Sweden to launch its first state-funded imam course

[Deleted]

http://www.thelocal.se/20160523/swed...heology-course

Sweden is to launch its first state-funded Islamic theology programme this autumn, which the course organizers hope will provide more locally-educated imams.

The one year course in Islamic theology and leadership will be provided by adult education centre Kista Folk High School (Kista Folkhögskola), situated in the north-west of the country’s capital.

The institution was awarded money from this year’s 'folkbildningsanslaget', a central government grant that is distributed annually to Sweden’s folk high schools.

The question over how Swedish imams should be educated has been debated previously. In 2008 the then education minister Lars Leijonborg made a proposal for state-run courses, arguing that they could serve as a way to counteract fundamentalist groups taking advantage of a lack of locally qualified imams.

It was ultimately decided however that the government should not be involved in the training as it was against denominational neutrality.

In the new course, training will be the responsibility of Kista Folk High School, with the Swedish government only involved in providing its funding through their grant. The school’s rector, Abdulkader Habib, describes having religious authorities educated in Sweden as a positive development.

“The need is great. Today, laymen lead most of the congregations in the country, so there is a necessity for people who are educated in Sweden who have both a Swedish perspective and knowledge of Islam,” he told Sveriges Radio.

Malmö-based imam Salahuddin Barakat has also highlighted the need for Swedish-educated imams, and welcomed the announcement of the new course.

“It’s a step forward,” he told news agency TT. “Partly it’s about getting an education in Islam that is locally anchored in order to address local circumstances, and to give students the ability to do the same. It is also important for women, who for various reasons find it more difficult to study Islam abroad,” he added.

At present, formal higher education in Islam does not exist in Sweden, so the course will be the first of its kind. There are doubts however over whether it is possible to cater to all denominations of the religion within one training programme.

While also open to those with Shiite backgrounds, the program will be primarily Sunni oriented, which some argue could lead to difficulties in finding employment upon completion.

“It's complicated. If someone takes the course, who will want to hire them?,” Huseyin Ayata, a board member of the Union of Islamic Culture Centres in Sweden, told TT. “It's the same problem as with free churches. Each and everyone has to start their own imam education,” he added.

The Local approached Kista Folkhögskola for comment, but a representative was not available.

This could prove to be a good thing if it gets us away from the radical imams that preaches that are from the middle east.

Thoughts on this?

[Xanjori]

Seems a pretty good thing really!

[Pretty Little Psycho]

Did you not let them do that before?

[Bollocks]

It seems like good news.

[Bakis]

Since there will be no check ups worth the name they are free to spread their shitty agenda as usual.
Remember Uppdrag Granskning (digging reporters program) that found that most of the biggest mosques had imams saying it was right for the husband to slap his wife around a bit and demand sex even if she didnt want to cos it was her duty as wife (and woman) to please him.

[Independent voter]

That would be cool if you could watch videos of the course on Youtube.

[Pretty Little Psycho]

Since there will be no check ups worth the name they are free to spread their shitty agenda as usual.
Remember Uppdrag Granskning (digging reporters program) that found that most of the biggest mosques had imams saying it was right for the husband to slap his wife around a bit and demand sex even if she didnt want to cos it was her duty as wife (and woman) to please him.

Shitty agenda? What is wrong with you?

[Deleted]

Since there will be no check ups worth the name they are free to spread their shitty agenda as usual.
Remember Uppdrag Granskning (digging reporters program) that found that most of the biggest mosques had imams saying it was right for the husband to slap his wife around a bit and demand sex even if she didnt want to cos it was her duty as wife (and woman) to please him.

Which is exactly the sort of ideas they want to prevent by doing this? Currently all the imams in sweden are either laymen or educated abroad, this presents an issue as far as culture and tradition goes.

By making a local education they can combine the faith with swedish and even western values, finding a good balance between faith and tradition.

Our christian church has adapted and is now for example very open to the HBTQ community, something most christian churches are not, and some of our smaller ones still aren't.

I'm not a man who believes in religion, but the concept is interesting and it is everyones choice to have faith or not, better then that you try to make a good thing of it, rather than bash it or even trying to forbid it/prevent it.

[Bakis]

Shitty agenda? What is wrong with you?

I dont look kindly when the top notch imams in the country consider forced sex or physical abuse part of being a wife. Do you?

[Deleted]

I dont look kindly when the top notch imams in the country consider forced sex or physical abuse part of being a wife. Do you?

Check that posters created threads. <.<

[Bakis]

Which is exactly the sort of ideas they want to prevent by doing this? Currently all the imams in sweden are either laymen or educated abroad, this presents an issue as far as culture and tradition goes.

By making a local education they can combine the faith with swedish and even western values, finding a good balance between faith and tradition.

Our christian church has adapted and is now for example very open to the HBTQ community, something most christian churches are not, and some of our smaller ones still aren't.

I'm not a man who believes in religion, but the concept is interesting and it is everyones choice to have faith or not, better then that you try to make a good thing of it, rather than bash it or even trying to forbid it/prevent it.

Im all for the program, but its for show unless there will be check ups on their conduct which there wont be. Im so glad we got journalists who dig into these things and report what is actually going on in some of the largest mosques.
They have invited extremists among other things to hold ceremonies.

- - - Updated - - -

Check that posters created threads. <.<

Oh yea didnt notice the troll threads he made.

[Deleted]

http://www.thelocal.se/20160523/swed...heology-course



This could prove to be a good thing if it gets us away from the radical imams that preaches that are from the middle east.

Thoughts on this?

Great idea. I heard it before. Could have a very positive effect.

[primalmatter]

Why does it need to be state funded exactly?

Do they do the same for bishops or priests?

Just seems weird.

[I Push Buttons]

"A person is an apostate even if he or she believes in most of Islam, but verbally or in writing denies of one or more principles or precepts of Islam."

Hopefully the "Swedish perspective" doesn't change so much that it makes an enemy of Islam, for their own sake.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Why does it need to be state funded exactly?

Do they do the same for bishops or priests?

Just seems weird.

Well it's at least an effort to wrangle the ghosts they summoned .. (I guess putting the Genie back into the bottle is the closest thing to Ghoete here).

[Deleted]

"A person is an apostate even if he or she believes in most of Islam, but verbally or in writing denies of one or more principles or precepts of Islam."

Hopefully the "Swedish perspective" doesn't change so much that it makes an enemy of Islam, for their own sake.

Islam is really vague in some interpretations. The pillars are there but really anything can be interpreted. This is actually a very good idea.

[primalmatter]

Well it's at least an effort to wrangle the ghosts they summoned .. (I guess putting the Genie back into the bottle is the closest thing to Ghoete here).

I guess... Merging the state and church can only bring about good things after all.

Yaay progress...?

[nonameelf]

"A person is an apostate even if he or she believes in most of Islam, but verbally or in writing denies of one or more principles or precepts of Islam."

Hopefully the "Swedish perspective" doesn't change so much that it makes an enemy of Islam, for their own sake.

It kind of has to considering some of Islam's principles.

The same way Christianity has changed significantly over the years to the point where most of their principles don't really apply anymore.

[Deleted]

I guess... Merging the state and church can only bring about good things after all.

Yaay progress...?

Control over who interprets the laws of islam really is progress in this case.

[dd614]

I love how Sweden is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole even if it means killing itself to do so.