strategies and resources for teaching about islam and muslims

What’s the Takeaway Message?

Get away from stereotypes: deprogram, dismediation

Diversity of the religion and of its peoples

Prescriptive ≠ Descriptive (use real Muslims, not just text; arts and culture not just doctrine)

Ethical vs. Doctrinal (not just the 5 pillars of belief/practice)

Specificity and complexity of issues/perspectives

Interfaith: Why do we ask different questions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam

Best Practices: Compare! Analogize to what kids already know

Media-rich approach

Humanize: Land Called Paradise

Find real people/anecdotes: “authentic” doesn’t mean “representative”: Inside Islam

Literature, film, internet, blogs

Popular culture and music: O-Hum

Humor: Allah Made Me Funny

Active: Arabic, crafting/art, Google Earth (hajj tour)

Stereotypes of Islam

Islam is…

“Muslim World”

Muslim Population by Country

Cultural diversity of Islam

Gender and Islam

Gender and religion—do we do this with all religions?

The “veil”—changes the public female body by covering it[How does American society

influence women to change the public female body? Jerry Hall]

Early reform vs. later stiffening/patriarchy

Islamic feminism vs. control of women (why?)

Who Wears a Veil?

Counter-stereotypesIslam Today: Hafez Rocks!

O-Hum Darvish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeN4kfBPx1k

Counter-stereotypesGirls in Iran and Turkey

Counter-stereotypesPushing the boundaries

Counter-stereotypes

New Aspirations

Counter-StereotypesVirtual Ambitions

Counter-StereotypesNew couture

Counter-StereotypesNancy Ajram Coke

ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35O3udLS83Y

Parody Coke ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGvXpJjqLWc&feature=related

“Pop Culture”

Islam Today4 elements: Doctrine, Rules, Practice and Politics

Each element is contested, diverse within community (even when folks say it’s not)

Hot-button issues: Sunni/Shia split Jihad and violence Compatibility with democracy Gender

Think about ethnicity, class, history in addition to religion

Sunnis, Shi’a and SufisWhat’s the difference, and what difference

does it make?

Historical background of split: not the whole story

Doctrine/practice: not the whole story

Historical experience tells us more (cf Northern Ireland)

Where Shi’a live

Imam Hussein

Iranian men commemorating the death of Imam Hussein

Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, Iraq, where most Shia believe

Imam Ali is buried

Mazar-e Sharif in Afghanistan, where some Shia believe

Imam Ali is buried

Askariya Shrine in Samarra,

Iraq

(tombs of 10th and 11th imams)

Muslim Attitudes towards Democracy and

TerrorismGallup poll representing over a billion Muslims

worldwide (also Inside Islam film)

Most respondents want democracy, but also want societies to reflect Islamic values

Most respondents support equal political rights for women

Of 1.5 billion Muslims, only thousands are actively engaged in terrorism activities; however, about 7% support their activities

Their motivation is primarily political, not religious

Curricular AnglesCross curricular reinforcement is key

Humanities: history, ELA, music, art Science (spices, history of science,

hydraulics/mechanics/Rube Goldberg) Math (Islamic geometric design, algebra) Economics (where oil prices come from) PE (debke and other folk dance) Service projects Technology (google earth, blogs, movie production)

Projects in any curricular area in conjunction with classes in the Middle East

First Contact

First Contact: Classroom to Classroom

Many organizations provide links between classrooms

iEARN.org: Projects and topics across the curriculum

ePals

Global Nomads

Blogs from Middle East at Global Voices

Listing of other organizations and resources at TeachMideast