Youness Abouali

Thesis proposal

This research examines the training of Muslim religious leaders in France in the context of the fight against radicalization, as well as the roles they can play in mosques, neighborhoods, and prisons to prevent unrest and ensure peaceful and tolerant coexistence among diverse belief systems. We have devised a methodological framework based on a combination of two research methods in the humanities: ethnographic and clinical:

• Compile a list of the various private and public initiatives that currently contribute to this training.
• To investigate the training programs for Muslim religious leaders in France (chaplains, imams) through periods of immersion and mentoring within various training programs, while drawing on semi-structured and unstructured interviews, participant observation, and data collection via diaries or life narratives.
• Conduct an assessment of the civil and civic education programs offered by French universities on the history of religions, secularism, and religious issues.