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The Darul Hijra mosque has been appealing to the ethnic mosaic of Muslims in Rotterdam.
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By
Nasreddine Djebbi, IOL Correspondent
ROTTERDAM,
May 17, 2006 (IslamOnline.net) – The use of the Dutch language and
young home-grown imams are magnetizing Muslims from diverse ethnic
backgrounds to the Darul Hijra Mosque in Rotterdam.
"Delivering
religious sermons in Dutch is the best way to reach out all
worshipers," Abdul-Naser Youssef, the mosque's caretaker, told
IslamOnline.net on Wednesday, May 17.
Hailed
the "Dutch Mosque", it has been appealing to the ethnic
mosaic of Turkish, Arab, Asian, Indian, African and Balkan Muslims in
the city.
"This
mosque in abandoning the usual practice of using national languages in
mosques linked to specific ethnic communities," one worshiper
told IOL inside the pioneering mosque.
Rotterdam
has a Muslim population of 80,000 people, almost one eighth of its
population, according to official estimates.
There
are also 30 mosques, five Islamic schools and two Islamic universities
in the city.
Home-grown
Imams
The
mosque, which was established in the early 1990s, is also favored by
the majority of Rotterdam Muslims because of its home-grown imams.
"I
came to the mosque one Friday and was delighted to find the imam
delivering his sermon in Dutch," said a Dutch worshiper.
"I
never missed a chance to listen to him ever since," he added
proudly.
The
home-grown imams, well acquainted with Dutch values, have been praised
for their ability to address the concerns of Dutch Muslims.
They
have also been credited for attracting young Muslims thanks to their
ability to communicate with them and identify with their problems.
Late
2005, the Dutch government signed a declaration of intent with a local
university to train imams in what the government said was an effort to
stem the need for foreign imams by 2008.
The
issue of imams training has recently taken central stage in several
European countries.
Major
Swiss Christian groups have put forward a proposal to establish a
government-supervised institute to educate imams on the
"liberal" lifestyle in western societies.
German
integration minister Marieluise Beck has also released a 20-point
strategy recommending that imams coming to Germany should have
knowledge of the language and society.
Multiple Services
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"Young Muslims have decided to launch the website to promote communication with non-Muslims," Blom said.
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The
Darul Hijra Mosque is championing a series of activities to promote
integration and educate Dutch Muslims about their faith.
"Daily
and weekly lessons are organized to teach Dutch Muslims the Arabic
language," Youssef said.
It
plans to organize trips for Muslim reverts to visit a number of
Muslims countries to have a hands-on experience of Muslim culture and
traditions.
The
mosque has also taken part in a series of know-Islam seminars with
non-Muslim Dutch bodies.
It
has further organized a three-day workshop for non-Muslim religious
teachers to acquaint them with Islam.
The
Darul Hijra Mosque has launched a website to serve the Muslim minority
as well as familiarize non-Muslims with Islam.
"Young
Muslims have decided to launch the website to promote communication
with non-Muslims," Jacob Van Der Blom, a Muslim activist helping
with the website, told IOL.
Women
are also effectively contributing to the mosque's social and cultural
activities.
"We
used to come only for prayers but now we are joining hands in efforts
to introduce Islam and teach Arabic just like our brothers," said
activist Zarifa.
Muslims
make up one million of the Netherlands’s 16 million population.
There
are more than 300 mosques, 1000 Islamic cultural centers, two Islamic
universities and 42 preparatory schools in the country.
