Why Islam? Why Cultural Studies?
With increasing globalization has come deeper and more frequent contact among varying cultures and traditions. In order to become informed, effective and responsible global citizens, students in our schools today must appreciate cultural difference and seek to understand the histories and values and traditions of all major faith groups. Islam is only one; however, it is an increasingly important one.
Islam is the most rapidly growing religion in the world. Whereas the expansion of Islam in the first 250 years after the death of the prophet Muhammad occurred primarily in North Africa, southern Spain and Persia, Islam now truly encompasses the globe. Muslims are contributing citizens of every major country in the world, and provide an increasingly important voice in the political and economic discourse of the developed nations of North America and Europe. Developing an appreciation of the richness of Islamic literature and arts, the increasing importance of Islamic banking and redistribution of resources through the zakat, the role of Islamic law in the shar’iah, and the complexity of the range of Islamic religious traditions is critical for all students of the world.
In areas of the world where Islam is indigenous, such as South Asia, the manifestations of the faith in political and economic terms form the center of ongoing debate about the integration or lack thereof of models of political organization with Islamic tradition. For example, according to Dr. Bernadette Dean of Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development, in writing about “Democracy in the Islamic Tradition:”
“In Muslim countries, such as Pakistan, where the aspirations for greater participation in making political and economic decisions are being expressed, Muslims have become disenchanted with the continued exploitation and lack of progress promised by capitalism, the moral bankruptcy of secularism, and the atheism of Marxism. As a result they are now turning to Islam. Broadly speaking, three trends may be discerned in the way Muslims respond to the sociopolitical realities confronting them: monasticism, fundamentalism and progressive Islam… Both monastic and fundamental Islam appear limited, as they do not offer viable alternatives for Muslim societies in these modern/postmodern times. Progressive Islam, however, offers great possibilities. Unlike fundamentalist Islam it does not seek restoration of society to the Muhammadan era in Medina, but reconstruction of society based on the liberatory message of the Qur’an.”
Dean, Islam, Democracy and Social Studies Education: A Quest for Possibilities, Edmonton Alberta, University of Alberta, Fall 2000.
Dean speaks here to one of many of the challenges facing Muslims and non-Muslims alike around the world: how to reconcile history, faith, and the primacy of community with the basic human right of self-determination.
A final reason for focusing on Islam is that it has traditionally been marginalized and/or misrepresented in curricula developed from Eurocentric perspectives. As a result, though it is the world’s fastest growing faith it is also one of the most misunderstood. This “illiteracy” hinders students from fully understanding critical historic and contemporary cultural phenomena.
Though a variety of interpretations exist regarding Cultural Studies, through this project we define it as a method of enquiry into the dynamic relationship among history, art, economics, literature, politics, architecture and religion. These components of human experience comprise “culture” and a cultural studies approach challenges the assumption that these components can be understood discretely. In this way, it represents a method of teaching and learning that 1) focuses on enquiry versus delivery and 2) emphasizes an integrated approach to content. Students are asked to analyze and problem-solve more than memorize and categorize. Along with content, students learn skills in critical thinking, analyzing and evaluating texts and perspectives, formulating and defending interpretations, and respecting diversity and complexity.
