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Importing Imams: A Universal Problem for Western Muslims
Interesting piece published in Germany's Spiegel Online edition. The U.S. also faces similar challenges with respect to Imams and religious scholars. Any solutions or suggestions in mind? Please share your thoughts and suggestions.
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"With Germany lacking schools of Islamic theology, Muslim congregations have long imported religious leaders. As Germany considers steps to create more homegrown imams, countries like Turkey -- which sends state-employed imams to Europe to serve large segments of the Turkish diaspora -- are filling the gap.
It was impossible to tell that the men who gathered in a German language class one frigid winter morning in Ankara, Turkey were Islamic religious leaders. They wore suits, or plaid button-up shirts, and could have easily passed for office workers or graduate students as they worked over phrases of German in their course book.
"Birgit Deichmann still searches," one man in a grey suit read aloud. He stroked his black mustache with a look of befuddlement. "What is a Deichmann?" he asked the instructor. Deichmann, she explained, was just a German last name, the name of the person still searching.
His question indicated the degree of culture shock that lay ahead. These men, who hail mostly from the villages and cities of Anatolia, would in the next several months depart for Germany to serve four years as imams, leaders of Muslim congregations in mosques throughout the country. From their classroom at the Goethe Institute in Ankara, where through the windows the students could behold the white and grey minarets of Ankara's Kocatepe Mosque soaring to such heights that the towers seemed to hang from the clear blue heavens, German society seemed like a distant notion. Most of the imams, in fact, had never visited Germany, much less held a conversation with anyone with a last name like Deichmann.
Bridging the Gap
Germany lacks well-established Islamic theological programs that can educate German-born Islamic scholars, which means that Muslim congregations often have little choice but to import imams and religion teachers from abroad. But German policy-makers are increasingly considering whether religious leaders from Turkey or other nations are the best candidates to lead congregations in Germany, especially following a recommendation in February by the German Council of Science and Humanities, an advisory group to federal and state governments, which called for the prompt creation of two to three new Islamic theology programs within German public universities. The creation of such programs can be considered a progressive notion in a nation where even the construction of a neighborhood mosque with minarets can ignite fears over the increasing prevalence of Islam in Europe." Continue to the article on Spiegel Online >>>
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"With Germany lacking schools of Islamic theology, Muslim congregations have long imported religious leaders. As Germany considers steps to create more homegrown imams, countries like Turkey -- which sends state-employed imams to Europe to serve large segments of the Turkish diaspora -- are filling the gap.
It was impossible to tell that the men who gathered in a German language class one frigid winter morning in Ankara, Turkey were Islamic religious leaders. They wore suits, or plaid button-up shirts, and could have easily passed for office workers or graduate students as they worked over phrases of German in their course book.
"Birgit Deichmann still searches," one man in a grey suit read aloud. He stroked his black mustache with a look of befuddlement. "What is a Deichmann?" he asked the instructor. Deichmann, she explained, was just a German last name, the name of the person still searching.
His question indicated the degree of culture shock that lay ahead. These men, who hail mostly from the villages and cities of Anatolia, would in the next several months depart for Germany to serve four years as imams, leaders of Muslim congregations in mosques throughout the country. From their classroom at the Goethe Institute in Ankara, where through the windows the students could behold the white and grey minarets of Ankara's Kocatepe Mosque soaring to such heights that the towers seemed to hang from the clear blue heavens, German society seemed like a distant notion. Most of the imams, in fact, had never visited Germany, much less held a conversation with anyone with a last name like Deichmann.
Bridging the Gap
Germany lacks well-established Islamic theological programs that can educate German-born Islamic scholars, which means that Muslim congregations often have little choice but to import imams and religion teachers from abroad. But German policy-makers are increasingly considering whether religious leaders from Turkey or other nations are the best candidates to lead congregations in Germany, especially following a recommendation in February by the German Council of Science and Humanities, an advisory group to federal and state governments, which called for the prompt creation of two to three new Islamic theology programs within German public universities. The creation of such programs can be considered a progressive notion in a nation where even the construction of a neighborhood mosque with minarets can ignite fears over the increasing prevalence of Islam in Europe." Continue to the article on Spiegel Online >>>
Replies to This Remark
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Permalink Reply by Hazrat Amin on -
It is natural to have local leadership. Look at Pakistan where leadership is imported :) As a community at this stage we do need to invest in educational institutions more. If we do not support educational institutions, all the other projects such as charities, civil rights groups, masajid, and social services projects will have no one to run them in the future. All organizations must set up a budget to support our schools.
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Permalink Reply by Reem Elghonimi on -
Along with supporting homegrown scholars, leaders, and the schools/institutions that will produce them, it goes hand in hand that no tolerance should be allowed for any rhetoric or teaching that is hostile or denigrating to women, followers of other religions, or any manipulative interpretation of Islam. Often we have wonderful leaders, such as our own Dr. Yusuf, from overseas and other times we have Western-raised imams that still think of women as inferior or agitate the community about the subject of "kafirs." We have to speak up in necessary situations, and rather than assume that all homegrown scholars will always be perfect or that foreign-born scholars are always unsuitable, we will have to give people a chance and evaluate each on his/her own merits. A case-by-case basis - how we all would want to be understood individually.
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Permalink Reply by Hazrat Amin on
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This perspective did not cross my mind. You mentioned an excellent point. Could it be becuase they get their education overseas? So although born and raised here, they are still importing their knowledge from a foreign culture. Another question for you, is that do you have any suggestions to integrate openness and respect in our institutions?
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Permalink Reply by Reem Elghonimi on
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It must be that at least part of their education stems from subversive people or even literature/propaganda, somewhere along the line. But surprisingly, these are not just foreign cultural elements anymore. I have heard the "women are a fitna and should stay at home" spin even from American reverts to Islam who are women themselves. That has implications for how we address these issues, because it is not just about learning from the "right" people anymore but making sure our interpretations/literature/pamphlets/curriculum: 1) have not been corrupted with extremist ideology and 2) are engaging with a broad, diverse range of Islamic thought, rather than along narrow lines (i.e., one school of thought or only one perspective). As far as exemplifying openness and respect in our institutions, we almost have to start from square one, questioning our current practices and sources, rather than assuming that they are correct. We have to have a diversity of speakers, women among them, and address these issues in workshops. As a mother, one thing I find hopeful is the paradigm shift in acknowledging Muslim children - most people know now that religion cannot be imposed on them, they have to come into their identity through conviction rather than fear of authority. However, I think that that progress is being overshadowed by the fact that women are being marginalized in the Muslim community whenever they step out of the traditional mother/teacher roles - they are treated as the new "children." Inshaa Allah, it will come with education, acknowledgment, and time.
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