Muslims in Europe: - International Institute - University of Michigan

In one recent survey, 85.7 percent of Muslim pupils (both practicing and non-practicing) stated that their religious
convictions were “important” or “very important” to them. Confronted with this reality, some observers have
suggested that religious history (including the history of Islam) should be reintroduced as part of the curriculum of
public schools.
At present, the religious education of young Muslims is provided either by the family at home or by associations and
mosques in the framework of Koranic courses, independently and outside of regular school hours. The lack of
qualified teaching staff and the need to provide training to imams have become increasingly important issues since
the beginning of the 1990s. Several attempts have been made by Muslim associations to develop appropriate training
institutions for imams. For example, in 1992, the private European Institute of Social Sciences opened an Islamic
theological training institute in Saint-Léger-de Fougeret, near Château-Chinon (Nièvre) for imams and religious
educators. The institute aims “to give Islam stable structures responding to the needs of Muslims while taking into
account the specificity of their surroundings.” The Institute has 160 students from France and other European
countries. Its buildings and grounds belong to the Union of Islamic Organizations of France (UOIF), and financial
support is provided by the States of the Arab peninsula. Complete training lasts six years (eight years for converted
Muslims, who need more time to learn Arabic) and costs approximately $2000 per year.
It is also possible to attend the Institute for shorter training courses, particularly for classes in Arabic. In January
2000, the Institute opened a branch near Paris (in Saint-Denis). There have also been discussions in Strasbourg
regarding the establishment of a Muslim faculty of theology just as there are Protestant or Catholic faculties of
theology.
However, these attempts have not received sufficient levels of support and have failed to satisfy either the Muslim
community or the public authorities, and the Consultation plans to elaborate a concept to ensure improvements in
training opportunities. Such initiatives would facilitate the emergence of a group of imams who are not only wellversed
in Islam, but sensitive to the French context. This would also encourage greater knowledge and
understanding of Islam in France more generally. Recently, the Minister of Interior declared himself in favour of the
establishment of a university institute of Muslim theology, to be financed partly from public resources, in order to
train Muslim religious authorities.
There is one private Islamic school, the medersa Taalim oul Islam of Saint Denis of the Réunion, which has been
under contract with the State since 1990, and several projects to support the establishment of private Islamic schools,
including one operated by La Réussite, an association based in the Parisian suburbs.
Germany
Due to work migration of the 1960s and several waves of political refugees since the 1970s, Islam became a
visible religion in Germany. As of 2004, there are 3 million Muslims (3.2% of the population). After the
Protestant and Roman Catholic confessions, Muslims are now the third largest religious group in the country. The
large majority of Muslims in Germany is of Turkish origin, followed by people from Arab countries, former
Yugoslavia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. German converts play a major role in Islamic organizations and public
debates. Most Muslims live in the big cities of former Western Germany. However, unlike in most other European
countries, except Austria and the German speaking part of Switzerland , sizeable communities exist in some rurals
regions of Germany, especially Baden-Württemberg, Hessen and parts of Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia .
Due to the lack of labor immigration before 1989 there are only very few Muslims in the former GDR. Most
Muslims in Germany are Sunnis. There are some members of the Shia, mostly from Lebanon. Furthermore many
Turks are Alevis and many Pakistanis belong to the Ahmadiyya. Both groups are considered non-Muslim by many
mainstream Muslims.
Organizations
Only a minority of the Muslims residing in Germany are members of religious associations. There are a number of
organizations that represent German Muslims; two of the main groups are the Central Council on Muslims and the
Islamic Council. Both groups supported a lawsuit that in January 2002 won butchers the right to slaughter meat in
accordance with Islamic ritual.
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