Tuesday, October 8, 2013

France to Build 1st Muslim Campus in Strasbourg; Will Use Arabic, Be a Standard for Islam in Europe

The first French-Turkish Muslim campus in France will be built in the outskirts of the city of Strasbourg, the Ansamed (Italian-Mediterranean) website reports today (October 8, 2013).

The project -- fully funded by Turkey -- will train France's future imams with courses and exams exclusively in Arabic. There are currently only two private institutes in France for the training of imams: one school created by Paris's Grand Mosque and one set up by the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Union of Islamic Organizations in France.

In addition to the theology faculty and its five-year course of studies, there will also be a Muslim secondary school based on the Turkish imam hatip, as well as internships. "The secondary school will be a nursery ground for recruiting future students of theology. It will become the standard for Islam in France and Europe," said Saban Kiper, socialist councilor in the Strasbourg municipality.

He added that Turkey is investing 15 million euros in "the most ambitious project ever for France's Muslim community of Turkish origins." More Muslims live in France than any other country in Europe.

No comments:

Post a Comment