Islamic Identity Postcoloniality And Educational Policy

This book theorizes a philosophical framework for educational policy and practice in the southern Philippines where decades of religious and political conflict between a minority Muslim community and the Philippine state has plagued the educational and economic development of the region. It offers a critical historical and ethnographic analysis of a century of failed attempts under successive U.S. colonial and independent Philippine governments to deploy education as a tool to mitigate the conflict and assimilate the Muslim minority into the mainstream of Philippine society and examines recent efforts to integrate state and Islamic education before proposing a philosophy of prophetic pragmatism as a more promising framework for educational policy and practice that respects the religious identity and fosters the educational development of Muslim Filipinos. It represents a timely contribution to the search for educational policies and practices more responsive to the needs and religious identities of Muslim communities emerging from conflict, not only in the southern Philippines, but in other international contexts as well.

Tensions between Muslim communities and state institutions are endemic in many parts of the world. For decades successive colonial and independent governments in the Philippines have deployed educational policy as a tool to mitigate one such conflict between Muslims and Christians, a conflict which has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970's. Postcolonial Education and Islamic Identity in the Southern Philippines offers a postcolonial critique of this century-long educational project in an effort to understand how educational policy has failed Muslim Filipinos and to seek insight from their experience into the potential and pitfalls of educational responses to ethnic and religious tensions.

Tensions between Muslim communities and state institutions are endemic in many parts of the world. For decades successive colonial and independent governments in the Philippines have deployed educational policy as a tool to mitigate one such conflict between Muslims and Christians, a conflict which has claimed more than 100,000 lives since the 1970's. Postcolonial Education and Islamic Identity in the Southern Philippines offers a postcolonial critique of this century-long educational project in an effort to understand how educational policy has failed Muslim Filipinos and to seek insight from their experience into the potential and pitfalls of educational responses to ethnic and religious tensions.

Education and Muslim Identity During a Time of Tension explores life inside an Islamic Center and school in present-day America. Melanie Brooks’ work draws on in-depth discussions with community and school leaders, teachers, parents and students to present thoughtful and contemporary perspectives on many issues central to American-Muslim identities. Particularly poignant are the children’s voices, as they discuss their developing identities and how they navigate the choice of being American, Muslim, or both. The book covers topics ranging from establishing the community and the considerations involved, the management of diversity within the community, and approaches to modern opinions on and experiences of gender and extremism in the western world. Based on focus groups, interviews and observations collected over a two-year period, this book serves as a fascinating and informative insight into the culture and experiences of modern American Muslims. This is essential reading for students and researchers interested in education, religion, politics, sociology, and most particularly in contemporary Islamic studies.

This insightful text examines the impact of Islamic schooling on Muslim youth in French-speaking Canada to consider how these institutions influence the formation of students’ cultural, national, ethnic, and religious identities, and their sense of belonging to Quebec and Canada. Through close qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with first- and second-generation students, as well as parents, teachers, and leaders involved in Islamic high schools, this text explores how far institutions succeed in preparing young Muslims to participate in the broader secular society in Quebec and in English-speaking Canada. As well as investigating the historical and contemporary development of Islamic schooling in Canada, and addressing public perceptions of this educational sector, the volume foregrounds the voices of those directly involved in these schools to illustrate first-hand experiences, and the motivations and objectives of those choosing to support or engage in these schools. Overarching themes include citizenship, integration, and the complex interplay of Muslim, Quebecois, and Canadian values. This book will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, researcher scholars and academics in the fields of religion, education, Islamic studies, multicultural education curriculum studies, and faith-based teacher education.

Muslim Institutions of Higher Education in Postcolonial Africa examines the colonial discriminatory practices against Muslim education through control and dismissal and discusses the education reform movement of the post-colonial experience.

Islam and Peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific provides a unique backdrop of how native or migrant Muslims interact with communities of other faiths have led to the contemporary treatment of Islam and the Muslim communities in these nations. This book is based on the theme of Islam's presence and development in the Asia-Pacific region, and the concerns faced by Muslims in the region. Section 1 details the current status of peace or conflict between Muslims and practitioners of other faiths in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and the Philippines, and the role of Muslim institutions in promoting peace in each nation. Section 2 features how Muslims living in cosmopolitan areas such as Australia, Indonesia and Japan engage with people of other faiths. Lastly, Section 3 explores the concerns with the interaction of the religion, state and society in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. A unique collection of the history of Islam in the region, Islam and Peacebuilding in the Asia-Pacific seeks to provide valuable insight for the global policy community by offering a comprehensive treatment of the issues highlighted.

In light of the growing phenomenon of Islamic schools in the United States and Europe, this compelling study outlines whether these schools share similar traits with other religious schools, while posing new challenges to education policy. Merry elaborates an ideal type of islamic philosophy of education in order to examine the specific challenges that Islamic schools face, comparing the different educational realities facing Muslim Populations in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United States.