Catholic Church produces first Muslim textbook

20 October 2006

MADRID — The Spanish government, Catholic Church and Muslim leaders are to publish a school textbook on Islam.

The book Discovering Islam – for primary school children – was written in Spanish by a Muslim leader, reports the Spanish daily El Mundo.

Spanish officials say the book has no parallel among Spain’s European Union neighbours with large Muslim minorities.

About one million Muslims live in Spain.

The book is aimed at helping Muslim children learn about their faith and integrate better.

The format is similar to other books explaining Catholicism.

Jose Manuel Lopez, a Spanish justice ministry official, said only about 3,500 Muslim six-year-olds were learning about Islam formally in Spanish public schools.

Riay Tatary, the book’s author, said the Madrid region still offered no classes in Islam, despite thousands of requests for it to do so.

Mercedes Rico, the Spanish director of religious affairs, said the book “responds to the aim of normalising the right of parents for their children to receive the religious education they want”.

The first run of 15,000 copies was produced by a Catholic publishing house SM.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news