So it’s that time of year again. Back to school, schedules, extra-curricular activities. I’m a big believer in the "kids should not be over-programmed" school of thought. I’d rather choose one or two things that my kids love and focus on those. Otherwise, they end up exhausted and, worse, I’m a wreck. After much thought, this year’s I’ve decided on a Multisport class they can do together. Their second activity is of much more concern to me – this year, my son will start his religious schooling, and will begin attending classes on Islam at our local centre.
This aspect of his education has required a lot of thought on my part. I’m a Muslim of Indian origin and my husband is a convert to Islam. He shares my desire for our children to have a thorough religious education, but we both want this schooling to be something positive and illuminating in their lives. My training as a Muslim was in some ways less structured because of where I grew up. In New Brunswick, my mother taught us the basics of Islam, how to pray, and even introduced us to the fundamentals of the Arabic language in anticipation of our Quranic studies.
This education was taken to the next level during our summer trips to India where we were assigned a maulvi saheb (teacher of Islam) who came to the house every morning over the course of the summer months to drill us on Arabic grammar, language and the memorization of important verses from the Quran. I was lucky to have a lovely teacher – a gentle, older man whom I knew only as "Hazareth". He educated me from the time I was child till early adolescence and it was under his excellent tutelage that I completed reading the Quran in classical Arabic in my early teens.
My husband’s Islamic education occurred as an adult, when he first made the decision to convert. He joined a class led by an dynamic Toronto Imam, and over the course of a couple of years, accumulated a large amount of information. His endeavour is much more impressive to me as it was his choice, as a man, to undertake this learning and not a required part of growing up as it was for me.
Either way, for both of us, our Islamic education is precious and important. Not only, for me, has it shaped my values and moral code, but it gives me a deep sense of belonging and place in history – a history that is vast and much deeper than the daily life I lead. My parents gave us a glimpse into the vastness of Islam when they took us to Mecca as teenagers, and we prayed side by side with people of every imaginable race and nationality. The sense of community and universality I experienced at that moment has never been replicated.
So, I want to share the beauty and power of what I’ve learned with my kids. However, it’s a different world. It’s harder to be a Muslim in 2007, and my kids are going to face challenges and stereotypes that I can’t imagine. That is why, it is so important that their religious education be tempered with love and open-mindedness. I think I’ve found a place that is able to offer such schooling, but we plan on being there every Sunday to supervise and understand what is being taught. I am excited about this new phase but simultaneously cautious.
Amreen, what an amazing post. I have a friend and neighbour who is Muslim, and she has the same concerns as you do. She said she can’t even let her kids watch the news, because it is just too hard to explain anymore.
Best of luck with your children’s Islamic education. It’s great to see someone taking such care with their children’s education (religious or otherwise).
I minored in comparative religion at University and realize what a major influence religious education has on a person’s whole psyche…not something to be taken lightly or for granted.
Wow, Amreen. What a wonderful philosophy not only on religion but on learning in general. If it is “positive and illuminating” they are that much more likely to listen and continue with their studies. Keep us posted on how it goes!