The study on mosque teaching in Upper Austria commissioned by the Upper Austrian Integration Department has shown that there is an urgent need for action in this area. In particular, the teaching material used in mosque associations was examined in a technical analysis commissioned by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF): It contains little relation to the reality of life in Austria and urgently needs to be adapted. Now, as Integration Minister Susanne Raab and Upper Austria’s Integration Provincial Councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer have agreed, new teaching material for mosque associations will be commissioned. Under the scientific direction of the Innsbruck professor Univ.-Prof. Mag. Zekirija Sejdini starts the “Mosque Teaching 2.0” project.
“From an integration perspective, it is important to start with young people – that means in kindergarten, at school and also in religious lessons, some of which also take place in mosques. This lesson should take place in German. In addition, the values conveyed must be in line with the Austrian value system, such as democracy and the equality of women and men. Because anyone who lives in Austria has to adapt to our values. The Mosque Lessons 2.0 study is intended to form the basis for integration-promoting, German-language mosque lessons,” explained Minister for Integration Susanne Raab.
“We have to prevent mosque lessons from drawing counter-proposals to the reality of our lives. Teaching materials must have one Relation to the reality of life in Austria have, be available in German and the interreligious competence strengthen the students. By developing contemporary teaching material, we are taking an important step in the fight against parallel religious societies,” said Integration State Councilor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer.
New teaching material for mosque lessons as an active contribution against parallel religious societies
Religious education in schools is anchored in Austria’s constitution and is co-organized by the respective churches or religious societies. At the same time, children also receive private lessons about their religion in an informal or religious setting, for example in mosques. These lessons are often offered by private individuals or imams and take place away from state-recognized educational institutions.
The first nationwide study on mosque teaching in Austria was carried out in Upper Austria between 2019 and 2023. She came to the conclusion that the lessons were “ethnically one-sided” and that the teaching materials had “little connection to the reality of life in Austria”. Therefore, the Federal Chancellery and the State of Upper Austria commissioned the “Mosque Teaching 2.0” project, which was carried out under the scientific direction of Univ.-Prof. Mag. Zekirija Sejdini at the Institute for Islamic Theology and Religious Education at the University of Innsbruck.
The “Mosque Teaching 2.0” project is intended to form a scientifically sound basis for mosque teaching and to be a future-oriented offer for mosques. The main focus of the new project is on the further development of concepts for integration-promoting German-language mosque lessons for children and young people. For this purpose, specific teaching concepts and action guidelines are created. In particular, the teaching materials should be offered in German and help the respective mosque communities to make the lessons more competency-oriented and practical and to establish a stronger connection between religious teaching and everyday life in Austria.
“Mosques play a central role in the religious education of children and young people. Therefore, the orientation and quality of mosque teaching is of enormous importance. The project aims to provide technical and didactic-methodological support for mosque teaching in Austria, based on the results of previous studies and in collaboration with the mosques. The support includes the development of curricula, the didactic and methodological preparation of teaching units and the creation of guidelines for future-oriented religious education. The aim is to support mosques in their efforts to offer context-related mosque lessons in German that are tailored to the realities of children and young people’s lives,” so Studienleiter Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Zekirija Sejdini finally.