Training Imams in Europe: The Challenges of Developing a Unified Program: Leiden University as a Study Case

This article deals with a number of perennial questions which have occupied the minds of both European politicians and Muslim communities living in Europe by examining Dutch attempts to develop a training program for prospective imams. Is it feasible to train imams working in mosques on European soil with the aim of promoting the integration of Muslims in European societies? What should this training look like? Which institutions should be entrusted with this training? What role do Islamic organizations play in such a process? This article focuses on the Dutch experience and starts by reviewing the main challenges that have until now hindered the development of an “imam-training program” in the Netherlands, despite the existence of a strong desire to do so. The article subsequently gives a detailed elaboration of the experiences which Leiden University has made developing a program of this nature. This university has managed to attract the interest of two Islamic organizations in the Netherlands interested in participating in the development of such a program. These two organizations, together with Leiden University, developed a draft proposal for an imam training program which was submitted to the Ministry of Education and Culture at the end of 2008.