2. Terminology
• Tariqat -sects which have different beliefs and
customs
• Sunni and Shia- two major branches of Islam
• Masjid-mosque, place of gathering for all
Muslims, regardless of their racial or ethnic
background
• Shalwar khameez, saree, thawbs, jalabeyyas,
guntiino, maccawiis- different traditional
clothing
• awrah-private part of the body which must be
covered
3. Terminology continued
• Hijab- religiously mandated headscarf for women
• Halal guidelines-permissible, in accordance with Islamic laws
• Zabiha meat – meat of animals which have been slaughtered upon
the utterance of a brief prayer and according to humane and
sanitary guidelines
• Qur’an-sacred book in Islam
• Allah- God
• Madhabib- schools of thought
• Hanafi, Hanbali, Jaafari (Shiite), Maliki and Shafi’i- well known
schools of thought
• Shari’ah-Islamic moral and legal system
• Imam-faith
• Mukkalaf-age when young boy or girl is considered adult with
individual responsibility and accountability
4. Some important facts
• Islam promotes a harmonious co-existence between
the private and the public, the sacred and the secular,
and the present life and the after life
• Muslim Americans are a very diverse group, there is
diversity along demographic, cultural and theological
lines
• Most American Muslims are not Arab, and most
American Arabs are not Muslim
• Islamic teachings encourage Muslim American women
to be educated and to pursue careers
• There is a widespread mistaken belief that there is a
connection between Islam and terrorism
5. Demographics and Diversity of Muslim
Americans
• Muslim Americans represent the fastest
growing religious community in the U.S.
• The total number of Muslims in America
ranges from 2.5 million to 6 million to 10
million
• The Muslim American community includes
recent immigrants, African, Caucasian, and
Hispanic Americans who have converted to
Islam
6. Demographics and Diversity of Muslim
Americans continued
Muslim Americans have different national origins,
languages, cultural backgrounds
•First generation Muslim American Immigrants
•Second and third generation Muslim Americans
•Converted Muslim Americans
•Muslim Americans: Africans, African Americans,
Arabs, Asians, Europeans
•Two major groups: Sunni (85%) and Shiite (15%)
•Different schools of thought (madhahib)
7. Muslim American Beliefs
• There is diversity in beliefs and schools of
thought
• Shared beliefs: belief in the the oneness of
Allah and the status of Muhammad as the last
and final prophet from Allah
• The relationship between Allah and creation is
central to Muslim worldview
• There are profound differences between the
two branches Sunni and Shia
8. Muslim American Beliefs
continued
The foundation of Islam is build upon the pillars of Islam and
the articles of faith
Five Pillars of Islam:
•Shahada – testifying that there is no god but God and Muhammad is his
messenger
•Salat – five daily prayers at fixed times
•Siyam – fasting, occurs during the month of Ramadan from dawn to dusk
•Zakat- annual payment of 2.5% of accrued wealth
•Hajj- obligation to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her
lifetime
Articles of Faith:
1. One God, 2. Angels of God, 3. Books of God, 4. Prophets of God, 5. Day of
Judgment, 6. Predestination
9. Islamic Values
• Community
• Consensus
• Interdependence
• Self-control
• Complementary gender roles
• Implicit communication that safeguards
others’ opinions
• Identity rooted in religion, culture and family
10. Historical Oppression
• There are different root causes for oppression of
Muslim Americans
• One common cause is the mistaken belief that
Islam and terrorism are connected
• African American Muslims experienced racism
and bigotry
• Arab and South Asian Muslims experienced
bigotry because of their perceived connection
with countries with which the United States has
been at war/has less than amicable relations
11. Some Quotes
•“The First Amendment's two religion clauses — the guarantee
of free exercise of religion and the prohibition on government
establishment of religion — have proved difficult for some
school officials to reconcile.”
•"Muslims are an easy target," said Shahid Malik, a member of
Parliament in the United Kingdom. Differences in religious
worship, dress and diet set them apart in obvious ways from
mainstream society
.
- Mercedes White: Muslim students struggle to practice faith in U.S.
schools, seek accommodation for religion
12. Quotes continues
• “Since the September 11 terrorist attacks,
there has been a spike in teachers’ interest
about Islam. But one of the obstacles to
dealing with religious bias for many teachers
—including experienced ones—is that their
knowledge about Islam is often limited”
-Nirvi Shah: Combating Anti-Muslim Bias
13. Teaching Muslim Americans
• Differences in belief and culture need to be recognized and
respected
• Muslim American students should be excused from participating in
activities which might be offensive to their religious beliefs (the
article gave and example of Muslim students having to sing
Christmas songs with Christian content)
• It might be helpful for teachers to imagine analogues situations
involving students with a Christian background
• Issues related to prayer and dress are delicate to Muslims and we
need to be sensitive when addressing these issues
• The five daily prayers are essential to the Muslim Faith and there
are specific times when these prayers are said. Considering that
each prayer only takes a few minutes to complete, one idea is to
provide a clean room in the school where students can say their
prayers
14. Teaching about Muslim Americans
• a variety of sources can be useful to create
more cultural awareness in the classroom,
including Islamic literature, poetry, ‘passion
plays,’ calligraphic art and the meaning of the
Qur’an in support of certain Islamic beliefs
15. Discussion Question
The five daily prayers “Salat” are essential to the
Muslim Faith and there are specific times when these
prayers are said. One article brought up the idea to
provide a clean room in schools so that Muslim
students can say their prayers. How do you feel about
this suggestion? What are your thoughts and
reactions? Why do you think you are reacting the way
you do?
16. Works Cited
White, M.( 2012).. Muslim students struggle to practice faith
in U.S. schools, seek accommodation for religion. Deseret News.
Retrieved November 7, 2012, from
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765554027/Muslim-
students-struggle-to-practice-faith-in-US-schools-seek-
accommodation-for-religion.html?pg=all
Shah, N.(2011). Combating Anti-Muslim Bias. Retrieved
November 7, 2012, from
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-39-spring-
2011/combating-anti-muslim-bias
Lum, Doman, Culturally Competent Practice: A Framework
for Understanding Diverse Groups and Justice Issues. Fourth
Edition, 2001.