Finnish authorities allowed Islamic textbooks with clearly confessional content to be used in elementary schools for more than a decade — despite knowing about the shortcomings from the beginning. Both teachers and students have reacted to the compulsory religious content, but the books were still permitted for use in education.
The book series “Salam – The Path of Islam” has been used in teaching Muslim students in Finnish schools since 2011. The material is now being withdrawn following criticism that its content violates the school’s requirement for religious neutrality.
According to the review, the books contain statements that not only describe Islam as a religion, but actively encourage students to live according to sharia. There are clear instructions on prayer, fasting, clothing, and how students should relate to others. The books are also said to paint a clear “us and them” perspective.
“We who are Muslims”
Teacher Isak Hannus, who teaches Islam in Helsinki, told Yle newspaper that the books are worded in a way that presents religious injunctions as absolute truths.
We who are Muslims think that…
Jihad means that we do our duty towards God.
Excerpt from the textbook
A review as early as 2014 found that the books attempted to “actively guide students to practice Islam as a religion” rather than neutrally teach about the faith.
21,000 Students Affected
About four percent of Finland’s elementary school students receive Islamic education. This means that roughly 21,000 students may have been taught with materials that the authorities now acknowledge were inadequate.
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The director of the Finnish National Agency for Education, Kurt Torsell, admits that quality control has failed.
“The books should have been withdrawn from the market and thoroughly revised,” he told Yle.
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At the same time, it emerges that the officials responsible already knew at the time of publication in 2011 that the material contained problematic statements — but chose to publish it anyway due to a “desperate need.”
Students Reacted to Religious Coercion
Students themselves are also said to have reacted to the content. Hannus reports that some children questioned the depictions of how “Muslims” are expected to live.
“They might say ‘my father doesn’t pray’ or ‘my grandmother doesn’t wear a veil’,” he says.
Critics argue that this demonstrates how schools risk cementing conservative religious dogmas and groupthink among children with a Muslim background — rather than providing free and objective education.
After media scrutiny, Finland’s Minister of Education has now ordered a review of all religious education material. Orthodox Christian textbooks are also said to contain similar problems.
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