Learning from One Another Bringing Muslim Perspectives into Australian Schools Eeqbal Hassim and Jennet Cole-Adams Learning from One Another Bringing Muslim Perspectives into Australian Schools Eeqbal Hassim and Jennet Cole-Adams National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne Learning from One Another: Bringing Muslim perspectives into Australian schools Eeqbal Hassim and Jennet Cole-Adams Publisher National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies Postal address National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies Asia Institute, University of Melbourne Victoria 3010 AUSTRALIA Telephone: +61 3 8344 3559 E-mail: nceis-offi [email protected] Web: http://www.nceis.unimelb.edu.au May 2010 ISBN 978-0-9805183-0-6 (hard copy) © National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, The University of Melbourne This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without the written permission of the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (NCEIS). Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction rights should be directed to Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh, NCEIS. Disclaimer The contents of this book are of the authors’ sole responsibility. They do not necessarily represent the views of the NCEIS or its staff. Comments, questions, and permission to cite should be directed to the authors. At the time of printing the weblinks provided in this document were accurate. Copies may be obtained from the Australian Curriculum Studies Association at www.acsa.edu.au or by e-mail at [email protected] Images Images on pages vi, viii, 3, 4, 13, 54, 64, 87 were sourced from Wikimedia Commons and are used under the following licenses: GNU Free Documentation, Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 and Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. Uncredited images are from the authors’ personal collections. Design Angel Ink Print Paragon Printers ‘ People, We created you from a single man and a single woman, and made you into nations and tribes so that you should all get to know one another.’ (Quran, 49: 13) Acknowledgments It has been a great privilege to work on Learning from One Another: Bringing Muslim perspectives into Australian schools, made possible by generous funding from the Myer Foundation. Our thanks go to the many teachers who attended the Education with Muslims workshops; their insights, enthusiasm and questions at these events have largely shaped this resource. We would also like to thank the people who contributed to the development of this resource, including Shahram Akbarzadeh, Katherine Schoo, Judy Gauld, Faiza Hassim, Abdullah Saeed, Tim Bush, Lauren Cooper, Eeqmal Hassim, Faza Muhammad Fauzi and Brigid Cole-Adams. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the wonderful work of the editor Peter Kenneally, at Wordsupply, and the designer Allison Mortlock, at Angel Ink. Eeqbal Hassim and Jennet Cole-Adams iv LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER Foreword Our teachers are training the leaders of tomorrow. This is a weighty responsibility, one that deserves the respect and support of every Australian. This resource has been developed with that objective in mind. It is a unique educational tool, offering Australian teachers some very practical ideas to ensure the continued engagement of Muslim pupils in a rich and rewarding educational process. Australian society has gone through significant changes in the last few decades. The ethnic and religious composition of Australia has gained greater diversity, which is at once enriching and a challenge. New cultures and traditions have made Australia a nation that celebrates the rich heritage of its inhabitants — new and old — and fosters mutual respect and understanding. The challenge to any cosmopolitan society, however, is not to lose sight of its core values and principles that are essentially grounded in humanity. Australia has a proud tradition of tolerance, respect for others and the law. Our education system cherishes these values and trains our future leaders to be mindful of the needs of others while remaining committed to the humanist value system that has made Australia a vibrant multicultural society. Tolerance and respect are important values, but a vibrant cosmopolitan society moves beyond them and embraces diversity, allowing for the free flow of ideas and traditions. Embracing diversity breaks the barriers that separate us. Whilst respecting other traditions and cultures is civil and polite, it reinforces the distinctness of cultures. Embracing other cultures, however, opens the door to cultural synthesis. What emerges in this process is something new and exciting that reinforces the quintessential humanity at the heart of all cultures. It is critical to emphasise that embracing diversity and transcending cultural barriers is a two-way process. Our educators play a critical role here, nurturing in future generations the values of mutual respect and learning. By introducing pupils to lesser known cultures and traditions while helping those from minority communities see the shared values that draw us closer, our teachers help shape the future of our society. This resource emphasises the significance of mutual learning and offers unique and unparalleled strategies to foster inclusiveness in the classroom. Professor Shahram Akbarzadeh National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies The University of Melbourne LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER v contents Introduction 1 Part A Islam and Muslims in the classroom 5 English 6 Science 11 Maths 14 History 22 Geography 33 Arts 42 Health and PE 51 Economics and business 53 Cross-curricular perspectives: Values education, civics and citizenship, 57 global education and religious education Part B Achieving positive outcomes for Muslim students 63 Engagement and identity for Muslim students 65 Facilitating religious practice and customs in schools 70 Part C Wide world of Muslims 77 Key Muslim beliefs and practices 78 Who are Muslims? 92 A very brief history of Islam 94 Muslims in Australia 96 Misconceptions and stereotypes 100 Appendix Key Muslim organisations in Australia 103 Glossary 105 Photo opposite: Interior of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo Ludovic Courtès. Courtyard of Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Photo Frank Haas. viii