HOW should Islam be taught in private Christian schools?

Question

I grew up in Metropolitan DC. I dated a Muslim. I had Muslim neighbors. I had Muslim classmates. I taught some Muslims in Virginia. Now, I live in Iowa where there are very few Muslims, and I teach at a Christian school. I have some concerns about how these children are being exposed to Islam. The children have been taught to fear, and in some cases, HATE Muslims. Apparently the children are being taught that it's not a sin for Muslims to kill non-Muslims. Oh, and there are other negative things the children are learning. The outcome truly scares me, as I heard one of the students say, "I don't associate with Muslims...I mean terrorists." Another bluntly stated that, "Islam is a BAD religion."
Does this worry you? I'm against the way these children have been taught about Islam. How do I counteract? I want the children to learn about and accept the culture, not to begin hating the religion!

Answer 1

My belief is that in a Christian school, the children need to be taught about Christianity, its tenets and doctrines. In terms of any other world religion, they should be taught respect of others, never to hate (this is against what Jesus taught as you should know as a Christian teacher). The older (jr. high-high school students) should be taught what the other world religions (main ones) stand for, their history, and how Christians can defend their faith in discussions with people of those faiths.

Answer 2

This is a very fine line that you walk. I don't say that as some sort of anti-Islam statement, or to tell you that you don't need to walk it. Quite the opposite. I believe the subject DOES need to be brought up in schools, especially Christian schools. If the kids are already spouting this hate filled philosophy, then they're probably getting it from home. Therefore the likelihood of what I am about to suggest will probably not happen. But perhaps you could talk with the principal and the other "powers that be" of the school and see if you can have a religious diversity week. A 6-weeks which includes the study (and comparison - if the children are old enough to comprehend it) of at least the other two Abrahamic religions, as well as perhaps Buddism or something like it. During that time the kids learn about Judaism, Islam, and Buddism in the classroom through research projects, and interviews (if possible). Perhaps spending one week on research of Judaism, then during the second week spend Monday and Tuesday discussing the results, Wednesday planning pertenant questions and such for a Jewish guest speaker on Thursday, then on Friday a sort of "debriefing" and culture party with food and decorations that are typical in the Jewish culture. Then follow the same two week format for Islam, and Buddism. That way it wouldn't be pinpointing Islam - so you might get more parent buy in, the students would be able to learn for themselves (with your guidlines) the history, culture, beliefs, and issues of not only Islam, but other religions that are often misunderstood because of misinformation that is widely circulated. ** I say Buddism because it's the only non-Abrahamic faith that I could think of that's mild enough where there may be school and parent buy in. However, you could also include a Christian religion that has a culture that is often misunderstood, like the Amish, the Mennonites, the Mormons, or something like that.

Answer 3

I see you asked the same question twice. How much do You know about Islam? I gather not much!

Either way. In Islam you can't separate the two, Islam and Muslims are one and the same. In their religious life, as in their private life, there are one. They live by it in every aspect part of their life, private, political, religious, all of it. Teaching about the society differ than teachin about the religion it self. It wouldn't be a bad idea to teach about the people and their history and culture, but not the religion. Same as we want the separation of the Church with the government, same should be aplied to the Islamic religion.
People should hate anyone based on whatever reason, including their faith. With education about the people themselves, we can reach an understanding and better knowledge of others, it doesn't have to be the religion itself. If you start teaching the religion, that will deter the main point, and it will complicate things than solve them. First, the kids should learn how alike we all are, and then if they wish to learn more about the religion, then they can do that in the proper place on their own.

Did you know that some Middle Eastern countries, in a Catholic private schools, they teach both religions to the kids, but they are taugh their own religion not the others. The Christian learn about Christianity, and the Muslims learn about Islam. When the time come for that class, they separate the kids, and each learn their own religion. Some other Middle Eastern, Muslim countries. It is forbidden to teach all the kids anything about the Christianity.
Did you know that!
We learn something new everyday. don't we!

Answer 4

You are dealing directly with the seeds that bear hatred: ignorance, fear, and assumption.
What I would suggest is that you find a business leader or local "hero" like a firefighter in your community, or anywhere you can, who has the gift of public speaking and is the kind of person kids will look up to. Invite them to your class for a "career day" type of thing, where they discuss with the kids what they do. When the kids feel comfortable with your guest, let him bring up the fact the he or she is Muslim, and invite discussion on the subject.
Although, I have to say it runs both ways: I lived in Virginia and New York City for a while, knew and dated Muslims (almost married one) and frankly I find many of them to be at least as intolerant of diversity and other lifeways as many "Christians." The Muslims, too, it would seem, are sowing the seeds of intolerance just like the Christians.
So what else is new?
Best of luck to you.

Answer 5

I commend you. I would agree that the best way to get the point across about Islam would be to introduce the children to examples of Muslims in the community who are heroes. People the children can look up to.
Oh, and btw: how many children CHOOSE their faith and choose to go to a Christian school or Muslim school? Not many, I bet.
The only way to end intolerance and ignorance is to educate our children. I wish you much luck.

Answer 6

Unless the children are really young, or really interested in knowledge, you probably can't do too much to influence the way that they think of Islam. One thing you might could do is show them a video of an Christian converted from Islam.

Ergun Caner has a video about 28 min. or so that talks about what Islam is really about. However, to find it you will need to go to Lee Strobel's website.

In my sources I have linked to a website that gives a list of videos that you can stream.

Answer 7

My personal opinion is, if I want to learn about Islam, I will go to an Islamic school and if I want to learn about Christianity I will go to a Christian school.

What I don't understand is, why you would even WANT to teach about Islam when your counterpart in a Muslim school can not BY ISLAMIC LAW teach about Christianity... and could even be beheaded for doing so.

Answer 8

Have you read the Koran all the way through? The Religion should be taught from the fundamentalist perspective. That is to say - you should actually read the Koran and see for yourself what the religion is all about. With a few highlighted historical facts...like...oh, I don't know - Muhammad was a Raider of the Desert, a land pirate and his religion was utilized to dominate other tribes and eventually force them to pay tribute to Muhammad, on pain of death to those who would not pay.

See, in my opinion, the problem with your mindset is that you have bought, hook line and sinker the myth that Islam is a religion of Peace. It is not, never has been, never will be. It is a religion that calls for war against infidels. The choice for infidels in the face of Islam is simple - convert, pay alms, or die.

There are no Moderate Muslims...all are fundamentally PIRATES. If you would just read the Koran, you would understand that when Muhammad was 60 he married and consummated a marriage with a 9 year old girl. He was a pedophile, and the barbaric tribes of Arabs revered him for his "advanced" ethics? Come on...take the blinders off.

Islam should be taught for what it is...the result of a brainwashing by the rhythms of a language that allow for ecstatic elation from repeating prayers five times a day. I am a religion/history/philosophy magna *** laude grad student and I find zero redeeming qualities about the religion. The Koran is the basis of Sharia Law that allows women to be raped without retribution in a court system, that still requires the cutting off of hands for theft and feet for other offenses. It is a backwards...EVIL religion of illiterates. The Koran is considered the highest wisdom, so the Imams and clerics just teach them the recitations of the verses, they don't teach them to read - they keep their population dumb to guarantee an easily ruled mob of simpletons...people need to be saved from Islam...and taught to read and think for themselves else the sectarian uproar will eventually morph into world war against infidels.

I am a reasonable man with nothing but love in my heart for I may be the only true christian in that I treat others as I wish to be treated...and I do not accept their culture as a matter of dissent. I refuse to believe that accepting slavery and beating women and pedophelia and illiteracy and stoning is "higher" than hating the religion for its faulty belief system. Instead I see it for what it is - 114 spells that have been cast on the unwary, who were tricked by the human form of the devilian himself - Muhammad.

If you have not read the Koran in full - pick up a Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall translation and a JM Rodwell translation and read them together to get a full understanding and see for yourself if I am wrong. From The Table Sura 5, line 52..."O believers! Take not Jews and Christians as friends, lest ye become one of them. And God guides not these evil doers!" Yeah, I can see how you think this is a religion of Peace and tolerance...for you have been brainwashed into not reading the text in full...but make no mistake - it is a religion of doom for the unwary simpleton.

Add to all of this the over 4,000 Hadith and their supposed levels of truth, and you have a religion rife for confusion based on cleric and sheikh squabbling. Just remember. The religion accepts slavery in its ethical makeup. The religion treats women as third class lowly citizens that are worthless. The religion seeks a worldwide caliphate of dominance and taxpayers. The religion demands intolerance of its followers. The religion demands jihad and belittles those who don't fight for God, relegating to them a lower level of the seven heavens...so, you see there are not moderate muslims, there are only passive ones that choose not to receive the highest blessings of Islam, guaranteed to the Jihad fighters...it is in the Koran...read it before you make such wild statements of acceptance.

And, regardless of what else is said on this site, it is not illegal to teach christianity in Islamic schools. Over and over throughout the Koran Jesus and Mary are held aloft as "Most High" and "Of the Just" and receiving "A special abode in Paradise" and "Muslims". The only problem that Muhammad has with Christ is that he called himself the son of God...and He believes that he has been given a revelation that states Jesus was just a prophet and to call him more than that is a blasphemy, for it is equal to lessening God, by saying he would lower himself to have a child. Idol worship and saying God has Children are the chief sins of Islam. Remember, Islam means Submit or Surrender. Muslim means "One who Surrenders to the Will of God". The use of the people and prophets of the Old and New Testament and a few from corollary texts suggests that Muhammad had a large amount of wives tale and false historical knowledge of the gnostics and desert wayfarers and bedouin who utilized word of mouth/oral traditions to teach parables to their families...and many of them were poorly translated from hebrew to Arabic. In full, Muhammad was supposedly illiterate.

The fact is you probably stopped reading this once you started to disagree with it, but DO not give up or surrender without a fight. The religion of Islam is Evil. The Koran is a Pirate Manifesto... Muhammad was Satan if there ever was one.

Who is Eblis?

If you can't answer this simple question, you have no room to talk about tolerance and accepting Islam.