Educating Against Islamophobia - Q-News July 2006, Issue 367

While the phenomenon of Islamophobia is now well evidenced, there is little consensus about the ways to combat it. Current solutions, calling for media monitoring and liaising with government are either too short-term, or more often, simply unrealistic. Shiraz Khan takes the long view and sees a critical, intelligent engagement with the education system as the only way to nip this xenophobia, quite literally, in the bud.

I believe that all education proceeds by the participation of the individual in the social consciousness of the race. This process begins unconsciously almost at birth, and is continually shaping the individual’s powers, saturating his consciousness, forming his habits, training his ideas, and arousing his feelings and emotions. I believe that the only true education comes through the stimulation of the child’s powers by the demands of the social situations in which he finds himself. Through these demands he is stimulated to act as a member of a unity, to emerge from his original narrowness of action and feeling, and to conceive of himself from the standpoint of the welfare of the group to which he belongs. - John Dewey

The rise of Islamophobia as a real, legitimised and oftentimes, unconscious response to a massive, worldwide, 24/7 focus on Islam as a religion of hate and Muslims as purveyors of violence, is a disturbing trend that’s gaining ground. Often using the language, backdrop and rhetoric of war, this battle of ideas (as the pundits like to call it) has been portraying a version of Islam and its peoples at variance with reality, generating a subconscious racism towards a loosely defined enemy who once barbaric is now sophisticated with nuclear capability and chemical know-how.

Of interest in the arena of public opinion is the path that points of view, onetime deemed unacceptable, take to gain legitimacy within a fairly short space of time. This trajectory of legitimisation reveals how we think as a people, how we think as nations, how we define ourselves in relation to one other, and how we react with an almost herd mentality when the right sequence of buttons are pushed. In today’s world, the “other” when he becomes “the enemy” is in a very precarious position indeed, especially if he lives, works, and interacts with those whose beliefs are undergoing negative metamorphosis. With intellectual stamina and critical opinion at its lowest ebb, (and conversely the art of manipulation at its most exquisite) we have a situation whereby what we imagine to be deeply held, soundly reasoned opinions can easily be the outcome of media focus, sensationalism, and non-critical evaluation - nothing more than us repeating what is repeated to us, accompanied by the foolish notion that our opinions have been formed independently. Levels of Islamophobia are thus able to rise and without a sense of guilt and with legitimised and prompted reactions, underscored by lip service journalism doing the thinking for us. There seems to be an almost perverse pleasure in revelling in the greatness of our noble values as opposed to the brutality of theirs.

Thinking critically does not happen naturally, given the barrage of misinformation out there. It takes hard work: reading outside of the box, finding alternative sources and perspectives, understanding opposing points of view. Most do not have the time or the inclination. They also seem to think that truth shines through in three word statements: Osama did it, WMD, axis of evil. This is not an age of intelligent discrimination.

Thinking critically is a skill, it needs to be learned, and developed, and strengthened through training. In short it needs to be part of the education system. It is something that the famous educator John Dewey believed in greatly and integrated into his school curricula and a point to which I will return later.

Islamophobia is real. In events designed to understand this phenomenon, and in the plethora of conferences and seminars that are mushrooming in academic circles - Muslim and non-Muslim, there is an underlying sense of urgency because the repercussions of Islamophobia are grave, its propaganda relentless, the finger of accusation pointed firmly with confidence, and the outcome global. Arch manipulators are forcing a hand of which they seem dimly oblivious.

There have been a large number of research initiatives on the topic of Islamophobia which confirm much of what has been said and many of these agree with the statement that any strategy to combat extremism must depend heavily on public institutions - government, the public education system and media - that have an important role and responsibility in addressing the problem of Islamophobia and in creating an environment free from racism and religious intolerance.

In terms of understanding the insidious nature of Islamophobia, Dr Anas al Shaikh-Ali has conducted detailed research on popular fiction, a ‘paper war’ which is particularly interesting, especially since millions of readers worldwide consume these books and their negative image-making and whose rabidly anti-Islamic plotlines/characters would put any right wing propaganda to shame. Current Islamophobia, he writes, as a general visualization of the “other” seeps into the uninformed conscious through “the weight and power of mass inculcation via the media, newspapers and magazines, chat shows, Hollywood movies, computer games, contemporary popular fiction, young people fiction, historical fiction, romances, science fiction and even the reprinting of sixteenth century pornographic novels such as The Lustful Turk which has been reprinted [repeatedly] during the last few decades and even produced as a play.” His research includes an alarming collection of book covers whose themed images plunder the worst of racist chic (scantily clad Muslim woman spy holding gun) and right wing clichés (nuclear bombs in front of mosques). As he rightly points out, and something which the manipulators of emotions know very well indeed, the mind can and will absorb an idea or an image, with everything that it entails, in a fraction of a second. In a fraction of a second the word “Muslim” or “Islam” can conjure up an image, awareness and a whole body of ideas that a hundred thousand words could not convey, manipulating a desired reaction. Unless of course that mind is aware of the bias it is seeing and has been taught to think critically.

We should therefore appreciate the strength of what is out there but the real question is what can we do?

In his presentation on “Islamophobia and Popular Discourse” - on behalf of the Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR) and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists UK (AMSS UK) - at the Round Table Meeting on Representation of Muslims in Popular Discourse organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights held in Warsaw in May, Dr Anas al Shaikh-Ali stressed the importance of education as one of the most effective methods to combat Islamophobia, if for no other reason than that it encompasses a long term strategy as opposed to the short term nature of the many other recommendations on offer.

To effect lasting change on all levels we need to educate at all levels. Our children, as they grow, suffer from layer upon layer of negativity which moulds their thoughts and behaviour. There is little being taught as a counterbalance. It’s straightforward: the education system produces the future teachers, policy makers, politicians, artists, writers and media experts. Therefore, the values of humanitarianism, morality, citizenship, peaceful coexistence, revulsion of racism and discrimination, acceptance of the other should be married to actively taught skills of critical thinking, and awareness, forming part of our national curriculum. Thinking critically allows children to become conscious members of society, not mental doormats, whose opinions are swayed easily by “experts”, who - with their suits, ties, and PhDs - are assumed to be correct. Extremism results from ignorance and a cavalier attitude to the great work of humanity, which is to reach out and live in harmony and trust.

Not only must we aim to create sound individuals who can think critically and with awareness, we must also seek to create within them a culture of respect. We must aim to create a culture of understanding and trust, not merely of toleration. This is an important distinction. Toleration is dangerous. It is like a thin crust, which separates reason from violence, and no community will fully live at ease with one another in this status quo. Unless we understand how to stop the anger being deliberately provoked on both sides that thin crust will crack. It is largely through education that a change can be made.

Certain important developments have been made, small but important steps in the right direction. Various minority groups have begun to produce educational packs to be used within schools as an intelligent attempt to promote race and religious equality in the early years. Pupils are given various religious, cultural and historical perspectives of the communities within which they live and taught to view them and differences in cultures as the norm of modern human societies.

The Muslims for their part have produced the 1001 Inventions Teacher’s Pack a unique UK based educational teaching tool to support teachers and the classroom environment that ties into the successful 1001 Inventions exhibition launched in Manchester earlier this year. It includes science activities for 11-16 year olds as part of the Science National Curriculum and maps relevant historical Islamic scientific and technological discoveries and principles of the national curriculum for secondary schools. In addition, the British Council in cooperation with the AMSS UK has recently launched a landmark publication, British Muslims: Media Guide, critically examining Britain’s Muslim community - its history, culture and place in modern Britain. It is intended as a reference for journalists, those involved in the media, and anyone who communicates and teaches about Islam to create a more informed understanding of Islam and Muslims as they live, work, and interact in Britain. FAIR has contributed to a number of major conferences and events related to issues of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism and is currently beginning work on a major project to produce educational material in partnership with UK and European organisations aimed at both primary and secondary schools.

Educational materials are an important first step in engaging positively and pro-actively with the education system. However, this is not enough. This kind of education must be enshrined in the national curriculum itself. Only then can effective long term change in mentality and attitudes be developed. Education is the fundamental motive force of reform. And unlike other lessons learnt in classrooms, which are forgotten quickly because they are disconnected from the real world, anti-Islamophobia education is immediately put into charged political and social context - as one for instance interacts with Omar, or Yasmin in the playground, or watches the latest from Iraq on television. In other words it becomes part of a real world experience. The 21st century pupil should therefore not only be literate in the traditional subjects for future economic success, but also literate in the values of multiculturalism, pluralism, and citizenship. In other words critical thinkers, ready to become successful members and contributors to our global village.

This article was commissioned by Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism (FAIR). www.fairuk.org