Engaging with Islam Today: One Religion, Many Faces
Supported by the CoExist Foundation, a charity established in 2006 to promote better understanding between Jews, Christians and Muslims through education, dialogue and research. Click on the logo to visit their website
University of London, Monday 3rd December 2007 NEW! University of Leeds, Tuesday 15th January 2008
Islam is always in the news. Arguably, the media has contributed in large part to the general western misconception of Islam as a violent, backward religion. The question of how to relate to Islam has never been so pressing - so much so that Tony Blair promised to devote himself to this issue after leaving office! Recently there have been calls for universities to do more to educate people about the beliefs and customs of Muslims - but surely schools are in a better position to reach out to large numbers of young people and their families?
Schools do teach about Islam in Religious Education and Citizenship lessons of course, but resources are rarely of a good quality and lessons can focus on the historical background and learning the five pillars. This one-day conference to be held at Senate House, University of London, will aim to raise awareness of the complexities of the religion as it is in the modern world and provide practical strategies, both for improving schemes of lessons devoted to Islam and other opportunities to learn about and from Islam across the curriculum.
The exclusive DVD will include, in addition to the PowerPoints, Notes and Resources outlined above, video interviews with Dr Mohammed Shomali of the University of Qom, Iran, and with Jaqueline Renton, a young Barrister who specialises in cases of Family Law involving Muslims.
Schools do teach about Islam in Religious Education and Citizenship lessons of course, but resources are rarely of a good quality and lessons can focus on the historical background and learning the five pillars. This one-day conference to be held at Senate House, University of London, will aim to raise awareness of the complexities of the religion as it is in the modern world and provide practical strategies, both for improving schemes of lessons devoted to Islam and other opportunities to learn about and from Islam across the curriculum.
The exclusive DVD will include, in addition to the PowerPoints, Notes and Resources outlined above, video interviews with Dr Mohammed Shomali of the University of Qom, Iran, and with Jaqueline Renton, a young Barrister who specialises in cases of Family Law involving Muslims.
Conference Sessions Include
Dr. Peter Vardy 'An overview of the development of Islam'. Peter is vice-principal of Heythrop College, University of London and a leading international expert on religious and values education. This session will include a comprehensive Powerpoint presentation which can be edited by teachers for their own use. The historical background to Islam, the life and the work of the Prophet, the role of Quran and Hadith, the development of Shia and Sunni Islam and Sufism will all be explained in a broad, accessible overview.
Dr. Ataullah Siddiqui. 'Islam: Believing and Belonging in a Pluralist Society'. Ataullah is the Director of the Markfield Institute of Higher Education and is the Vice-Chair of Christian-Muslim Forum. He is the author of the recently published government report 'Islam at Universities in England'. Too often students are taught about Islam in purely historical, factual terms; this session will help teachers and thus students to understand the lived experience of submission to God and what this means for a practicing Muslim. (London)
Ahmad Achtar. 'The Importance and Use of the Qur'an'. Ahmad, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of London, is also a qualified school teacher and started out as a Physicist at the University of Aleppo. His session will examine the role of the Qur'an in modern Islam and will consider if and how the text should be interpreted. One of Ahmad's research interests is the problem of Religious Language for Philosophers of Religion so his session should be of use to those tackling this difficult topic for A Level RS, as well as for those teaching about Islam lower down the school. (Leeds)
Tahir Alam 'Islam in Schools'. Tahir is Assistant Secretary General and Education spokesman for The Muslim Council of Britain. Author of guidance document; 'Meeting the needs of Muslim pupils in state schools', he is the Director of Training at Al-Hijrah Training Academy and works as a School governance consultant and trainer. He will address the issue of what schools should be doing to promote understanding of Islam.
Simin Rahimi 'Islam and Philosophy'. Simin is a philosopher from the University of London with degrees from the University of Tehran and the University of London and a special interest in Islamic philosophy and its influence. Her session will provide an explanation of the crucial role of the great medieval Islamic philosophers who used the philosophy of Aristotle as well as the teaching of the Quran to understand the nature of God and Gods relation to the world. Understanding Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) will help students to appreciate the development of Jewish and Christian understandings of God. Drawing on this material could help to avoid the popular A Level and GCSE Religious Studies courses in Philosophy and Ethics and Philosophy A Level courses from becoming mono-cultural.
Dr. Peter Vardy and Dr. Mohammad Shomali (from the University of Qom, Iran). 'Islamic perspectives on Contemporary Moral Problems' (Medicine). This session will provide a guide to how Muslims make moral decisions and a closer look at teaching on abortion and reproductive technologies. Video resources by Dr. Mohammad Shomali dealing with key issues will be included and these resources will also be included on the DVD. Full notes, suitable for use with GCSE and A Level RS groups or with 6th Form General Studies will be included on the supplied DVD.
Charlotte Fowler. 'Approaching Islam through the Arts'. Charlotte is the Director of Studies at Heathfield St. Marys School and a tutor at Heythrop College. Her first degree was from Oxford and she has a Masters (with distinction) from the University of London. Her session will offer a number of practical strategies for developing opportunities to learn about and from Islam through a range of subjects and activities across the curriculum. This will help schools to address not only OfSTEDs demands for more and better teaching of World Religions (19th June 2007) but also the requirement to demonstrate opportunities for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development in all subject areas. The full PowerPoint will include material on Islamic art, design, architecture, fashion, music and poetry and will be accompanied by resources which can be used in the classroom at both Primary and Secondary levels.
Aziza Atta 'Islamic perspectives on Contemporary Moral Problems' (Finance). Aziza works for Norton Rose, an International Law Firm. She has a particular expertise in and commitment to, the development of Islamic finance including not simply Islamic mortgages but the much more sophisticated financial instruments now available. Her session will provide a focus on Muslim teachings about money and business in the contemporary world and will explain how the international financial community has developed financial tools that are in accordance with Islamic law. Notes suitable for use with GCSE and A Level RS groups, with Citizenship classes or with 6th Form General Studies or Economics/Business Studies groups will be provided.
Dr. Peter Vardy 'An overview of the development of Islam'. Peter is vice-principal of Heythrop College, University of London and a leading international expert on religious and values education. This session will include a comprehensive Powerpoint presentation which can be edited by teachers for their own use. The historical background to Islam, the life and the work of the Prophet, the role of Quran and Hadith, the development of Shia and Sunni Islam and Sufism will all be explained in a broad, accessible overview.
Dr. Ataullah Siddiqui. 'Islam: Believing and Belonging in a Pluralist Society'. Ataullah is the Director of the Markfield Institute of Higher Education and is the Vice-Chair of Christian-Muslim Forum. He is the author of the recently published government report 'Islam at Universities in England'. Too often students are taught about Islam in purely historical, factual terms; this session will help teachers and thus students to understand the lived experience of submission to God and what this means for a practicing Muslim. (London)
Ahmad Achtar. 'The Importance and Use of the Qur'an'. Ahmad, a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of London, is also a qualified school teacher and started out as a Physicist at the University of Aleppo. His session will examine the role of the Qur'an in modern Islam and will consider if and how the text should be interpreted. One of Ahmad's research interests is the problem of Religious Language for Philosophers of Religion so his session should be of use to those tackling this difficult topic for A Level RS, as well as for those teaching about Islam lower down the school. (Leeds)
Tahir Alam 'Islam in Schools'. Tahir is Assistant Secretary General and Education spokesman for The Muslim Council of Britain. Author of guidance document; 'Meeting the needs of Muslim pupils in state schools', he is the Director of Training at Al-Hijrah Training Academy and works as a School governance consultant and trainer. He will address the issue of what schools should be doing to promote understanding of Islam.
Simin Rahimi 'Islam and Philosophy'. Simin is a philosopher from the University of London with degrees from the University of Tehran and the University of London and a special interest in Islamic philosophy and its influence. Her session will provide an explanation of the crucial role of the great medieval Islamic philosophers who used the philosophy of Aristotle as well as the teaching of the Quran to understand the nature of God and Gods relation to the world. Understanding Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) will help students to appreciate the development of Jewish and Christian understandings of God. Drawing on this material could help to avoid the popular A Level and GCSE Religious Studies courses in Philosophy and Ethics and Philosophy A Level courses from becoming mono-cultural.
Dr. Peter Vardy and Dr. Mohammad Shomali (from the University of Qom, Iran). 'Islamic perspectives on Contemporary Moral Problems' (Medicine). This session will provide a guide to how Muslims make moral decisions and a closer look at teaching on abortion and reproductive technologies. Video resources by Dr. Mohammad Shomali dealing with key issues will be included and these resources will also be included on the DVD. Full notes, suitable for use with GCSE and A Level RS groups or with 6th Form General Studies will be included on the supplied DVD.
Charlotte Fowler. 'Approaching Islam through the Arts'. Charlotte is the Director of Studies at Heathfield St. Marys School and a tutor at Heythrop College. Her first degree was from Oxford and she has a Masters (with distinction) from the University of London. Her session will offer a number of practical strategies for developing opportunities to learn about and from Islam through a range of subjects and activities across the curriculum. This will help schools to address not only OfSTEDs demands for more and better teaching of World Religions (19th June 2007) but also the requirement to demonstrate opportunities for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development in all subject areas. The full PowerPoint will include material on Islamic art, design, architecture, fashion, music and poetry and will be accompanied by resources which can be used in the classroom at both Primary and Secondary levels.
Aziza Atta 'Islamic perspectives on Contemporary Moral Problems' (Finance). Aziza works for Norton Rose, an International Law Firm. She has a particular expertise in and commitment to, the development of Islamic finance including not simply Islamic mortgages but the much more sophisticated financial instruments now available. Her session will provide a focus on Muslim teachings about money and business in the contemporary world and will explain how the international financial community has developed financial tools that are in accordance with Islamic law. Notes suitable for use with GCSE and A Level RS groups, with Citizenship classes or with 6th Form General Studies or Economics/Business Studies groups will be provided.
IN ADDITION to the detailed Powerpoints, notes and video presentations included on the DVD, there will also be video resources by Dr. Mohammad Shomali from the University of Qom. These will include the status of the embryo, Jesus and Mary in Islam, family life in Islam and the basis for making ethical decisions in Islam. As well as all these resources, a video interview by Jacqueline Renton, a barrister specialising in Islamic family law will also be provided and an interview by a committed young Muslim student recorded whilst studying Philosophy at the University of London on the importance of Islam in her life. All these are at a level suitable for use with school students.
--November 2007 -- Both London and Leeds venues now Sold Out --
--November 2007 -- Both London and Leeds venues now Sold Out --
'Islam teaches tolerance, not hatred; universal brotherhood, not enmity; peace, and not violence.' Pervez Musharraf
