasing threat and oppression by the Greek Authorities.
Today,the Turks who attend the public schools in Greece, are exempted from Religion lessons.
However, they are prevented from learning their own religion,Islam.
The elected Mufti in Western Thrace sent several religious officers to work in the Ibrahim Pap Mosque
especially in the months of Holy Ramadan until 2012.ln this way,the Turkish Community could come
together and protect their religious and national identi ties.However, the Hodja performing his duty in
.
this mosque was dismissed .Then, the Turkish community was not allowed to invite hojdas from the
Western Thrace and Turkey even in the months of Ramadan .