MADRID,
January 12 (IslamOnline.net) - Teaching Islam in Spanish schools has
finally found its way to implementation after almost a decade of
delays and obstacles.
Since
coming to power in the European country, Spain's new Socialist
government under Jose Rodriguez Zapatero has made a host of good
gestures toward the Muslim community in the country, the most
remarkable of which was a decision to allow the teaching of Islamic
subjects at public schools of major cities with significant Muslim
presence.
The
long-awaited development saw the light early January, 2005.
The
government decision on teaching Islam only stipulates giving
definition lessons on Islam. But Spanish rightist parties lashed out
at the decision, launching a severe campaign against the Muslim
community in the country, seeking to put strains that would make the
decision void of its meaning.
Teaching
Islam was part of an agreement reached in the early 1990s between the
former Socialist government and a number of the Islamic bodies in
Spain.
However,
the agreement was shelved for eight years after former Spanish Prime
Minister Jose Maria Aznar's People's Party assumed power.
Spain
has a Muslim community of about 600,000 people out of a total
population of 40 million. Some 94 percent of its population are
Christian Catholics.
The
country has recognized Islam through the law of religious freedom,
issued in July 1967.
Definition
Lessons
The
Spanish decision stipulates teaching the Islamic subjects in the
Spanish schools in a number of Spanish cities that have high Muslim
population such as Barcelona, Madrid and Andalusia.
The
Spanish official for religious affairs had said Islamic subjects would
be taught in a number of major Spanish cities by early January, 2005.
Teaching
Islamic subjects was only allowed since 2000 in the cities of Ceuta
and Melilla in which Muslims of Moroccan origin make up the majority
of population.
Ceuta
and Melilla are located in northern Morocco under the Spanish control.
Teachers
of the Islamic subjects in the two cities were only seven, teaching
some 1,900 students in the preliminary education, however, the
experience was seen as an encouraging step to be copied in other
Spanish cities.
Visiting
a number of schools in the city of Melilla, the Spanish official for
religious affairs said the experience of teaching Islamic subjects in
the city was driving factor for the Spanish government to follow suit
in other Spanish cities.
The
decision to teach Islam stipulates giving simple definition lessons on
the Islamic pillars to students at Spanish schools.
The
Spanish socialist government and the Union of the Islamic Associations
have agreed that the Islamic subjects would be limited to teaching
introductory lessons on the pillars of Islam to Spanish students.
The
association has been intensifying efforts to correct misconceptions on
Islam among the Spanish people.
The
association secretary general urged to extend the teaching of the
Islamic subjects to other Spanish cities in light of the increasing
numbers of Muslim immigrants in the European country.
Neighboring
Morocco is expected to play a role in the issue as the Moroccan
education ministry will prepare the curricula of the Islamic subjects,
similarly to the situation in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Opposition
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A
file photo of Spanish Muslims performing prayers in a Madrid
mosque.
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But
the government's decision to teach Islam drew ire from rightist and
pro-Catholic church parties which oppose the rising numbers of Muslim
immigrants in Spain.
The
rightist opposition campaign led by the People's Party and pro-church
parties resulted in imposing more restrictions on implementing the
law.
These
included the Islamic subjects to be taught only in areas that have
high Muslim population, to have at least ten students or parents
presenting a request and that the Islamic subjects don't contradict
with the by-laws of the government and private schools in Spain.
The
Spanish rightist parties, however, failed to place other restrictions,
such as allowing only Spanish teachers to teach the Islamic subjects.
The proposal was rebuffed by the Spanish government as unrealistic and
similar to the idea of Muslim teachers teaching Catholicism.
The
Spanish rightist parties believe the government decision to teach
Islam is doomed to failure due to the poor number of the Islamic
subject teachers, even in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla which have
only 20 teachers.
However,
the Spanish government is attempting to solve the problem by reaching
an agreement with Morocco on seeking Spanish-speaking teachers from
the neighboring Arab country, similarly to a deal between Morocco and
Italy under which Morocco sent 30 teachers to teach Arabic to the
Moroccan immigrants in the European country.
Anti-Islam
Drive
The
Spanish move on teaching Islamic subjects, however, has stirred
anti-Islam parties and their media mouthpieces to launch a scathing
attack on Islam and Muslims.
The
rightist La Razon daily, known for its links with the church
and army circles, launched vile campaigns against the Muslim
community, accusing them of inability to integrate into the western
societies.
The
Spanish daily also claimed that the Noble Qur'an forbids Muslims from
easily integrating into the western societies.
The
anti-Muslim campaigns in the European country reflected differences
between the rightist parties and the Catholic church on one hand, and
the leftist parties led by the ruling Socialist party on the other,
according to observers.
Since
he assumed power, Zapatero has cancelled a host of privileges enjoyed
by the Catholic church during the rule of the People's Party,
including a halt of finances to the church-sponsored schools and
religious centers.
Such
a decision, naturally, drew criticism campaigns from the Catholic
circles, accusing the Socialist Party of adopting a policy of
“secular extremism”.
The
Zapatero government, however, stressed it only applies secular
policies that stipulate equality among the different faiths in the
country.
It
also noted that the decision on teaching Islam was a part of the
secular polices adopted by the government.
Observers
also believe the decision to teach Islam aims to control the
widespread Islamic private schools in the country to avoid any future
“terrorist” acts similar to the Madrid bombings.
