Source: The Times
December, 2014
By Eric Yoffie, he was President of the Union for Reform Judaism from 1996 to 2012.
We Americans need to teach about Islam in our public schools.
It is not that stories about Islam are missing from our media; there is no shortage of voices prepared to tell us that fanaticism and intolerance are fundamental to Islamic religion, and that violence and even suicide bombing have deep Koranic roots. There is no lack of so-called experts who are eager to seize on any troubling statement by any Muslim thinker and pin it on Islam as a whole. Thus, it has been far too easy to spread the image of Islam as enemy, as terrorist, as the frightening unknown.
How did this happen?
Part of the reason is the ignorance to which I referred. Part of the reason is the relatively modest number of Muslims in our country, preventing most Americans from forming the kind of friendships with Muslims that foster tolerance and understanding. Part of the reason is the sensationalist nature of our 24-hour news cycle. And part of the reason is the undeniable fact that there exists a radical fringe of Muslim fanatics who kill in the name of God and foment hatred of America and the West, subverting Islam’s image by professing to speak in its name.
But as the small number of Muslim extremists becomes ever more skilled at commanding attention and manipulating the media for their own purposes, it becomes more important for the rest of us to avoid tarring all Muslims with the brush of fanaticism. This means rejecting the stereotyping of Islam, categorically and unequivocally. This means recognizing that normative Islam, which has a billion adherents, is a religion that promotes kindness and compassion, opposes violence, and promotes a middle way between extremes. This means speaking up when American bigots demonize Muslims and bash Islam. And this means, above all, educating Americans in a serious way about the teachings of Islam.
Teaching about Islam in American schools is permitted by our legal system. Indeed, it is encouraged.
In 1963, in the landmark case Abington v. Schempp, the Supreme Court prohibited school-sponsored Bible reading in public schools, but also allowed—and in fact endorsed—the study of religion in school settings. Writing for the Court, Justice Thomas Clark observed: “It might well be said that one’s education is not complete without a study of comparative religion or the history of religion and its advancement of civilization.” Several subsequent decisions reiterated the point that schools may not advocate or indoctrinate when it comes to matters of faith, but they have every right to offer academic instruction about religion.
The virtues of teaching about religion to students—particularly older students—are obvious. Religion is so deeply rooted in the human experience that absent a fundamental knowledge of the major religious traditions, a sophisticated understanding of art, history, and politics is simply impossible. And what is true everywhere is especially true in America, where bonds of trust and understanding across religious and ethnic lines is what makes us unique in the world.
Question: Can there be lessons about Islam without Quran passages being read or referenced? If it’s illegal to use Christian Bible passages for instruction, then the same would appply to Islamic instruction. Additionally, as it is right now, there is little or no instruction in or specific references to anything of specific dogma of the various Christian faiths being taught in US public schools. Indeed, if there were, there would be a ‘Church and State’ outcry of immense magnitude. Any attempt to introduce Islam classses in US public schools would meet the same objections. By the way, There wasn’t any Christian instruction in the 60’s, either, when I was a public school student other than in history classes where all religions were mentioned. And then only in terms of historical contexts and basic tenets e.g. monotheistic religions vs polytheistic etc.
Addtionally, religious instruction in minority faiths should be a two way street if true understanding is to be reached. I doubt that there’s any instruction in Christianity, or other faiths, being taught in any Muslim nation’s schools to help the students better understand what they do not know or understand about those faiths.
Muslims have no legitimate claim for special exemptions or treatment in the US, or any other Muslim minority nation, regarding this issue.
That’s not to say it wouldn’t be important for people in the US to know more about Islam and Muslims, but the method would have to be outside of the US Public School System, as it is for other faiths.
A lot of questions that the writer of this article raises about curriculum can be answered by picking up the best in the Muslim Times. For example:
Two Hundred Verses about Compassionate Living in the Quran
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Islam!
The Message: Mohammed: Messenger of God (A movie)
The Best Biography of the Prophet Muhammad
Why is Rumi the best-selling poet in the US?
Caliph Umar Farooq versus Emperor Heraclius: Who gave us our Religious Freedoms?
@ Dr, Shah… Yes, were that information be more available to the general public for their review.
Has the MT attempted to disseminate your links through other majoe media outlets?
Learning about the Bible and the Quran should not be any crime. These could be optional subjects or additional subjects. If these subjects are forbidden to be taught then it means that atheism is being promoted. That is hurting the human moral values.
The only problem is that there are many versions of Islam and many more of Christianity. The Muslim zealots are also taking guidance from the Quran which in fact is a mis-guidance being forced upon the world.
Similarly, there is much guidance within the Bible which can be taught and preached instead of the impossible dogmas.
The Quran teaches just one or two principles to every one that:
1. They will not worship any One except the One God and will not serve other lords beside Allah.
2. They will be peaceful and will not hurt or kill any one for their beliefs.
I hope that should be acceptable to Jews and the Christians and Hindus. Allah means the One God of any faith, whatever they call Him, Alohiem, Father, Parmeshwar.
Religious books should be checked in the light of the above principle and a common ground achieved for peaceful preaching and co-existence (must be non political). Religion should not be used for any politics. If agreed and practiced then the politicians will also not interfere in religion (we hope).
Mr Adams
It’s quite possible to teach about Islam, with using readings from the Qu’ran, just as it is possible to teach about Christianity, without referencing the Bible.
As to what Islamic nations teach in their schools, aren’t you supposed to be setting some kind of moral example, not playing tit for tat?
In case, I daresay Muslims know far more about Christianity, than vice-versa. The average American Christian doesn’t even realize Islam recognizes Jesus, or that they’re worshipping the same deity. The average American doesn’t even seem to know the difference between a Hindu and Muslim, as the numerous violent attacks on Hindu temples and people, have shown us.
I know of no atheist who would cry “church and state”, because most of us can tell the difference between promotion of a religion, and teaching human history.
We favour knowledge.
Since Islam, rightly or wrongly, seems to be a rather large component of today’s news stories, it is utterly foolish to think it falls outside purview of places of learning & education. Schools are exactly where it belongs. That’s not some kind of “special exemption or treatment”. That’s teaching our kids how to deal with the reality of their world, and, hopefully, teaching them how do it without bigotry and fear. (Some of the things I’ve heard/seen about Islam are utterly vile & appalling)
And by all means, teaching comparative religions is an excellent idea. Gawd knows, there’s enough ignorance in this world. Half the American Christians don’t seem to have read their own book, from cover to cover, preferring instead to cherry pick verses, to suit their purposes.
What rational person could say no, to furthering the education of their children?