Learning from One Another

120 Pages·2010·3.9 MB·English

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: [phone]
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