The month of October marks the beginning of Canadian Islamic History Month (IHMC) and we encourage educators and teacher candidates to take part in celebrating and honouring cultural diversity within our schools. Muslims have been a valued part of the Canadian mosaic for over a century and we must recognize their valuable contribution shaping Canada. A few ideas for your classrooms and schools are to:
- Greet Muslim students, by saying “As-salamu alaykum” (Peace be upon you)
- Create a safe space where Muslim students feel comfortable sharing their feelings, talking circles allows student to debrief and process their thoughts
- Emphasize developing critical thinking skills, critical media literacies, and social activism
- Invite speakers of Islamic heritage to speak to your students
- Organize a series of events in October to empower Muslim students and their allies – highlight the contributions of Muslim people in the arts, sciences, sports, and music
Curriculum Connections
The following resources reflect the culture, history and contributions of Muslims and Islam to Canadian society.
- TDSB Islamic Heritage Month Guide
- Unit plan that explores various issues – Understanding racism (institutional forms of racism), impact of racism, history and myths, anti-Muslim racism in media and policy, responding to anti-Muslim racism. This unit is suited for students in middle and high school.
- “8 Muslim Youth Making an Impact in Canada,” is a documentary that examines the struggles of Muslims teens as they transition from Islamic school to a public school. It is a tool to initiate a conversation about Islamophobia and its effect on a Muslim youth. To incorporate the documentary, a specially developed Educator’s resource guide for grade 7-12 is available
- 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization
- PBS Frontline examines Islam through stories of diverse Muslims
- Muslim Scientists And Islamic Civilization Islam: Empire of Faith: The resources offered are designed to teachers use the video series and companion Web site in secondary social studies, civics, religion, and language arts classes.
- Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination Against Muslims: Addressing Islamophobia through Education
Books
Click on the cover of each book to find it online.
These resources were curated by Hassina Alizai, a second year PhD student within the field of social justice and inclusion. Hassina’s doctoral research (in progress) examines the experiences of Muslim teacher candidates in Canadian teacher education programs, focusing both on practices that enact and those that disrupt Islamophobia. She is privileged to be working under the supervision of Dr. Lee Airton and has been working on various research projects with faculty professors across institutions.