The creation of an Islam institute in Belgium

Giving life to a faculty of Islamic theology, a long-term objective that surrounds the creation of an Institute of Islam in Belgium. Initiated by a commission headed in 2015 by Jean-Claude Marcourt, Minister of Higher Education, the project should see the light day, according to La Libre. The Cabinet of the Minister and the Executive of the Muslims of Belgium (EMB) have thus signed a memorandum of understanding regarding this project.

The main objective behind the creation of this institute is to promote Islamic formation and to provide «theological training for Begian Imamas, Islamic chaplains or professors of Islamic religion which is adapted to the Belgian way of living».

The aim is to help the emergence of an Islam of Belgium, a point negatively impacted by the immense gap existing in terms of the training of Muslim officials, which has the consequence that these are formed abroad, continues La Libre.

For the record, the project was blocked by the executive last April. After the resumption of the proceedings, the first step is now to «reach an agreement on the name of the person who would be in charge the institute’s management».