Turkish imams' EU peace move

"More than 1,000 moderate clerics have been dispatched to European countries by Turkey, the only Muslim candidate member of the EU, in a drive to promote modern and peaceful interpretations of Islam."

"Our mission is to explain Islam as a source of peace and friendship and certainly not as a tool for violence," said Ali Bardakoglu, who heads Turkey's directorate of religious affairs, or diyanet.

"There are 70,000 imams in Turkey. One of our biggest priorities now is to educate imams, teach them foreign languages, to equip them to go abroad." Mr Bardakoglu said the campaign aimed to prevent extremism and aid integration of the estimated 4 million ethnic Turks in the EU."

"Professor Bardakoglu acknowledged that firebrand clerics, with little formal religious education, posed a problem for Muslim communities. Some, he said, fostered intolerant fundamentalism."
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Turkish imams' EU peace move