Imam training canceled, but wish remains: ‘Lack of mutual trust’

• Annabel van Gestel

  editor Online

An officially recognized imam training course that should have started in September 2025 will not be available for the time being. The educational institutions and the Contact Body for Muslims and Government (CMO) have not reached an agreement among themselves about the “educational content” of the course. This means that a long-cherished wish of the House of Representatives will not be fulfilled for the time being.

“The expectations of the parties involved did not match,” the Vrije Universiteit, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and the Ipabo University of Applied Sciences wrote in a joint statement. The educational institutions do not provide details about the difference of opinion when requested.

CMO chairman Muhsin Köktas is also cautious about the details of the break. However, he would like to say that the parties did not agree on the extent to which the CMO would be involved in the implementation of the training.

“The content of the training must be acceptable to the Muslim community, because it must embrace graduating imams. We have not agreed on this content.”

As early as 2015, the House of Representatives adopted a motion by then MP Kuzu, later party leader of Denk, to set up an imam training course at higher professional education level. There has been a shortage of imams at Dutch mosques for years, especially Dutch speakers.

A majority of the House of Representatives wants to train imams in the Netherlands who are attentive to the living environment of Dutch Muslims.

The government apparently assumes that such training will not be completed correctly if the community is closely involved.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) played a coordinating role in organizing the training. Minister Van Gennip writes in a letter to Parliament that the ministry has made “strong efforts” to bridge the differences. “Unfortunately, this did not lead to the desired result.”

Yet it is not the first time that an attempt has been made to set up imam training within the Dutch education system. From 2006, Inholland University of Applied Sciences offered a higher professional education as an imam, but the intake was low and the dropout rate was high. The curtain fell on the training in 2018.

A year later, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment investigated why this imam training course, and others before it, were not viable. The main bottleneck turned out to be the lack of enthusiasm among students. According to the investigation report, there were doubts within the Muslim community about the motives of the educational institutions.

Azzedine Karrat is an imam and explains that the Muslim community views the Dutch education system with suspicion. And according to him, that lack of trust is mutual. “The government apparently assumes that such a course will not be completed correctly if the community is closely involved. I understand that the educational institutions want to maintain control, but they do not sufficiently understand that the input of the Muslim community can also be very enriching. “

Furthermore, the SZW study showed that imam is not an attractive profession for many young people. Working conditions are said to be poor and the profession has a low status in many communities.

Karrat recognizes this: “People become imams for their personal development and religious reward, but the rent also has to be paid. It must be interesting for an imam to work full-time, but that is not the case now.”

Yet he sees that there is indeed interest among young people in his environment. “I notice it in conversations I have and I see it at other educational institutions that there is indeed enthusiasm for the profession.”

One of the few educational institutions in the Netherlands where students can follow an accredited training course to become an imam is the Islamic University of Applied Sciences in Rotterdam (IUASR).

A spokesperson for the higher professional education institution says that approximately 150 students are currently doing the bachelor’s degree in Islamic Theology or the master’s degree in Spiritual Care. “Some of them are certainly interested in the imam profession.”

The desire to start imam training within the Dutch education system remains.

The IUASR is a private university and therefore dependent on sponsors. CMO chairman Köktas says that future imam training should be included in the regular education system because that would be more future-proof.

“If funders of the IUASR withdraw, it will stop. That is why it is important that government-funded educational institutions offer this. In addition, other religious communities, for example the training to become a pastor, are also in existing government-funded institutions.”

The VU, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Ipabo write in the statement that “insights from the exploration will be made available should a new initiative be undertaken in the future.”

Köktas: “The desire to start an imam training within the Dutch education system remains.” The CMO hopes to sit down with other educational institutions. “And then we must clearly indicate from the start what we expect from each other.”