PARIS,
December 8 (IslmaOnline.net & News Agencies) - As calls mount in
Germany for delivering Islamic religious sermons in German, French
Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin pressed for sending Muslim
imams to school to learn the French language and culture, stressing
that enrollment of Muslim imams will begin early next year.
“The
prayer leaders are to go to secular universities next autumn to learn
the law, civics and history needed to integrate,” de Villepin told Le
Parisien daily in an interview published Tuesday, December 7.
French
language courses for imams will start as early as January in regions
with the highest concentration of Muslims around Paris, Lille, Lyon
and Marseille, he added.
De
Villepin, who is in charge of the religions’ file, said of the 1.200
imams who practice in France, 75% are not French and one-third do not
even speak the French language.
“This
is not acceptable - we should have French imams in France who speak
French,” he added.
The
minister said he also planned to set up a foundation next April to
receive funds donated by Muslims abroad and distribute them for mosque
construction in France.
De
Villepin had received Monday, December 6, a delegation of the French
Council for Muslim Faith (CFCM) to discuss plans to educate Muslim
imams.
Imams’
Diploma
The
French interior and education ministries have agreed with the French
universities of the Sorbonne and Aussies to teach student imams
secular subjects needed to understand French society while Islamic
institutes will provide the theology courses, Le Figaro Web
site reported Tuesday.
Foreigners,
not only imams, willing to have knowledge on history of the French
secularism, would be able to join such courses, the Web site added.
The
bid was welcomed by Lhaj Thami Breze, the president of the Union of
French Islamic Organization (UOIF).
“Imams
must have knowledge on history of secularism in France.”
He
further urged to offer financial support for those who join the
training courses.
Daw
Meskine, Secretary General of the French council for
imams said most French imams lack the necessary religious, social and
legal background to carry on with their duties.
“No
more than 10 per cent of imams are religiously qualified for the
job,” he told IslamOnline.net.
Sermons
in German
In
Germany, Annette Schavan, the Christian Democratic education minister
for the state of Baden-Württemberg proposed delivering Muslims’
religious sermons in German, to follow in the footsteps of
Switzerland.
However,
Wolfgang Rodel, expert of Islamic affairs in the Rottenburg Stuttgart
bishopric branded as “unrealistic” the proposal to address the
Muslims’ religious speeches in German.
He
urged to enhance dialogue with the Muslim community in the European
country.
The
issue of imams training has recently taken central stage in several
European countries.
Opposition
Nadeem
Elyas, the chairman for the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, for
his part, voiced opposition to the enactment of a law forcing Muslim
imams to address religious speeches in German.
He
rather suggested translating the religious speeches into German by the
imams themselves.
German
Greens Party chairman, Claudia Roth, also called for educating Muslim
imams in the German universities.
“It’s
unacceptable to allow people who know nothing about German society to
address speeches in mosques.”
Roth
also stressed to educate religious subjects in German to guarantee the
religious lessons would be addressed in accordance with the German
principles of democracy and human rights.
Islam
is Germany's third most popular religion after Protestant and Catholic
Christianity.
There
are some 3.4 million Muslims in Germany, including 220,000 in Berlin.
An estimated two thirds of them are of Turkish origin.
