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STOCKHOLM - SWEDEN is considering creating an imam education programme to prevent the radicalisation of Islam in the Scandinavian country, Higher Education Minister Lars Leijonborg told AFP on Tuesday.
The training programme, if approved by the government, would be funded by state subsidies, in line with existing courses for other clergymen.
'Muslims have themselves asked for this and one reason is that it can combat a radicalisation of Islam in Sweden,' Mr Leijonborg said.
'In many countries in Europe we're seeing a trend where Muslims have a hard time finding imams, and Islamic movements that have vast economic resources offer to appoint imams that have quite a radical approach,' he said, adding that had been known to happen in Sweden.
'I think we should help moderate Muslims on the imam issue,' he added.
Mr Leijonborg said it was not yet known whether the training programme would be at the university level or part of the country's adult education programme Folk High School.
The centre-right government is expected to appoint a special rapporteur in the coming weeks to study the issue and present his or her findings, before a bill is drawn up.
Some 100,000 Muslims are officially registered as such in Sweden but their actual number is estimated at 350,000 to 400,000.
The Netherlands already offers training for imams, as does Denmark. In 2007, a private Catholic university in Paris said it would offer instruction for trainee imams under an agreement with the Grand Mosque of Paris. -- AFP
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