What are children being taught in the mosque? Turkish mosque education in the Netherlands

Abstract

Mosque education in Western countries has been a source of anxiety and speculations in the public debates about youth radicalization and the teaching practices of foreign imams. This research aims to contribute to this understudied field by presenting findings on the organization, objective of provision, learning goals, and curriculum content of mosque education provided by the largest Turkish Islamic communities in the Netherlands: Diyanet, Milli Görüş, and Süleymanlıs. The analysis is based on a diverse data: fieldwork notes, classroom observations at two of the mosques, interviews with imams, hocas (mosque teachers), and key stake-holders. The findings indicate that there is to a great extent overlap between objectives and the curriculum content of the mosque classes. The respondents underline the importance of teaching the children the five pillars of Islam, the life and teachings of the prophet Mohammad, and Islamic rules of behavioral conduct so that they learn “how to be a good Muslim”. However, besides providing education, mosque classes in all communities also aim at Islamic and Turkish identity building and advancement of the Turkish language skills of the students. The research discusses the implications of the findings and offers potential directions for future research.