Out of Context (Part 7) – What kind of training is available for Imams?

In Part 7 of the interview, Shaykh Omar takes questions from the audience. Imam training is not as defined in Islam as it is in other faith traditions, says Sheikh Omar Suleiman. Some U.S. Imams take the overseas route, studying all over the Muslim world. Others resort to institutions like Bayyinah which teaches Arabic via programs of various lengths. This has led to the emergence of a new breed of American Imams who are sensitive to the culture. The field has yet to go through a process of maturation and closer coordination partly because Islamophobia has necessitated more collaboration.