E.U.-BELGIUM: IMAM SCHOOL IN BRUSSELS

Belgium to set up Imam school
8 November 2006

BRUSSELS - Belgium plans on setting up an Imam school before the end of the 2006 -2007 academic year.

This school was requested by the Exécutif des musulmans de Belgique (the Belgian Muslim executive).

The Muslim executive also requests the presence of a mufti - a Muslim scholar who is also an interpreter and advocate of the Sharia, Islamic law, and who is, according to traditions, capable of issuing a fatwa, a judgment based on Islamic laws.

However, a Belgian mufti would not be given this right since it would conflict with Belgian's justice system.

A similar structure already exists in France and holds educational and informative functions.

Belgium professor will give civic training in both French and Dutch and 15 trainers from Morocco, Turkey and Egypt will give training in Arabic, Urdu and Turk. The requested mufti would be in charge of the school, as is the case in France. The Exécutif des musulmans de Belgique counts on subsidies to finance the school and pay the professors and the mufti, therefore their request is well timed as the government is about to enter negotiations to rethink and reorganise subsidies for religious groups.

Experts recently pointed out a lack of transparency and fairness between different religions and organised secular groups.

There are also talks on an eventual legislation to control the foreign finance of mosques in Belgium in order to reduce outside ideological influence on Belgian Imams.


Europe's suicide project continues...

Pertinent Links:

1) Belgium to set up Imam school