|
Pilot Program Aims to Qualify Imams Who Can Succeed in the American Context
.jpg) At several masajid in the Greater Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area, its hard to keep up with who’s the current Imam.
As masjid board members know, finding a capable Imam is often a painful process of trial and error. After all, there is no recognized qualification for an Imam who can meet the many demands of the American Muslim community. Not only must the Imam have religious knowledge, but also he needs an understanding of the American culture and society, and he must be able to communicate effectively with American Muslim youth.
In response, the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a Northern Virginia Islamic think tank, partnered with the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut to offer the first Imam certification program in the nation.
Managed by the Fairfax Institute – IIIT’s professional teaching arm – the Graduate Certificate in Imam Education aims to “prepare Muslim religious leaders for service in mosques and community agencies throughout the Greater Washington, D.C. area”.
“We are looking for people who really see [Imamship] as an honorable profession.” said Dr. Iqbal Unus, Director of the Fairfax Institute and one of the lead organizers of the certification program.
Targeted towards current Imams, aspiring Imams, and men or women who serve in an Islamic counseling or social service roles within the Muslim community, the 24-credit program comprises of four basic components: History, Theology and Ethics for Imams in America; Scriptural Knowledge for Imams; Practices of Ministry for Imams in America, including Interfaith Dialogue, Spirituality and Religion in Society; and Field Experience for Imams.
Classes are condensed into week-long or multi-weekend formats; the entire program takes about 15 months to complete, including a summer residency requirement in Hartford, Connecticut. Additionally, students must complete field work in an institutional setting like a hospital, prison, or university and in a community setting.
Professors from the Hartford Seminary – all of them Muslims including Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) President Dr. Ingrid Mattson – will teach classes on site at the Fairfax Institute in Herndon.
The first course is a one-week intensive starting March 29, 2010 titled “Major Themes in the Bible and the Qur’an” taught by Professor Mahmoud Ayoub, a Faculty Associate in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary and Professor Emeritus of Temple University. The professor is also a member of the Council of Scholars for IIIT.
Students accepted into the program receive generous scholarships. A 24-credit course of study at the Hartford Seminary in Connecticut costs approximately $13,000, but together the Seminary and IIIT provide most of the tuition.
Each class can seat about 15 students; currently there are about 10 applications for the program which starts at the end of March. “It’s a competitive process,” said Dr. Unus.
The program targets local students, but a few students commute from Philadelphia and New York, and one student is from Georgia. Dr. Unus said about half the applicants are already Imams – some African-Americans and some Somali. The age and educational background also varies; there are two female applicants.
At this time, web-casting the classes is not in the short-term plan, but Dr. Unus said the program might be replicated in other major cities if it goes well in Herndon.
A bachelors degree is an admission requirement; there are no Arabic language entry requirements, but students will take classes on Arabic in the program and be tested prior to graduation.
“We use the term ‘imam’ for lack of a better word … since [the program] also [caters] to functions like counseling, social services, and chaplaincy,” explained Dr. Unus, adding that the two female applicants are not intending to be formal Imams.
With the Hartford Seminary’s strong reputation and track record in chaplaincy training, Dr. Unus hopes government and large organizations like hospitals and universities begin to use the certification credential as a way to identify candidates for Imam, chaplain, or counseling positions. “We are also approaching [masjid] communities … overtime it’s good if masajid realize [the value] of asking for credentials,” he said.
Dr. Unus said the Muslim community doesn’t take the Imam role seriously, and that’s reflected in how Imams and Islamic social workers are compensated. Besides the certification credentials, IIIT is working on ideas for pensions and retirement packages for Imams, as well as standards – performance and otherwise -- for Imams.
“[The Imam position] does not get the respect it deserves. This is the first step in creating an honorable profession,” said Dr. Unus. “If Muslims want to be taken seriously in America, they need to be able to produce their own Imams and scholars in America.”
|
I am very glad to hear this news.