Many student Islamic religious teachers oppose Israel, view Jews as enemies - study

Published: MAY 4, 2024 03:30

A MAN walks past a graffiti of verses from the Koran at downtown in Cairo (photo credit: REUTERS) — A MAN walks past a graffiti of verses from the Koran at downtown in Cairo

(photo credit: REUTERS)

"We're witnessing the emergence of a cohort of teachers espousing reactionary, antisemitic, and Islamist ideologies," a lead researcher cautioned.

A new study, entitled “Prospective Islamic Theologians and Islamic religious teachers in Germany: between fundamentalism and reform orientation,” performed by German professors, indicates that a significant number of student Islamic religious teachers oppose Israel's existence and view Jews as enemies.

This study was the first German-wide investigation of Islamic theology and religious education students. Those who ran the study examined how “these prospective multipliers approach Islam in a reform-oriented manner,” according to the study.

The study was conducted by the Center for Islamic Theology at the University of Münster in North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany.

The professors surveyed 252 students from eleven different universities. They revealed high levels of Islamist views among those who responded to the survey questions.

Comments by a leading researcher

Dr. Franziska Kraufmann, one of the lead researchers involved in the study, commented, "These findings raise concerns about the potential impact of such attitudes on religious education in schools."

A Palestinian man reads the Koran in al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's Old City during the holy month of Ramadan (credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)

The results of the study show that 47.2 % do not believe Israel has a right to exist, and among the respondents, 37.3% somewhat or strongly agreed that Jews have too much power and influence in the world.

Additionally, 22.2% prefer the "Islamization" of politics, with 25 % supporting the Islamization of legal systems and 22.6% endorsing an Islamist gender hierarchy.

The results of the study show that 55.9% of respondents in the survey believe poor living conditions in many Islamic countries are due to Western interference.

"These students are poised to become educators tasked with imparting Islamic teachings to future generations,” said Dr. Franziska Kraufmann. "We're witnessing the emergence of a cohort of teachers espousing reactionary, antisemitic, and Islamist ideologies. We cannot underestimate the impact of educators who harbor extremist views on impressionable young minds,” she cautioned.