Moroccan Imams Need to Adapt Their Religious Discourse to Europe’s Reality

Rabat – During a forum on May 30, for Moroccan imams who live and work in Europe, sponsors proposed that the imams must employ strategies to overcome potential struggles uniquely presented in Europe. More specifically, these imams should make a greater effort to obtain citizenship, make Islam more relatable to young people in these societies and be better versed in a variety of subjects other than religion.

Approximately fifty Moroccan imams were invited to Marrakech by the Council of the Moroccan Communities Abroad (CCME), which aims to help the Moroccan imams in their mission of providing religious assistance to nearly 4.5 million residents living in Europe. The sponsors of the forum grounded their suggestions in what they feel is growing Islamophobia, the rise of far-right parties, and the language barrier.

One main struggle the imams are facing is finding a way to connect with a generation of Muslims that has already immersed itself into a “European culture,” more secular than majority-Muslim societies. The imams meeting in Marrakech proposed a renovation to their religious discourse in order to better fit the needs of the new generation, under the principle of spreading “an Islam adapted to all time and space.”

Discussions at the forum also touched on how to reach the goal of a “Spanish, French, or English Islam,” as well as how to alleviate culture shock and create meaningful conversation with the residents of the host country.

Abdalah Busuf, CCME’s general secretary, was sad to admit that the Moroccan imams are not always equipped to answer the questions about Islam that arise in these different countries and societies.

Busuf says that an imam working abroad should be versed in not only religious discourse but also in human sciences, national law, and the history of religion in said society.

The general secretary also criticized the “absence of a real political will” to understand Islam in Europe. “Europeans see Islam through the biases of other religions and not as a completely different human experience. For example, they see it through the eyes of Catholicism, which has been the troubling case in Europe,” said Busuf

During the forum, the imams also discussed the necessity of bringing together the sources of Islamic religious discourse in Europe, revising fatwas that hinder coexistence, and reconciling Islamic jurisprudence with national laws.