Many Muslim organizations, local mosques and associations establish formal or informal, private and publicly funded extra-curricular Islamic classes in order to transmit Islamic culture and tradition to their next generation. In addition to these extra-curricular Islamic activities organized by local associations and mosques, the opening of Islamic schools diversifies and strengthens this transmission of Islamic tradition and faith for Muslims in Europe in various countries. The aim of this conference is to present an overview of private and publicly funded Islamic schools in Europe and more specifically to understand a comparative analysis of these schools, their education system and the government policies related to the Islamic schools.

2 – 3 December 2019, Leuven-Belgium

Keynote speaker

Michael Merry, Universiteit van Amsterdam

Argument

Many Muslim organizations, local mosques and associations establish formal or informal, private and publicly funded extra-curricular Islamic classes in order to transmit Islamic culture and tradition to their next generation. In addition to these extra-curricular Islamic activities organized by local associations and mosques, the opening of Islamic schools diversifies and strengthens this transmission of Islamic tradition and faith for Muslims in Europe in various countries. The aim of this conference is to present an overview of private and publicly funded Islamic schools in Europe and more specifically to understand a comparative analysis of these schools, their education system and the government policies related to the Islamic schools.

The conference will give priorities to the aims mentioned below:

Islamic schools or faith schools

Islamic education has different meanings. The institutions of learning in Islam, notably the madrasaand the methodology of learning, have a significant place in Islamic history. Following the long debate on Islamic education and schooling, within the scope of this conference, Muslim schools in Europe provide Islamic religious education as a confessional curriculum in public-funded or private schools in various countries in Europe. We want to analyse the motivations and various reasons of Muslim families and communities who engage in opening Islamic schools such as to practice their faith in the school, to follow Islamic ethics in the courses, to create a ‘pious environment’, to have a good education, and academic success. In this sense, the following questions will be addressed: what is Islamic education and an Islamic school? Who are the initiators of such schools? Does it mean the teaching of Muslim pupils, or the teaching in a confessional environment, or creating an Islamic atmosphere, or teaching based on Islamic ethics? What is the place of Islamic schools in the dissemination of Islamic knowledge? Are Islamic schools interpreting concepts from Islamic knowledge in the process of adapting to their European settings? What is the place of Islam in Islamic schools? How it is implemented in school settings? How do Islamic schools affect Islamic authority? Around these questions, we would like to understand the broad picture of the different aspects of Islamic education and school system in Europe with its historical, pedagogical and the development of modern Islamic schools in Europe.

Governance of Islam and Islamic Schools

One of the central questions of this conference is how Islamic educational settings and practices have been theorized and how they are shaped by religious governance and structures in Europe. The interaction between state and religious communities, the various governance of religion in Europe present shifts and changes in Muslim views, especially in relation to the state and education systems. In the late 1990s, policies in favour of Islamic education and schools were defended so as to facilitate the integration and social cohesion of Muslim populations in their societies. Islamic education is seen as a tool in integration and social cohesion policies. One of the arguments in favour of Islamic schools is to avoid the control of embassies and Foreign Affairs ministries of homeland countries over mosques and imams and also to minimize the influence of political Islamist movements in Europe. Another argument suggested by scholars and policy makers is to work against Islamic extremism by organizing educational programmes on Islam for Muslim students. Analysing Islamic schools provides the opportunity to examine how Islamic teaching and Islamic settings are shaped by the governance of religion in various European states in which debate and discussions on mosques, Islamic organizations, Islamic schools raise controversy in the media, in public discourse and within Muslim communities. In this regard, we want to discuss the following questions: What is the relation between Islamic schools and religious governance models?  How do national religious governance models affect Islamic schools? What place, if any, does religious education have in the schools of an increasingly diverse society? What are the issues around the Muslim faith schools? What is the place of Islamic schools in non-denominational educational system? To what extend is ethnic diversity manifested in the Islamic schools?

The conference is not limited on these topics, we welcome papers on these and other topics of interest.

Tuition Fees

There are no tuition fees. Presenters and participants are expected to pay the costs of their travel and accommodation.

Outcome

Within 1 year of the event, an edited book will be produced and published at Leuven University Press (see please https://lup.be/collections/series-current-issues-in-islam), comprising some or all of the papers presented at the Conference, at the condition that they pass a peer review organized by the publisher. The papers will be arranged and introduced, and to the extent appropriate, edited, by scholar(s) to be appointed by the Editorial Board. Copyright of the papers accepted to the Conference will be vested in the Gülen Chair.

Timetable

• Abstracts (300–500 words maximum) and CVs (in paragraph style, maximum 1 page) to be received

by 30^thApril 2019.

• Abstracts to be short-listed by the Editorial Board and papers invited by 20th May 2019.
• Papers (4,000 words minimum excluding bibliography) to be received by 1^stSeptember 2019.
• Papers reviewed by the Editorial Board and classed as: Accepted – No Recommendations; Accepted – See Recommendations; Conditional Acceptance – See Recommendations; Not Accepted, by 10^thOctober 2019.
• Final papers to be received by 15^thNovember 2019.

Papers and abstract should be sent to Dr. Erkan Toguslu: erkan.toguslu@kuleuven.be

For more information : https://soc.kuleuven.be/GulenChair/conference-islamic-schools-in-europe

Conference Organizers

• Orhan Ağırdağ, KU Leuven
• Erkan Toguslu, KU Leuven

Venue

KU Leuven - Belgium

The international conference is organized by KU Leuven Gülen Chair for Intercultural Studies. It will be entirely conducted in English and will be hosted by KU Leuven Gülen Chair in Leuven.