Netherlands pushes to train homegrown imams
Dutch government is renewing efforts to establish accredited imam training program to reduce reliance on foreign-trained religious leaders
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (MNTV) — In a renewed effort to reduce reliance on foreign-trained religious leaders, the Dutch government is working to establish a home grown accredited imam training program.
In a letter to the parliament known as Tweede Kamer in Neitherland, junior minister Jurgen Nobel, who holds participation and integration portfolio stated that it remains “undesirable” for Dutch Muslims to depend on foreign-trained imams.
According to Dutch news agency Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau, Nobel reiterated that Dutch Muslims should not have to depend on imams trained abroad, calling the situation “undesirable.”
His remarks, reported by Dutch news agency Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau, emphasize the government’s intent to ensure that Islamic religious leaders are educated domestically.
The initiative marks another attempt to reintroduce a formal training program after a previous accredited course at Hogeschool Inholland was discontinued in 2013 due to financial constraints.
While several imam training programs currently operate in the Netherlands, none hold official accreditation, making them ineligible for government funding and student financial aid.
For years, Dutch authorities allocated €400,000 or ($412,590) annually to support such a program, but Education Minister Eppo Bruins recently halted the funding, sparking criticism from DENK, a political party with strong support from Muslim communities.
A recent effort to revive an accredited training curriculum failed last spring after universities and religious organizations—Vrije Universiteit, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, IPABO, and the Contactorgaan Moslims en Overheid—failed to reach an agreement on curriculum structure and legal guidelines.
The renewed push aligns with the government’s broader integration strategy, as outlined in Nobel’s letter.
In addition to religious education, the plan includes initiatives to connect refugees with employment opportunities in sectors facing labor shortages.
Under the proposal, individuals receiving benefits will be required to accept available jobs, with pilot programs already underway to facilitate workforce participation among refugees.
Experts say the move signals the government’s intent to balance religious autonomy with broader social integration, a long-debated issue in Dutch politics.
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