Education

In the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, teachers have been faced with their students' questions about what happened that day and why, and what the tragedy has to do with Islam. As media attention continues to focus on the "war on terror" and Islam's role in world politics, students continue to ask questions.

This site was designed to help teachers answer these questions.

This educator's site was created by a religiously diverse team working together--just as they do in tens of thousands of classrooms across America. The goal of this site is to provide insight into the world's fastest-growing religion. By doing this we hope to help you guide your students to a fuller understanding of the core beliefs of Islam and the differences of interpretation within Islam that make it--like all religions--a complex belief system that embraces a variety of ideas. We believe the current focus on Islam can be used to help students better understand Islam in all its complexity and to comprehend the increasing role Muslims are playing in the religious and political worlds of the 21st century.

We also hope that these materials will help non-Muslim and Muslim students better understand each other, themselves and the political world in which they are now participants. A growing number of Americans are Muslim, and the vast majority-scholars, religious leaders, community members and others in the American Muslim community--have unanimously condemned Osama bin Laden's terrorist attacks. Your students should remember that the victims of September 11--and some of those who saved lives--included a substantial number of Muslims.

The materials you will find here deal with the history and guiding principles of Islam, its impact on the world's geography and politics, the lives of America's Muslims as well as Muslims in other parts of the world, and the challenges of teaching about religion in the classroom. These maps, essays, lesson plans, and other tools were created by teachers like you, working with historians and scholars. They are intended to provoke discussion and further exploration, in the belief that accurate knowledge is the most powerful weapon against fear and misunderstanding.

We hope you find the site useful.

Order MUHAMMAD: LEGACY OF A PROPHET and MUSLIMS on DVD and VHS.