A Two-Part Series Presented by Columbia Students: Friday, December 11 & Monday, December 14
MEI is thrilled to announce this virtual program is organized in partnership with the Columbia Global Centers in Amman, Tunis, and Istanbul, and the Teachers College at Columbia University.
Graduate students from Teachers College, Columbia University will present and discuss themes from their course on Islam, Education, and Radicalization. Presentations will focus on emerging research that explores the role of education in countering Islamophobia and serving as a potent mechanism for de-radicalization. Students will discuss how education can serve as a facilitator for social cohesion, capable of addressing the unique challenges that marginalization, exclusion, discrimination, racism, and radicalization pose for at-risk youth.
The program will be introduced and moderated by Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Associate Professor of Practice and Project Director at the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education at Teachers College.
Friday, December 11 - 9:00 - 10:15 am EST (NY) | 4:00 - 5:15 pm GMT+2 (Amman)
Countering Islamophobia in the United States: A Look at “Access Islam”
Student Presenters: Kendra Burpee, Faryal Siddiqui, Vikramaditya Harshad Joshi
The U.S. Department of Education funded a curriculum, Access Islam, designed to help students gain awareness and an understanding of Islam. This presentation offers an analysis of the curriculum, its strengths and weaknesses, and the public criticism it faced during Trump's term.
Deconstructing International Educational Response to Islamophobia
Student Presenters: Khan Mir Sana Ullah, Minjung Khan, Joti Ghani, Sarah Schoengood
In the wake of rising anti-Muslim and Islamophobic sentiment, this presentation explores the public discourse on Islam in the West and analyzes educational measures that affect Muslims. Following an overview of educational policies in France, UK, and the US, the presentation deconstructs and critiques international educational guidelines designed to alleviate everyday discrimination faced by Muslim students in the West.
The presentations will be followed by reflections and questions from discussants.
Discussants:
Fırat Kurt, Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies, Columbia University
Jihed Haj Salem, Researcher at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Tunis
Monday, December 14 - 10:00 - 11:15 am EST (NY) | 5:00 - 6:15 pm GMT+2 (Amman)
Countering Islamophobia: A Parental Peace Education Approach
Student Presenters: Raksha Sule, Lauren Gonzales, Yujie Yang, Rachel Karnoff
Currently, attempts to combat Islamophobia and biases in the United States focuses on students. The critical role of parents is often overlooked, and notably absent from anti-Islamophobia education initiatives. This presentation will put forward a peace education curriculum model to address Islamophobia amongst parents and caregivers in the US.
Incorporating Islam into the Mainstream Education System: A Strategy to Counter Islamophobia
Student Presenters: Ayelet Hillel, Maximilian Rojas-Domke, Tianxiang Zhu
A key factor leading to Islamophobic views are misinformed narratives around Islam and Muslims that are often promoted in popular media. The education system is vital in deconstructing negative perceptions of Islam among non-Muslims and reconstructing inclusive narratives. By incorporating the study of Islam as part of the mainstream curriculum, the education system can raise the level of understanding regarding Muslim culture and faith among the general population, to foster mutual tolerance and understanding.
The presentations will be followed by reflections and questions from discussants.
Discussants:
Dr. Renee Hattar, Head of International Studies, The Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies
Fırat Kurt, Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies, Columbia University