A recent opinion survey revealed that two-thirds of the Swiss refuse to recognise Islam as an official religion like Christianity or Judaism, requiring Muslims in Switzerland to make a greater effort to integrate better.

The results pose a challenge to the imams, in view of the importance of their role in community life, and their active engagement in the process of integration and fight against religious extremism, and the conditions needed for them to play a better role. To find out more, swissinfo.ch interviewed the imam of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Noureddine Ferjani.

Following media reports about the alleged radicalisation of areas around Swiss mosques, calls for transparency have grown across the country. Some politicians want to require imams to preach in one of Switzerland’s national languages. In 2009, Switzerland became the first country in Europe to vote to curb the religious practices of Muslims through approval of a referendum banning any new construction of minarets on mosques.

swissinfo.ch: Do you think the imams in Switzerland should give their sermons and lectures in mosques in one of the Swiss national languages?

Noureddine Ferjani: There is a verse in the Koran which states: “We sent no messenger except one with the language of their community,” in the sense that the messenger – when there is a community – must speak in the language of this community. Today we are in Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds, where the official language is French, so I speak this language with my fellow citizens and with those who share my religion.

Of course, the religious texts of reference are in Arabic, so it is logical that a part of it will include explanation in this language, but the greater part of the discourse addressed to the faithful must be in French, since those around me do not understand the Arabic language.

swissinfo.ch: But what happens if the imam does not know the context (social, legal, cultural) of the country, and does not master the national languages? Can he take on his role as imam?

N.F.: Here again I must refer to the same verse, but in the sense that the language here does not mean only the spoken or pronounced language, but a whole system of thought, philosophy, culture … which encompasses all the social aspects.

In order to fully assume his role, the imam must certainly master the official language of the city where he lives, of his canton, and must be trained and informed on all aspects and at all levels to know what is going on around him and in his environment. In this case, he can propose solutions to the faithful. The imam must, for example, study the history of the canton, know about its laws … because all this will help him to convey a message in accordance with the context in which he lives.

It is true that in every religion, there are fixed principles and values, but these values are also widely shared with society and other religious traditions. In Islam, for example, there are immutable values, but legal opinions change according to the times and places, thanks to what scientists call “qualified silence”.

MORE:   http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/mosques-of-switzerland_-the-imam-certainly-must-master-the-official-language-of-his-city-/42923654