‘Swedish state should not educate imams’: report

The Imam education commission, headed by Örebro University professor Erik Amnå, argues that a state education for imams would be in contravention of the principle of the separation of church and state and constitute an incursion into the internal affairs of the Muslim community.

Among the other conclusions in the report, submitted to the Minister for Higher Education and Research Lars Leijonborg on Monday, is that a state sponsored education for Muslim religious leaders would constitute special treatment for Muslims in relation to other faith groups.

The commission of inquiry recommends that the further education requirements of imams should instead come under the standard education system which includes for example, Swedish for Immigrants (Svenska för Invandrare – SFI), and university courses in political science.