GERMANY: Proposal to train imams at universities

Germany's Wissenschaftsrat or Science Council has recommended that Islamic theology play a more significant role at higher education institutions. The council, one of the country's chief advisory bodies to the government on higher education and research matters, proposes establishing centres for Islamic studies at two or three publicly funded universities.

The new institutes would have the role of training teachers of religious education and imams, and strengthening denomination-oriented research and teaching. Each would comprise four to six professors and a number of other staff while funding would be provided by the federal and state governments which would also be responsible for coordination

The council has proposed an annual budget of EUR1 million (US$1. for the scheme. It suggests the appointment of advisory councils for Islamic studies that would have a say in developing the study courses and in the choice of scholars for the institutes.

These advisory councils would reflect the plurality of Islam, with memberships representing Muslim organisations as well as Islamic scholars and leading personalities in public life.
Representatives of German Muslims have welcomed the proposals and offered their support.

Chair of the Islamic Council, Azil Kizilkaya, says his organisation is especially interested in imams educated in Germany because "they are more familiar with the situation and the people here".

But Bekir Alboga, a spokesman for the Coordination Council of Muslims, says he sees no requirement for imams from German universities for Ditib, the largest association of German Mosque communities. Ditib's imams are recruited via the Turkish government but Alboga stresses that his organisation wishes to "have a say in each step of establishing university chairs".

Education Minister Annette Schavan has pledged her support for the council's ideas: "Many children and youths in Germany are of Islamic faith, and their numbers are growing," Schavan says. "This is why training Islamic religious instructors and Islamic scholars is important."

michael.gardner@uw-news.com