In the Netherlands, Islamic schools and Islamic education in general have
been subjects of public debate for quite some time. After the event of 9/
11, they found themselves increasingly being criticised and some people
in Dutch society go as far as considering them breeding grounds for
terrorism and think they foster an anti-integration attitude among their
students. In this article, however, I will demonstrate that Islamic education
can function in and be adjusted well to the requirements of the local
communities where Islamic education is offered to Muslims. I will argue
that in the Netherlands teachers utilise Islamic primary schools to promote
their students’ integration into Dutch society, as their mission
statements indeed explicitly state. The inclusion of civic education into
the curriculum of Islamic schools is another indication that they seriously
teach their students how to be good citizens who can actively participate
in Dutch society. This article is thus to show that Islamic primary schools
are well able to prepare their students both physically and mentally for
integration into Dutch society.