Paper prepared for the workshop
“Learning about the Other and Teaching for Tolerance in Muslim Majority Societies”
organised by
Center for Values Education, Istanbul
The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Oslo
10-12 November 2005
Istanbul, Turkey
Bridget Aisha Lemu (Islamic Education Trust, Nigeria):
TEACHING FOR TOLERANCE: TOWARDS A CURRICULUM ON
RELATIONS WITH PEOPLE OF OTHER RELIGIONS
A few years ago when we met in Oslo I presented a paper on Religious Education in Nigeria: A Case Study. The paper gave an overview of religious education in Nigerian Public Schools with emphasis on Islamic education.
I looked at the historical background of existing National Curricula for Islamic and Christian Religious Education, which are generally taught in primary and secondary schools to Muslims and Christians respectively. These syllabi make very little, if any, mention of the other religion or religions, at least at the primary and secondary levels.
At university level however some Departments of Religion require students to do a certain amount of study of Islam, Christianity and African Traditional Religion.
In spite of this widespread lack of information, Muslims and Christians in most parts of the country live together as neighbours in peace, and clashes usually have their origins not in theological differences but in specific events that have an ethnic, historical or political dimension but which coincide with a religious difference.
In this respect it resembles Northern Ireland, but with a major difference: it does not have Terrorist organizations – clashes are usually spontaneous, sparked off by a provocative action or offensive speech and taken up by the uneducated, unemployed and impoverished youth. These outbreaks are not really common, and peaceful relations are the norm.
As far as the traditional churches are concerned – Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists etc. they generally have responsible leaders. However there are hundreds of other indigenous charismatic churches headed by self-appointed Prophets and Reverends who offer "miracles" and wonders and are not answerable to anyone, just as there are irresponsible Muslim preachers and Imams who are influential in spite of the fact that their knowledge of Islam is almost as scanty as that of their congregations.
Nevertheless there is a minority of individuals and groups or communities on both sides who are under the impression that their religions actually discourage or forbid any friendliness with "the other". There are Christians who believe that one can be saved only "by the blood of Jesus" and that all those who do not believe in this will go to Hell. And there are Muslims who believe that by associating Jesus (peace be upon him) with God and worshiping him or preaching "God in three Persons", the Christians are in the same boat as the polytheists, and are also bound for hell. From these positions they conclude that there can be no friendship with the other.
Teaching for Tolerance in the Nigerian context therefore must take account of these strands of belief. The National Curriculum for Islamic Studies and Christian Religious Knowledge, as already indicated does not address the issue, no doubt because it would be highly controversial.
In the Social Studies syllabi there are exhortations to inter-faith peace, cooperation and harmony but these are based on a utilitarian rationale and the desire of any Government to avoid social unrest, murder and arson. These exhortations may to some extent be effective because students can appreciate the practical harm to both sides when there is hostility, suspicion and violence within the nation, leading to looting, loss of life and property and burning of churches and mosques.
However, if within the religious leadership at various levels there are still those who uphold hostility to other religions as an article of faith, there is still a problem because such leaders have tremendous influence over their congregations and flocks in cities, towns and villages and this will continue to be the case for a long time to come as long as such religious leaders have shallow knowledge of even their own religions and their uneducated followers believe whatever they are told.
Teaching for Tolerance cannot therefore have a lasting impact if it just relies on United Nations resolutions and the Government's secular and utilitarian exhortations. Moreover where there is no universal primary and secondary education, millions of children do not pass through the Government schools at all. They either attend local Qur'anic or Islamiyyah schools (if they are Muslims) or do not go to school at all but help their parents with farming, petty trading or other economic activities.
There is indeed a Government-sponsored Nigerian Inter-Religious Council consisting of the heads of the main Christian denominations and Muslims Religious Scholars and leaders, but it makes little impact on the nation. There are also a few NGO's which promote inter-religious peace and understanding who do good work promoting dialogue and dealing with crises when they arise.
However, it would seem that any lasting change has to be preventive, not palliative. In my earlier paper I explained the difficulties of incorporating into the Islamic Studies syllabus a unit on Christianity, and into the Christian Religious Knowledge syllabus a unit on Islam, because a teacher totally committed to his/her own religion could distort the "other" religion in order to propagate the very misconceptions that the unit was supposed to correct and thereby cause conflict within a school based on what he/she said or was rumoured to have said. It would also be perceived by many parents as a plan to convert their children.
Perhaps therefore "Teaching for Tolerance" should not focus on understanding of the teachings of the other religion(s) but on understanding of what the students' own religion teaches about relations with people of other religions. This would be more relevant and non-controversial, since the sources of teaching would be drawn from within the students' own religion.
Such Units on Relations with non-Muslims or non-Christians could feature in all Religious Knowledge curricula – so as to reach all kinds of learners, from Theological Colleges, Universities, Islamic and Christian Teacher Training Institutions, Government and Private Secondary and Primary Schools, Madrassahs, Ilm schools, Islamiyyah schools, Qur'anic Schools, and Sunday Schools. The curriculum design should take into account the age and educational level of the learners.
Who could design such curricula, and where would they find the authentic materials from which to extract what is relevant to our situation and needs in the 21st Century?
This should not be a problem when there are learned and enlightened scholars and writers – Muslims and Christians and, where appropriate Jews, Buddhists and Hindus – who could individually or in groups prepare such materials. These could be promoted in all relevant parts of the world with the backing of the Oslo Coalition and similar bodies, religious leaders and hopefully, of Ministries of Education. Such curricula and appropriate course materials could be backed up with the use of all the modern media of teaching and mass communications and translation into major and local languages.
The source materials already exist at a scholarly level, but the writers should be experienced teachers and curriculum designers who understand the levels and backgrounds of their target learners and present the material in a lively way with examples and stories that drive home the message in modern contexts.
In the short time available before this Workshop, it was not possible for me to prepare a sample curriculum. However, the organization I work with, the Islamic Education Trust of Nigeria, has recently been doing detailed research on areas of misunderstanding about Islam. It has so far covered:
Causes of Misconceptions about Islam
Ethics of Disagreement in Islam
Authenticity of the Qur'an
Islam and Culture
Relationship with non-Muslims
Gender Issues
Jihad and the spread of Islam (including Vengeance, Aggression and Terrorism).
The section on “Relationship with non-Muslims”, which is fully documented from reliable and respected sources, is obviously very relevant to this enterprise. It covers the following issues:
1. Friendliness to all faiths, and more intimate relationships with the "People of the Book" (such as Christians and Jews).
2. Sanction for interfaith marriage as proof of Islam's promotion of harmonious interfaith relationships.
3. Some Qur'anic terms for close relationships which do not exclude non-Muslims in their scope.
4. Commonly misinterpreted verses of the Qur'an
5. No abrogation of verses prescribing friendliness with non-Muslims
6. Trusting non-Muslims
7. Non-Muslims were allowed into the mosque of the Prophet
8. In all faiths there are good and bad people
9. Friendship and influence
10. Exchanging visits with non-Muslims
11. Exchanging gifts with non-Muslims
12. Should charity (sadaqah) be given to non-Muslims?
13. Should Zakat-al-Fitr be given to non-Muslims?
14. Should Zakat be given to non-Muslims?
15. Guarantee of Rights and Protection of non-Muslim Citizens
16. Muslim minorities living within non-Muslim states are to honour their terms of residence and strive to make positive contributions.
17. Duty to non-Muslim Relations and parents
18. Sacredness of Human Life.
The section runs to 27 pages, therefore it is reproduced as an appendix to this short paper. As it stands, it may be seen as appropriate for university level (or equivalent Theological Institute). Not all the material is needed at all levels and the materials could be simplified and shortened progressively to suit the secondary and lower levels.
I hope this idea will generate interest among participants and lead to a project that could I believe have a practical and lasting impact on the situation that the Oslo Coalition is trying to address.
I am particularly glad that this workshop is being held in Turkey because of the long record of success of the Ottoman Caliphate in ruling over a multi-ethnic, multi-religious empire by granting a high degree of autonomy to its minorities in the conduct of their religious affairs. Turkey has also generally their religious affairs. Turkey has also generally set a good example of opening its doors towards followers of other faiths when they suffered persecution elsewhere.
The current upsurge of religious intolerance in the West and the erroneous belief in the inevitability of a Clash of Civilizations must be countered by a vigorous campaign to re-align believers of all religions towards outreach for mutual understanding and co-operation.
5