Experts stand for systematization of Islamic education in Northern Caucasus

The Pyatigorsk State University held a three-day training qualification courses for Islamic religious leaders and lecturers of Islamic higher education institutions. The courses were aimed at training Islamic theologians willing to carry out activities on prevention of extremism. According to the experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", the Islamic education in Northern Caucasus faces lack of systematization and professional specialization. The experts have approved the plans to open a branch of the Egyptian Al-Azhar University in Chechnya.

At present, there are only four of the Islamic higher education institutions in Russia and in Northern Caucasus, which maintain partnership with secular universities.

According to Akhmet Yarlykapov, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Ethno-Political Studies of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Science (RAS), more or less systematic Islamic education is provided in Dagestan. Akhmet Yarlykapov notes that the Islamic education in Northern Caucasus needs modernization.

Northern Caucasus has its own deep tradition of Islamic scholarship, emphasizes Igor Alekseev, an expert in Arab studies, the chair of the Marjani Foundation.

According to him, it is necessary to open a branch of the Al-Azhar University and then continue to send students to other Islamic higher education institutions of Muslim countries.

Meanwhile, blogger Rasul Tavdiryakov believes that a branch of the Al-Azhar University in the Caucasus will solve many problems with radicalism, since only good theological education can deal with the above problem.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.