The Swedish Education Council initiated an initial investigation against the partly tax-financed Muslim study association Ibn Rusdhd after SVT’s Uppdrag review published the program “Sex purchase in the name of Allah” (SVT 11 May 2022).
This year, Ibn Rushd conducted an internal investigation and pointed out shortcomings to the Board of Education, which chose to conduct its own review. They then discovered two texts that were used in different types of study groups – including for young children.
According to the review, Ibn Rushd has used the publication “The Upbringing of Children in Islam”, which deals with child rearing and where there are texts that deal with the age at which child molestation is acceptable, that homosexuality is considered a sin, that various types of acts such as murder , infidelity and theft are to be punished, among other things, by mutilation and the death penalty, as well as sections based on anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
In addition, the publication “Islamic laws” is used, which deals with the topic of child marriage – without distancing itself from it.
Study circles and public education
The texts have been used at 53 different events and are described in the report as having been designed in such a way that the text can be interpreted as guiding, instructing and showing the way.
According to the Folkbildningsrådet, there have been different types of groups. The 53 arrangements consist of two different types. One type of arrangement is study circles which have been carried out together with three different associations. The study circles’ work plans describe planned learning in areas such as ablution and prayer. The subject of all study circles is jurisprudence. The other type of arrangement is other public education activities, which have been carried out together with an association. The theme of the activity is ethics and morality and the target group is children from the age of seven.
Received a million grant last year
Ibn Rushd is also criticized by the National Education Council because they provided conflicting information and, according to the report, had major flaws in their documentation. Ibn Rushd has replied that the content, structure and quality of the activities are good and that the approach to the materials is of a people-forming nature and that the introduction and qualifications of the circle leaders are met.
Ibn Rushd is now forced to cancel 53 different arrangements with 158 participants with 2,805 hours. In addition, SEK 146,900 must be repaid. Ibn Rushd must present an action plan by January 10, 2024 at the latest with the aim of ensuring that similar deficiencies are not repeated. In 2022, the Muslim study association Ibn Rusdh received around SEK 29 million in grants.
Responds in press release
In a press release, Ibn Rushd writes that they are positive about the review:
“We are positive that the National Board of Education has the same assessment as us when it comes to the choice of study material. For us, it is important that any study material can be used in a study circle as long as the principles of public education are applied: critical approaches, the meeting between different perspectives and people, self-reflection and a basic democratic outlook. Nothing in our internal review has revealed any such deficiencies. But unfortunately, serious shortcomings in the documentation have emerged in the ongoing quality work. Unfortunately, this means that in these arrangements we cannot clearly demonstrate that we have lived up to the conditions of democracy,” says Anna Waara, head of the Ibn Rushd study association.
TV4 Nyheterna is looking for the study association Ibn Rushd.