The UMF obtained the consent of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to host fifty French students per year for to get a training lasting an average of three years, "said a statement from the UMF sent to MAP news agency.

The first class of twenty students, from different regions of France, is already there. The other 28 students will join in September 2015," said the UMF expressing "their gratitude" to HM the King, which, by supporting the training of future French imams, provides an invaluable opportunity to Muslims in France."

The UMF, sought by many mosques looking to recruit French imams, "has chosen maturely to seek a partnership with the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco to allow young French people to be trained in a high theological university, i.e Mohammed VI University.

This institute was inaugurated Friday by the King, and will host hundreds of students from different continents and will provide the "à la carte training" of religious cadres, "taking into account the needs and requirements of the different contexts of the students ‘countries of origin. "

The UMF has asked the French authorities to support this initiative and help these French students to receive additional training focused on the sociology of religion in France, the right of religion and secularism, adding that the candidates who have successfully completed their training will be dispatched in France, as previously defined by a tripartite agreement between the Union of mosques in France, the candidate and the association managing the distribution of candidates in assigned mosques.

The UMF wishes to take advantage of future imams networks of excellence in the field of social sciences of Islam that the French government intends to develop in certain French universities, the statement said, noting that the issue of training of imams, subject of many "proactive” statements from Muslim leaders, "has gradually come to dominate as one of the major challenges faced by Muslims in France."