“It is extremely complex. It’s like having certification for Christian clergy. The question is: Would the Catholics, Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons agree on requirements for certification? Obviously not.”

Any attempt to impose certification on imams would be fraught with complex obstacles, say Muslim academics.

The Conservative majority on the Senate’s security and defence committee has urged the federal government to explore imam training and certification in an effort help curb radicalization, one of 25 recommendations it made in an interim anti-terrorism report released Wednesday.

Source: ottawacitizen.com

Ottawa imam Imtiaz Ahmed was trained in Canada. PAT MCGRATH / OTTAWA CITIZEN

Canadian-trained imam Imtiaz Ahmed concurs that “homegrown” imams are the most effective.

“We agree that an imam should be in tune with the spiritual and social needs of his congregation and must be aware of Canadian values,” he said.

Ahmed is a missionary for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which opened its own Canadian seminary 13 years ago in Vaughan, just north of Toronto. He was one of the first certified graduates from the college, studied theory and, in common with other religions, was placed in various communities in Canada.

“As far as foreign imams are concerned I know Canadian authorities have a process in place to determine who enters as an imam into Canada,’ he said. “They issue work permits accordingly.”

Read more at ottawacitizen.com