Muslim Learners in the American Education System: Reading Reflections
Identity & Belonging Insight:
As this paper clearly shows, Muslim students in the aftermath of 9/11 struggled to reconcile their Muslim identity with their American identity. On the one hand, Islam is both a cultural and religious cornerstone of personal and home life. And on the other hand, the American media that their teachers and classmates consume portrays them as a deep threat to American society, like a benign or malignant tumor that could or should be removed. Not to mention, the ostracization doesn’t end with people’s bad opinions—the US government detained and questioned thousands of Muslims, in addition to deporting Muslims back to their countries (Ahmad and Szpara 296).
Being demonized like this is very difficult to process in those young, formative years of grade school. As mentors, it is important to understand these struggles so we can guide and support our students to be confident in the face of bigotry. Ultimately, this country should provide “equal access to social and civic life” for all ethnic and religious identities, so our students should never feel shunned for being Muslim (Ahmad and Szpara 296).
School Environment & Power Insight:
Teachers play a major role in making their students feel welcome and like they belong. But some teachers admitted to having “negative attitudes” towards Islam and Muslims, and I believe that is bound to negatively affect both their non-Muslim and Muslim students (Ahmad and Szpara 300). Being in a position of power in a classroom—one of the most powerful agents of socialization—means teachers should be taught cultural sensitivity to better serve students and the community.
As a mentor, it’s important to have cultural sensitivity for all ethnic backgrounds. MAPS staff and interns are Muslim, but we come from a wide range of backgrounds and are working with students that also come from a wide range of backgrounds. Regardless of whether we have internalized prejudice, it’s important for us to try to educate ourselves, like all educators and mentors should.
Support Systems & Community Insight:
Community insight is crucial in these situations, because there is great value in allowing the Muslim children and their families to express their opinion on their own experiences. To increase support systems for Muslim students and reduce Islamophobia in schools, the paper suggests “inviting” Muslim parents to the classroom and visiting mosques and Muslim communities (Ahmad and Szpara 300).
As mentors, it is important to give our mentees the support they need, even if it’s not in the same form of these recommendations. For example, involving our mentees in field trips and engaging with the school’s community beyond sites can provide us with community insight, and that will allow us to provide better support for our mentees.
What is something Muslim students are still navigating today that this paper captured?
The alienation of Muslim students is a significant issue Muslim students face today. While this paper was written in the aftermath of 9/11, our current political atmosphere with the injustices around the world and our fascist administration is similarly hostile for American Muslims.
What’s something you think Muslim students today experience differently than students in 2003, when the paper was written?
I believe that there is a greater social awareness of Islamophobia, especially as political corruption has caused people to rethink the mainstream narrative about Islam and Muslims. From what I’ve personally seen, people are less explicitly prejudiced and discriminatory towards Muslims, even if we are still targeted by the government and media.
