(NL Times) The Dutch government will make another attempt to establish an accredited imam training program in the Netherlands, State Secretary Jurgen Nobel (Participation and Integration) announced in a letter to the Tweede Kamer. He called it “undesirable” that Dutch Muslims still rely on imams from abroad. “It is important that people who live here are not dependent on other countries to practice their faith,” Nobel wrote.
The Netherlands previously had a recognized imam training program at Hogeschool Inholland, but it was discontinued in 2013 due to financial unviability. While other imam training programs exist in the country, they lack official accreditation, meaning they receive no government funding, and students are ineligible for financial aid.
