Anti-Islamophobic Curriculums

“<> is a thoughtful and practical book that addresses the challenges of promoting critical engagement with questions of diversity and difference in the classroom. How can teachers and students come to new understandings about why social phobias exist and find ways to challenge fear and indifference of otherness, in particular, the growing negative perceptions of Muslims and Arabs in the western world? Rahat Zaidi’s book reflects on current rhetoric around multiculturalism in Canada and poses the central question of how societies can reconstruct themselves and redefine their national identities. She suggests that societal changes can be brought about through enlightened discourse in schools underpinned by ‘culturally sustaining pedagogy’ that seeks to embrace literate, linguistic, and cultural pluralism within the school system. Her book offers promising examples of educational resources that address Islamophobia in meaningful ways, and can help teachers and students to confront socio-political realities in our changing world and demystify harmful stereotypes.” —Ingrid Johnston, Professor Emerita, Department of Secondary Education, University of Alberta
“<> represents a major contribution to the development of educational policies and instructional practices that aim to challenge patterns of exclusion and discrimination experienced by both the Muslim community and other minoritized groups. The book affirms the power of education to shift societal attitudes and practices to challenge rather than reinforce entrenched phobic perspectives. It illustrates how this can be done by describing the development of a curriculum unit entitled <> and its integration into the Alberta social studies curriculum. Timely, lucid, and instructionally important, this book should be essential reading for educators in diverse societies.” —Jim Cummins, Professor Emeritus, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto