Muslim anger at Dutch imam plan By Geraldine Coughlan BBC News, The Hague Thursday, 3 February, 2005 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4232495.stm
--- photo: Mosques have been targeted since Theo van Gogh's murder http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40790000/jpg/_40790199_1mosqueap203c.jpg --- A Muslim group in the Netherlands has complained it was not consulted before the government backed university plans to start training imams. There has been fierce debate about the integration of Muslims in the Netherlands in the last few years. It intensified last November with the murder of the film-maker Theo van Gogh by a suspected Muslim extremist. The Free University in Amsterdam says its training is to promote integration of Muslims into Dutch society. But the Liaison Group, Muslims and Government object that it was not asked first for its own proposals for a training course. The group plans to hold a conference on the matter later this month. Temporary work Most of the imams working in the Netherlands are recruited from Turkey and Morocco by mosques here to work temporarily. The government feels this sets a bad example for the Muslim community because the clerics are not integrated into Dutch society. The Free University's Master's degree in Islamic spiritual guidance starts this year with a 1.5m euro (�1.05m) government subsidy. It will cover Christianity and Dutch culture, as well as Islam. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4232495.stm __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free! http://my.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Would you Help a Child in need? It is easier than you think. Click Here to meet a Child you can help. http://us.click.yahoo.com/O2aXmA/I_qJAA/i1hLAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> *************************************************************************** {Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.} (Holy Quran-16:125) {And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33) The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim] The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all." [Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- All views expressed herein belong to the individuals concerned and do not in any way reflect the official views of IslamCity unless sanctioned or approved otherwise. If your mailbox clogged with mails from IslamCity, you may wish to get a daily digest of emails by logging-on to http://www.yahoogroups.com to change your mail delivery settings or email the moderators at [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the title "change to daily digest". Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/islamcity/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
