Q&A on Islam

March 2009. Scarsdale High School, 9th grade classrooms. Collaborating teachers: Neil Ginsberg, Kendra Claussen, Katie Prizio, Kate Krahl, Kami Wright.

One every five people on earth is a Muslim. Despite being the 2nd largest religion in the world, Islam is perhaps the most misunderstood one. Mainly it is because the way Islam and Muslims have been portrayed by the mainstream Western media. There are some common stereotypes against Islam which center on the issues of terrorism and violence, backwardness and irrationality, and women's rights and oppression. The discussions I had in many 9th grade Social Studies classrooms usually touched any of those issues. Many initial understandings seemed to have been formed without understanding the contexts. 

The main emphasis was the fact that Islam is not a monolithic religion, and one has to take into account the social and cultural contexts of the place where Islam (and any other religion) is practiced. Some emphasis was also given on the golden age of Islam, during the 8th-13th centuries, where Islamic civilization was the center of the world civilization. Students also learned more about the social, historical and cultural contexts of the thoughts, images, impressions, and understandings they had had about Islam. Students were also exposed to the images they don't normally see about Islam. These sessions were very productive, especially in some classrooms where students have done some research and work around Islam and the Muslim world.