Islamic schooling, migrant Muslims and the problem of integration in The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

In the Netherlands, Islamic schools and Islamic education in general have been subjects of public debate for quite some time. After the event of 9/11, they found themselves increasingly being criticised and some people in Dutch society go as far as considering them breeding grounds for terrorism and think they foster an anti-integration attitude among their students. In this article, however, I will demonstrate that Islamic education can function in and be adjusted well to the requirements of the local communities where Islamic education is offered to Muslims. I will argue that in the Netherlands teachers utilise Islamic primary schools to promote their students’ integration into Dutch society, as their mission statements indeed explicitly state. The inclusion of civic education into the curriculum of Islamic schools is another indication that they seriously teach their students how to be good citizens who can actively participate in Dutch society. This article is thus to show that Islamic primary schools are well able to prepare their students both physically and mentally for integration into Dutch society.

KEYWORDS:

• Islamic primary school
• social integration
• Muslims in Dutch society

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Prof. Dr. Gerard A. Wiegers from University of Amsterdam (UvA) for granting permission to conduct this research in the UvA (in September 2017).

Additional information

Funding

This research project was funded by The Sub-Directorate of Research and Community Service Directorate of Islamic Higher Education Directorate General of Islamic Education Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia (2016); The DIPA BOPTN Institute for Research and Community Service (LP2M) Walisongo State Islamic University, Semarang.

Notes on contributors

Muslih Muslih

Muslih Muslih, obtained his Ph.D. degree in Islamic Studies from Leiden University, The Netherlands in 2006, is a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Teacher Training of Walisongo State Islamic University Semarang, Indonesia. He is now Head of Study Program of Islamic Education Management at Graduate Program at his university.