Nationwide: 100 “Imams for Integration” have completed their training
On 6 December 2012, Social Affairs Senator Detlef Scheele hosted a farewell event in Hamburg City Hall for 12 imams who attended the Goethe-Institut’s final “Imams for Integration” course. With its programme of language instruction and orientation seminars, the project aimed to help 100 imams develop the skills to identify the problems and needs of Muslims integrating into Germany, offer solutions and provide spiritual and practical guidance.
Hamburg
“Imams for Integration” was launched in Nuremberg three years ago and ran in seven cities: Nuremberg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Karlsruhe, Hanover and Hamburg. It was developed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the Goethe-Institut and the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs (DITIB) as a joint initiative, and offered the imams German language instruction and seminars to develop their intercultural skills and knowledge of Germany. During the course, the imams visited municipal and church-based institutions, the aim being to facilitate networking and overcome any reservations that either side might have. The specific feature of the Hamburg course was that it was attended by imams from other umbrella organisations and nationalities as well as imams employed by DITIB itself.
“The dialogue between Muslim communities, municipal and church-based organisations requires both linguistic and intercultural skills,” says Angela Kaya, the Goethe-Institut’s Regional Director for Germany. “For many years, the Goethe-Institut’s work has symbolised a partnership-based intercultural dialogue. The “Imams for Integration” project has encouraged us to continue our activities in this direction in Germany as well.”
High practical relevance
The integration course in each city offered 15 imams from neighbouring communities around 500 hours of in-service German language instruction. In addition, the curriculum included 12 days of seminars about intercultural and German topics, such as the powers of the state, a pluralistic society, everyday life in Germany, religious diversity, migration, education and training, and the work of associations. Visits and observation sessions in municipal institutions ensured that the courses achieved a high level of practical relevance, strengthened the imams’ links with their city, and fostered cooperation between DITIB’s imams and the governmental and non-governmental sector in Germany.
The courses were run by the Goethe-Institut, which has extensive experience of working with this target group. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and DITIB provided project support.
