This article is based on the partial results of a study conducted in France among private Muslim schools (PMS), which have been developing slowly for the last 20 years. Through the analysis of the data collected by semi-structured interviews and "in situ" observations, the aim is to understand how the notion of 'individual character',…

Decolonial scholars endeavour to evade the construction of another singularity by rejecting the allure to universalise a single definition of decoloniality and difference, which may claim narratives and praxis that would liberate all peoples but would re-enact other forms of irreflexive violence. For this rationale, we draw on our loci of…

The world was introduced to the first academic establishment granting degrees when Fatima al-Fihriya, a female Muslim scholar, established Jamia al-Qarawiyyin, in the ancient city of Fes in 859 CE. After spreading throughout the Arab Muslim world, it took hundreds of years for this new establishment to make its way into Europe with the university…

Islamophobia is a reality facing Muslim college students daily on and off campus. In this chapter, I highlight Islamophobia in higher education environments and explore its structural and interactional manifestations. I provide practical recommendations to address institutional and interpersonal Islamophobia and specify how campus educators can…

This article examines the representation of Islam in four of the most popular and current Religious Education textbooks in England. The aim is to identify the extent to which the curriculum content is aligned with the aims of Religious Education in England. The textbooks content is reviewed using three frameworks available in literature, two of…

The purpose of the study is to verify the effectiveness of the project 'The Study on Theological Structure of Education and Bible Education with the Motif of Kingdom of God' by implementing it for 12 weeks to 15 Muslim participants belonging to the UKA (Umat Kerajaan Allah, people of God's kingdom) community in Central Java, Indonesia. This study…

This article initiates a discussion on incorporating "religious literacy" into Saudi secondary education. It provides a preliminary understanding of the religious education context and emphasizes that religious literacy is not religious education. It examines the arguments for and against the incorporation of religious literacy in the…

Even though religion plays a central role in many people's lives, it is often omitted from citizenship education in secularized societies. Educational scholars have increasingly demanded that teaching about religion should be included in citizenship curricula to foster effective participation for "all" citizens. However, this is an…

There is an emerging need for redefining religious literacy for teachers in mainstream secondary schools in the United Kingdom (UK) where Religious Studies is part of the core curriculum. The research study draws upon careful observation and analysis of UK mainstream secondary school curricula about Islam and on the qualitative pieces of evidence…

Contemporary discourse on Muslims and Islam has included a reassessment of traditional educational institutions; "makatib" and "madaris." Hitherto, understanding insider aspirations and anxieties appear to be rare. To this end, the perspectives of Muslim female teachers in "makatib" (supplementary schools for Muslims,…

This article examines the place of ijtihad in the British Religious Education curriculum. It argues that the concept should be taught to high school students earlier than A-Level. Knowledge of ijtihad enables students to understand diversity of thought and legal interpretation in Islam, and why different conclusions can be reached from the same or…

Religion remains an aspect of culture often missing from picturebooks, based on the misunderstanding that religion has no place in U.S. public schools. This absence is particularly critical for books reflecting the lives of Muslim children, given the rising Islamophobia in the United States. A critical content analysis to examine representations…

Children's literature can serve as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. They are mirrors for marginalized groups to see themselves represented, windows for dominant cultures to learn about marginalized groups, and sliding glass doors to develop empathy. In this study, I examined Middle East Picture Book Award to address what books are…

The Western seizure of 'legitimate' knowledge has been widely criticised and seen the growth of initiatives such as Decolonising the Curriculum Movement. Challenging Eurocentric knowledge has always been onerous, given its entanglement with power structures. Using semi-structured interviews with nine Muslim academics working in British academia…

The sociopolitical rhetoric that Islam promotes terrorism and that Muslims are fanatical permeates most media coverage, presidential candidates' talking points, and law-related policy domains. Since October 7, 2023, Muslim students on college campuses and other venues across the nation have been victims of hate-based attacks, such as being doxxed,…