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Steps by France, Germany to train imams locally stir uncertainty

2024-01-11 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-世界原网页

LONDON – Germany and France – home to some of Europe’s most significant Islamic communities – have announced measures restricting the influence of foreign governments over the education and religious practices of their Muslim citizens.

The German Interior Ministry said on Jan 2 that from now on, 100 imams will be trained in Germany every year and will gradually replace the imams currently sent from Turkey to lead prayers and provide broader religious guidance to German Muslims. Most of the 900 mosques in Germany administered by Turkey have Turkish imams.

In Paris, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin sent a letter to foreign governments reminding them that, following a decision by President Emmanuel Macron, France will, with immediate effect, no longer accept imams selected by any foreign government for potential service among the French Muslim community. There are now some 300 imams sent by countries such as Algeria, Turkey and Morocco.

In both Germany and France, the moves are prompted by fears that foreign-trained imams are either unfamiliar with the civic values expected from European residents or have proved unwilling to respect and promote such values.

But the measures have generated confusion and uncertainty among some Muslim communities, and there are doubts about their efficacy.

The German and French Muslims have different historical roots and political experiences.

Germany’s estimated 5.6 million Muslims come primarily from Turkey and are the sons or daughters of migrant labourers, first attracted by work opportunities during the 1960s.

By contrast, France’s 3.5 million-strong Muslim community primarily hails from the former French colonies and territories of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia; most were French citizens at birth, and the vast majority have French as their mother tongue.

But what both the German and French Muslim communities share is a tradition of importing their religious teachers from outside their countries of residence.

Under bilateral agreements concluded with Algeria, Morocco and Turkey in the 1990s, France has granted residence permits to imams from these countries; around 300 foreign imams currently legally preach and teach in France, although many are technically employees of their nation of origin.

In Germany, the foreign link is even more explicit. The Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (or Ditib, as it is known by its Turkish-language acronym) was founded 40 years ago by Turkey as an arm of the state. Ditib is the single largest Muslim organisation in Germany, funding around 900 mosques in the country.

Defenders of these arrangements have argued that it is not up to European governments to dictate religious arrangements and that regulations are in place to ensure that the foreign imams comply with local laws.

Over the past two decades, the German and French governments adopted measures barring the handful of imams found to have preached violence or racial hatred.

But some members of Germany and France’s Muslim communities argue that the constant flow of foreign imams, who do not speak local languages and may have never lived in Europe, hinders integration and perpetuates religious and ethnic divisions.