Currently in Spain, there are only 46 instructors who teach Islam in public schools. Such Islamic instruction is financed by the Spanish government in accordance with the CIE (Comisión Islámica de España), who chooses the staff that provides the Islamic lessons. According to the estimations of the CIE, there are approximately 120,000 students in Spain, who could be interested in taking Islamic studies courses. If this data is accurate, then the public demand would be much higher than what is currently being offered. However, according to a lecturer of ecclesiastical law, Ricardo García, the insufficient offerings of Islamic courses are a result of the Islamic community’s internal problems. With such an argument he absolves the Spanish government of any responsibility to remedy the situation.
