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Since 1990, students at the European Institute of Human Sciences (IESH) in Nievre, France have been studying to become imams -- recognized Islamic leaders or religious teachers. Three quarters of the school's 170 students are French; the rest come from other parts of Europe. All take a two-year Arabic course, which may be followed by a four-year study of Islamic jurisprudence, Koranic studies, history, and preaching. IESH was founded by Zuhair Mahmoud -- a former Iraqi nuclear scientist, who underwent a religious conversion while in France and became an exile. Mahmoud says the school helps train leaders for the Muslims of France and Europe. "Leaders from elsewhere cannot do it because they do not understand the language or the customs and habits that prevail here. They have to come from inside," he told the BBC. Currently, 95 percent of French imams come from abroad, where their training is often unregulated.
Photo: Othoniel Patrick/ Gamma Presse
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