ERIC Number: EJ1473752
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-6200
EISSN: EISSN-1740-7931
Available Date: 0000-00-00
"Islamic Emancipation" as Alternative "Maarifa" in Education: Decoloniality as a Holy Mission
British Journal of Religious Education, v47 n3 p242-252 2025
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 enunciation to argue for 'Islamic Emancipation' as a decentring 'Maarifa' that resonates with the logics of a substantial number of people (2 billion Muslims as of 2023) to whom Islamic philosophies are legitimate epistemologies for navigating social realities. "Islamic Emancipation" is an onto-epistemological compass through which we generate novel epistemic readings of religious texts into the debates on decoloniality in education. The applied modalities of "Islamic Emancipation" within education can be unpacked through three main approaches. First, by orienting students to process colonial organisation as the oppressive imposition of unequal systems, some assumptions about those who had/have been subject to subtle workings of colonial structures are undermined. Second, educators are epistemic and activist subjects who are entitled to intellectual freedom but with a comparable level of responsibility to act, challenge and intervene. Third, critique and re-interpretation are essential cognitive skills promoted by "Islamic Emancipation" to be prioritised in education.
Descriptors: Islam, Religious Education, Epistemology, Philosophy, Religious Factors, Activism, Muslims, Cognitive Ability, Criticism, Decolonization, Teaching Methods, Educational Change
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Department of International Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; 2English Department, Royal Commission for Yanbu Colleges and Institutes, Yanbu, Saudi Arabia