Imam Mohammad Elsadi

A long time ago, the Muslim community in Malta felt the dire need for securing the teaching of Islam for the Muslim students in Malta because this subject is not provided by either by the state schools or the private ones.

In a bid to solve this problem and satisfy this vital need, the Mariam Albatool School was established in 1997 by a group of benefactors belonging to the Malta Islamic Welfare Fund at the Islamic Centre in Paola.

Due to the fact that the school is fee-paying – and the inability of most Muslim parents to afford the fees – the school could only accommodate a small portion of the Muslim students in Malta. With the recent cessation of subsidy funds from Libya and other charitable sources, which led to the closure of the secondary section of the school and a reduction in primary classes, the need for the introduction of Islamic education in the state schools where most of the Muslim students attend has been felt more and more.

In fact, our community request for the teaching of Islam to Muslim students in state schools is not new. During the election campaign in 2013, this request was addressed to Dr Lawrence Gonzi, the Prime Minister at the time, and to Dr Joseph Muscat, the Leader of the Labour Party.

On 25 January 2014, I publicly raised the subject during a seminar on Introducing Ethics Education in Schools organised by the Education Ministry and attended by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo, representatives of the Nationalist Party, Alternattiva Demokratika, the Malta Union of Teachers and professors from the Faculties of Education, Philosophy and Theology at the University of Malta.

Unfortunately, despite certain efforts from representatives of the Muslim Community and the Education Ministry, for one reason or another, nothing significant was achieved in this regard.

Although the issue of Islamic Education was confined to the Education Ministry and representatives of the Muslim Community, the highly excitable media made it headlines news and succeeded in making it a national debate of public concern.

My community believes that the provision of Islamic education for Muslim students attending state schools is a constitutional right, with the Maltese Constitution ensuring freedom of worship, equality among Maltese citizens and bans all kinds of discrimination based on faith, colour or race.

Thus, Maltese Muslim students attending state schools have the right to be taught Islam, just as Catholic students have the right to learn Christianity.

It is a human right for parents to choose the education they want for their children. We believe that the teaching of Islam should be introduced in state schools during school hours to target and benefit most of the Muslim students who attend these schools.

Teaching Islam after school hours will only benefit a very small percentage of Muslim students. Besides, it will be unjust and discriminatory to provide Islamic education only after school hours.

We believe that it is in the interests of the Maltese people to endorse the introduction of Islamic education in state schools in accordance with the Maltese education system because it will ensure the teaching of the true, peaceful and moderate Islam, keep at bay any extremist teachings that lead to hatred, violence and radicalism and enhance integration, tolerance, respect and social peace. It will give the Muslim students a Maltese identity and promote in them a sense of belonging to and loyalty towards the country. Certainly, it will contribute to preparing Maltese Muslim citizens who will dedicate their service for the welfare and development of the country.

If the government fails to teach our children what is good and right and will serve the interests of the country, I am afraid that someone else will fill this gap and teach them the opposite, which will cause harm and loss for everyone.

By providing an Islamic education, the Maltese government is not going to initiate an unprecedented act. Already, many state schools in Europe and certain Arab and Muslim countries, as well as in other parts of the world, are offering such an important spiritual service.

Through the continuous debate on this issue, some people have suggested that the state should not teach any religion but should teach ethics instead. We do not believe that ethics can replace religion – which is a spiritual need for man because it is the natural nourishment for his spirit.

If religion is not taught in state schools, then who is going to teach religion and where: in mosques and other places of worship for different faiths? How can we be sure what kind of instruction our children will receive there and how many students will go to these places of worship for religious teaching?

Ethics is good but not enough. It is like a body without a soul. In fact, ethics is a part of religion that enhances it by relating it to the spiritual guidance that makes it a divine command on which there is a reward for obedience and punishment for disobedience.

Religion is the most important issue in our life. It is the message from God that teaches us who is the true creator, what is His nature, what is the purpose of our creation and what is our mission in this life. It provides us with a divine way of life, shows us what is good and what is bad, what is permitted and what is forbidden, what pleases God and what angers Him and shows us the way to achieve forgiveness, salvation and eternal happiness in heaven.

Religion grants us the spiritual motive to do good and avoid evil and enhances our capability for patience and provides us with a sense of sacrifice for our welfare and the welfare of others. It gives us a sense of consolation and hope for a better future in this life and the hereafter.

To those who fear that sharia will be taught if Islamic education is introduced, I say do not worry, the Education Ministry will select the Islamic text books and will certainly ensure that nothing contradicts the human rights, the democratic system and the European values that will be taught.

To those who say that they will not be able to know what kind of instruction will be taught, I say, do not worry, the curriculum will be in English or Maltese and will be taught in English or Maltese, under the supervision of education officers, so you will be able to know what is happening. One of the curricula we suggested is already accredited by the Education authorities in England and is taught in certain English schools.

To those who think that our request for Islamic education is a bid to remove the Christian education from state schools, I would say that even if the government refused to teach Islam here, I will continue to support the teaching of Christianity in government schools because students need religious education in order to build a good character.

To those who believe that Islam is incompatible with the Maltese identity, I say that many common spiritual social and moral values are shared by Islam and the Maltese Christian identity. Teaching Islam will strengthen these values which, unfortunately, are suffering a decline nowadays.

At last, on behalf of the Muslim community I would like to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to Education Minister Evarist Bartolo and all those who support the right of Muslim students to receive Islamic education in state schools. I would also like to thank those who opposed our request because they enriched the debate on the subject.

Our special thanks and appreciation go Archbishop of Malta, Mgr Charles Scicluna, for his noble and fair support which, when he expressed it, I believe was inspired by the Holy Spirit!