Here at Total Conservative, we feel there is nothing more important to our country’s future than education. So when the Department of Education releases an important message for American teachers, we feel it’s our duty to pass that message along.
In a blog post this week, the DOE is letting educators know what they can do to push back against one of the greatest threats facing our country: Anti-Muslim bigotry.
“Not since the days and months immediately after September 11 has the Muslim community faced the level of anti-Muslim bias and bullying that has been seen over the past several months,” the DOE says in their blog. This bullying has even reached the classroom. That’s why teachers must play a significant role in spreading the good news of Islam to their students.
If you’re a teacher, you’re doubtlessly eager to be a good ambassador for the Muslim cause. Our educational overlords say that the key to success lies in creating an “anti-bias learning environment.”
“This means incorporating the experiences, perspective and words of Muslim people into the curriculum through social studies, current events instruction, and children’s literature in order to learn about different cultures,” they tell us.
Unfortunately, the bloggers at the Department of Education didn’t provide any specific examples of how teachers can do this. So let’s see if we can’t fill in the gaps.
Total Conservative’s Creative Corner – Three Ways to Teach Your Students About Islam
Lesson 1 – History
Broadway’s “Hamilton” has shown us that American history is more fun when we replace white Christians with people of color. In 2014, President Obama encouraged us to reflect on the “many achievements and contributions of Muslim Americans to building the very fabric of our nation,” and we have never known him to lead us astray.
Suspiciously, today’s history books make little mention of these achievements and contributions. That’s where you come in. With a little bit of outside-the-box thinking, you can turn any historical figure into a Muslim. We all know that George Washington crossed the Delaware, but did you know that he was a firm believer in Sharia Law? Did you know that the founding fathers originally wanted to make Islam the official religion of the United States? Did you know that the Wright Brothers invented the airplane in the hopes that Muslims might one day use it to land a major blow against American imperialism?
Encourage your students to see history as something flexible and fun – don’t stifle social progress with boring facts!
Lesson 2 – Current Events
Why wait until there’s been a terrorist attack to mention Islam in a modern context? Take a moment each day to relate the day’s top news stories to Muslims. For instance, let’s say that Donald Trump has just won another state primary. You should have no problem using this as a springboard to a better conversation.
“Why is Trump, winning, class?”
“Because he’s going to make America great again,” answers one foolish white student.
“No,” you’ll say. “It’s because old racists are afraid that Muslims and people of color are going to take over the country.”
You will then recommend that the white student in question be suspended for furthering a hateful narrative. As an educator, you must use the carrot and the stick. You’ll find that lingering anti-Muslim bigotry will dry up quite rapidly.
Lesson 3 – Children’s Lit
What does it mean when they say Mary’s lamb had fleece “as white as snow,” anyway? As an educator, you have a duty to deconstruct children’s literature, strip it of its Christian, colonial roots, and present it in a way that reflects the kind of country we would like to have.
When Jack plants those magic beans, remind your students that Allah is the only true source of magic in the world.
We’ve all seen what happens when you give a mouse a cookie, but what happens when you give that mouse a Quran? Good things, probably!
When teaching The Scarlet Letter, endorse the themes of sexual liberation while carefully noting that in some countries, women choose to be oppressed. We shouldn’t judge.
Using these examples as a starting point, you should be able to turn any lesson into an education in the glory of Islam. And you might as well get started now, because it will soon be mandatory.
