Twenty-fifth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

Islam is one of the fastest growing religions of the world with about 1.6 billion followers - a fifth of the world’s population. According to Pew Research Center (2017), Muslims make up 4.9% of Europe’s populations which translate to about 25 million people. In Greece the number is close to 500,000. Currently Islam has become a highly misunderstood religion in the world, especially in the West (Bassiouni, 2015; Meacham, 2009; Ayers & Reid, 2005) with many having negative perceptions about Islam and Muslims (Gollnick & Chinn, 2017). Such misunderstandings about Islam have sparked from unfortunate world events like September 11, 2001, London subway, September 15, 2017, and other similar incidents as well as the existence of ISIS and their heinous crimes. However, these negative perceptions have also been accelerated by misinformation and stereotypic portrayal of Islam by popular media, as well as by religious/political leaders (Meacham, 2009). Negative public perceptions and misinformation can be minimized from any society by educating future generations. Educators highlight the importance of teaching about Islam in educational institutions (Jackson, 2010; Moore, 2006; Phelps, 2010). Phelps (2010) argued, “…accurate information about people of diverse backgrounds can promote understanding, appreciation, and tolerance within our pluralistic society” and “create a more realistic and nuanced view of Islam” (192). Informative and non-bias methods can be utilized to initiate the concept of Islam or Muslims in a classroom. The intent of this paper is to provide teachers and educators with information, strategies, and resources for teaching about Islam and Muslims.