Figure 1.--An important aspect of understanding Islam is learn about Islamic education and the impact of Islam on education in Muslim and non-Muslim countries. |
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An important subject is the impact of education on Islam. This is a very large topic and will take some time to address. A range of issues need to be addressed. One issue is what the Koran and and other Islamic texts say about education and learning. And then what actually occurs in Muslim societies. We want to consider both historical periods and modern day education. Here we need to condider both Muslim countries and other countries with Muslim minorities. We need to consider both Islamic schools, the madrasses, and the impact of Islam on secular education. Another important topic is gender, especially the education of girls. Another issue clothing and religious symbols in secular schools. Many of the issues touch upon free sppech issues, another topic of importance when studying Islam. These are issues that occur to us. Readers may see other subjects that need to be addressed.
One issue is what the Koran and and other Islamic texts say about education and learning.
We want to consuder what the education that actually occurs in Muslim societies. We want to consider both historical periods and modern day education. We need to consider both Islamic schools, the madrasses, and the impact of Islam on secular education.
We also want to condider countries with Muslim minorities. The largest Muslim minority is in India. We know nothing at this time about the education of the Muslim minority there. Most of Western Europe now have Muslim minorities. So does the United States, although the population is generally smaller than in Western Europe. A range of issues need to be considered. One is how Muslim children do in the schools. Another is the impact on the curiculum. One report from Britain suggests that some schools are changing the curriculum. The nature of private Muslim schools is another important subject.
Another important topic is gender, especially the education of girls.
Another issue clothing and religious symbols in secular schools.
Many of the issues touch upon free speech issues, another topic of importance when studying Islam.
A medressa is an Islamic school with historic traditions back to a time when Islamic socitiy had the most advamnced education system in the world and Islamic scholars were making important advances in mathematics, medicine, and science. The medressa focused on religious education. Islamic qari were trained in the recitation of the QUR'AN at Islamic Medressa such as Al Azhar. A student who studies Islam formally at a medressa is called a talib. (This is the derivation for the Afghanistan Taliban. Much of Afghanistan's Taliban leadership were educated in Pakistani medressas when while living there as refugees from the Soviet occupation.) Most Middle Eastern states founded secular public schools upon becoming independent in the 20th century. Many of these countries have failed economically. Many students emerging from the state schools have had difficulty finding jobs. In addition, except in the oil rich states, public education is poorly funded. Many for a range of economic, political, and religious reasons have turned to Islamic medressa. There are thousands of the schools teaching millions of students throughout the Middle East and other countries with Islamic populations. Many are financed through charities funneling money from Saudia Arabia and oil rich states. These charities do not assist public education in poor Islamic states, only the medressas. There are an estimated 30,000 medressas in Pakistan alone. Children wjho canot aford to attend public schools are oftem enrolled in the medressas. These schools vary widely in funding, facilities, and teacher competence. Many are dominated by fundamentalits with ecxtrme views, in many case a hatred of the West and other religions. Some even promote viloate actions like suicide bombing. Many promotethe messages of jihad, or holy war and drill into the boys the idea that Islam is under attack by America and the West. Absurd reports at many medressas such that Jews were behind the World Trade Center attacks are presented as factual and accepted by the pupils. The medressas are only for boys and the curriculum is very narrowly based: the Koran, the sayings of Muhammad and Islamic Shari'a law. As Government funds are not involved, the governments in most countries, especially Pakistan, have little control over them. Many are boarding estanblishments where the boys spend long hours in prayer and memorizing the Koran. There are normally no TV or radio and the boys can not go to movies. There is also no contact with girls. The only women the boys ee are femal relative on rare holiday, normally during the holy month of Ramadan. It is not only other religions the boys are trained to hate, but also other forms of Islam. Attacks on Shi'ites in Pakistan are believed to have originated in anti-Shi'ite teaching at these schools.
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