Providing a gateway into the real literature emerging from the Middle East, this book shows teachers how to make the topic authentic, powerful, and relevant. "Teaching the Literature of Today's Middle East": (1) Introduces teachers to this literature and how to teach it; (2) Brings to the reader a tremendous diversity of teachable texts…

The author wrote a piece called "What Our Children Should Learn about 9/11." In that piece, the author made just four simple points. These include: (1) children should know the facts; (2) once they had a grounding in the facts, the children should not abjure moral judgment; (3) children should learn to make both analytical and moral…

When the United States invaded Iraq in March 2003, one of its stated intentions was to inaugurate an era of Iraqi politics in which new kinds of democratic parties would emerge. However, one of the most dramatic effects of the U.S. invasion has been the boost it has given to the Islamist parties and movements that were banned under Saddam Hussein.…

Discussion of terrorism and the war against it has remained front and center in American's lives and America's classrooms since September 11, 2001. The author suggests four areas for examining this subject from the perspective of the 18 months since the attack: (1) Iraq (Fighting the War, Results of the War and the "endgame," Iraq and…

The attacks of September 11th, followed by U.S. military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, have brought greater attention to the simmering conflict between Islam and the West--a conflict most brutally played out historically during the Crusades. The series of holy wars for control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land stretched over centuries--from 1096…

A number of Muslim countries have stepped up plans for revising school textbooks as part of the continuing U.S. driven campaign to combat terrorism. Critics maintain that the efforts are superficial and that the books continue to portray dangerous stereotypes and promote extremist views. Some books for religious and social sciences classes in use…

This article provides the details of the chronological events surrounding the establishment of a Governing Council in Iraq in July 2003 by the United States, acting as the leader of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) that administers Iraq. The following topics are discussed in the article: (1) The Composition of the Governing Council; (2)…

On May 6-7, 2006 FPRI's Marvin Wachman Fund for International Education hosted 44 teachers from 16 states across the country for a weekend of discussion on teaching about Islam. Speakers were drawn from the disciplines of religious studies, anthropology, political science, history, law, and journalism. The institute, held in Bryn Mawr, Pa., was…

Iraqi refugees are coming to the United States after years of war and internal conflict, and they bring with them an ancient history. This booklet gives an overview of the land, the people, and the history of Iraq, with a description of the circumstances that compel these refugees to leave their native land. The people who live in Iraq represent a…