The Study of Islam within Social Science Curricula in UK Universities

Case Studies Volume # 2

Edited & Introduced by Max Farrar & Malcolm Todd

Page 1 The study of Islam within social science curricula in UK universities: Case Studies Volume # 2

Max Farrar & Malcolm Todd Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics

August 2011 ISBN: INSERT HERE

Page 2 Introduction

1 Introduction

In 2007 the then British Labour Government recognised Islamic Studies as a strategically important subject and recommended the formation of a UK Islamic Studies Network (ISN). This Network was to be established and led by the Higher Education Academy (HEA). In total, HEFCE, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) are contributing £750,000 of funding to support the Network.

Islamic Studies is used by the Network as an umbrella term for the academic study of Islam, Muslim cultures and societies and Islamic knowledge through a variety of subject areas and perspectives. This includes, but is not limited to, those working in: Religious Studies, Theology, Language Studies and Linguistics, International Relations, Law, Finance, Management and Business Studies, History, Literature and Textual Studies, Security Studies, Economics, Education, Science, Philosophy, Art, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, Politics, Anthropology and Sociology, and interdisciplinary Area Studies programmes, for example those associated with Middle East or South Asian Studies. The ISN is coordinated by a project team drawn from across the Higher Education Academy including representatives from five Subject Centres, and overseen by an Advisory Board.

Professor Max Farrar and Dr Malcolm Todd were appointed by the Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics (C-SAP) to coordinate the social science contribution to the ISN. This volume documents part of the second phase of the contribution by C-SAP to the Higher Education Academy’s ISN during the academic year of 2010-2011. The third and final phase will take place in 2011-2012. In the first phase (2009-2010) we produced Volume 1 of our Case Studies, aiming to stimulate curriculum development in the social sciences on teaching and learning about Islam. Since many of the points made in the Introduction to Volume 1 remain pertinent, and to save readers from the trouble of accessing Volume 1, this introduction will repeat some of those points and elaborate upon them in light of the case Studies presented here.

2 Methodology

An appeal was sent via email to all those who had engaged with C-SAP’s teaching, learning and research projects over previous years. A small fee was offered for suitable case studies by those colleagues who were currently teaching on topics relating to Islam within their courses. C-SAP’s convenors for each of the discipline areas for sociology, anthropology and politics circulated their own contacts outside of the C-SAP network making the same appeal. Colleagues attending the May 2010 launch of the HEA’s Islamic Studies network were also made aware of this call, and asked to circulate the Case Study pro-forma (in Appendix A) among their own contacts and networks. On the basis of preliminary information supplied, one or two applications were turned down, and nine were commissioned. When the pro-forma were obtained, the author of each Case Study was contacted personally and clarification and additional information was obtained as necessary. The material was then summarized and analysed – see the body of this report – and each Case Study is included in this report. The Case Study authors were invited to present this work at a C-SAP workshop that took place in June 2011.

3 The study of Islam within social science curricula in UK universities

In Volume 1 we used research by Bernasek and Bunt (2010) to indicate the relative paucity of modules in British university departments of social science which devote themselves in any way to the study of Muslims and/or Islam. Where this does take place, according to Bernasek and Bunt’s review of module descriptors available on-line, the

Page 3 pre-1992 universities tend to deliver the majority of them. Nevertheless, Bernasek and Bunt’s report showed the wide variety of topics that were covered in the few departments which pay attention to these topics. As promised in Volume 1, the data-base of modules developed by the Islamic Studies Network is now available on-line. It provides a very useful resource for colleagues seeking to develop new modules on Islamic issues in the social sciences. The Case Studies presented in this volume, along with those in Volume 1, will prove extremely stimulating for social scientific curriculum development.

Volume 1 listed these topics currently being taught in British universities:

 Fieldwork at a Mosque with the Bristol Muslim Cultural Association (sociology.

 Muslims, Multiculturalism and the State (sociology/religious studies).

 Ethnography of Muslim Societies (anthropology/cultural studies/religious studies).

 Morality and Belief in Islam (anthropology).

 Anthropology of Islam/Muslim Societies (anthropology).

 The Inspirational Night Dream in Islam: from the Qur’an to al-Qaeda and the Taliban (anthropology).

 The concept of Islamic civil society in Iran (politics).

 Marriage, families and Islam (sociology/anthropology).

 A Community of Inquiry: talking to Muslims (philosophy)

 How Muslims and Christians understand concepts of faith today: a case study on the work of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Soren Kierkgaard (religious studies/philosophy).

This volume now adds these topics:

 Bringing Islam and Religion (back) into Social Policy Teaching (social policy).

 Developing undergraduate students’ skills in qualitative data analysis through the exploration of on-line Hajj diaries (psychology).

 The Messages Behind Imam al-Husayn’s Martyrdom: How Shi‘i Muslims Commemorate the Tragedy of Karbala (sociology, anthropology, history, theology).

 Forced Marriage: an issue for social workers (social work, law).

 International Relations of The Modern Middle East (international relations, politics).

 Seminar on ‘War on Terror - New Racism or Security? (sociology, social policy, criminology).

 Western Studies on the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) (religious studies).

 Using of Wiki for Teaching ‘Islam and Modernity’ Module (international politics).

 Seminar on Islam and Sexual and Reproductive Health Policymaking (health sciences).

 Families, sexuality and citizenship in Islam (sociology, anthropology, politics).

Page 4 We note again the relative absence of modules directly within sociology courses, but that sociology is applied in courses within other discipline areas. Whereas Volume 1 contained several studies from an anthropological perspective, we see less application of anthropology in Volume 2. Again we see that the discipline of politics is well represented here. It is refreshing to see Islam being a focus for a methods module – since almost every social science course has such a module, this case study should have extremely wide relevance.

What all these case studies have in common, as we saw in Volume 1, is the emphasis on demonstrating that Islam is multi-faceted, that the practices of Muslims varies widely both within a society and across the globe, and thus students have to be encouraged to face the issue of interpretation at all stages of their learning. This directly links to the point made by many tutors in this volume, as in Volume 1, that students are encouraged to approach these issues critically, learning how to weight up the various interpretations, and apply general social scientific theories and concepts in their analysis of Islam and the lifeworlds of Muslims.

What are we trying to achieve?

It is important that tutors have clear reasons for developing a module in this field. In Volume 1 tutors explained what they wanted to achieve as follows:

 To offer predominantly white students new information about Muslims and Islam (sociology).

 To broaden the study of Islam by placing it in the context of debates about race, multiculturalism and the state and applying concepts such as diaspora, identity and hybridity (sociology/religious studies).

 To use ethnographic and cultural materials to develop an understanding of Muslim societies (anthropology/religious studies).

 To offer analysis of an aspect of Islam which is hardly understood outside Islamic societies (anthropology).

 To enlarge the coverage of the existing anthropology course.

 To teach on a particular research interest (anthropology).

 To explain the complexity of one Islamic society (politics).

 To explain what is similar, and what is different, in Muslim and secular cultures (sociology and anthropology).

 To develop a ‘community of enquiry’ on contentious topics such as terrorism and the veil (philosophy).

 To encourage inter-faith understanding (philosophy/religious studies).

In this volume, tutors said they wanted to achieve the following goals:

 To help students gain a fuller understanding of the dynamic role of Islam and religion generally in the satisfaction and promotion of human wellbeing (social policy).

 We wanted to develop students’ skills in qualitative data analysis whilst simultaneously fostering intercultural understandings of Hajj and its importance to practising Muslims (psychology). Page 5  I wanted to re-contextualise the tragedy of Karbala from being a purely ritualistic event to a morally- appealing historical event, accessible for all human beings and achieve a more balanced portrayal of Shi‘i commemorative practices (sociology, anthropology, history, theology).

 To enable students to understand the relevance of forced marriage as an issue for social work practitioners whilst also making explicit the distinctions between forced and arranged marriage and challenging misconceptions about Islam being a central force behind forced marriage (social work, law).

 To cultivate a critical approach to the study of the Middle East that recognises that Islam is ultimately what Muslims make of it under concrete international, historical and social circumstances (international relations, politics).

 I wanted students to engage with personal experiences in order to gain greater understanding and empathy of some of the challenges faced by Muslims in Britain. The central aim was to sensitise students to the political and social dynamics in post-9/11, 7/7 Britain, and the implications that they have for Muslims’ experiences in Britain and the development of positive community relations. I wanted students to be subjected to alternative perspectives to enable them to critique stereotypes and prejudices surrounding representations of Muslims and Islam (sociology, social policy, criminology).

 The task was designed to raise students’ awareness of a range of critical points so they could read and critically assess a Western biography of the Prophet through Muslim eyes (religious studies).

 I wanted to create a ‘blended learning’ environment that promotes technology-enhanced learning, critical thinking, independent research and collective knowledge construction in the study of the relationship between Islam and modernity (international politics).

 I wanted the students to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the role and influence of religion in sexual and reproductive health policymaking in low to middle income countries (health sciences).

 The students should come away from this seminar with a better grasp on how to apply a theoretical and/or conceptual framework to enable a sociological/anthropological understanding of society (sociology, anthropology, politics).

In Volume 1 we noted a mix of motives: changing students’ perceptions, expanding the curriculum (often in an inter- disciplinary direction), contributing to social harmony, developing debate on normative issues, and merging teaching with research interests. Here perhaps we see an even greater emphasis on countering stereotypes, exposing the complexity of the Muslim world, and developing critical thinking. All of these are appropriate to a social science degree programme. Other relevant motives mentioned in Volume 1 remain important: to enable the degree to respond to contemporary social and political controversies; to demonstrate the relevance of critical social science; to have an impact on social policy and practice; and to respond to students’ interests.

In light of the HEA Islamic Studies project, it is also relevant for social science departments to consider how to respond to HEA initiatives, which in turn reflect a steer from government. The authors of the Case Studies already have a clear set of motives for their work; if the curriculum is to be developed in this area, colleagues have to be given the opportunity to consider their own, and their departments’ pedagogic and ethical motivations. In Phase 3 of our work we shall further concentrate on developing this work more widely across British universities.

Issues in teaching and learning

Each Case Study author describes in some detail how he or she set about delivering their course; again these deserve detailed study. Several general points can be made:

Page 6  Explicit or implicit in each Case Study is the recognition that this is a contested field, intellectually and normatively. Successful teaching and learning on this topic (some would argue on all topics) relies on creating a context in which questions can be asked and differences discussed with mutual respect. Understandably, students do not want to expose themselves to accusations that they are politically incorrect. The lecture theatre and the seminar room have to be places where inclusive dialogue can take place. Two Case Studies in this volume specifically point to the tutor’s role in challenging, but not disempowering students. The ‘community of enquiry’ approach explained in Appendix B (section 4) of Volume 1 will be particularly valuable here.

 The European and wider, global dimensions of this field of study are as apparent in this volume as they were in its predecessor. In a multi-ethnic society such as the UK, British citizens whose families originated in all parts of the world convert to Islam or have Islamic cultural backgrounds. Those seeking refuge here from Islamic countries, bring knowledge and experience with them which is often new to their white, secular or Christian fellows. Settled British Muslim citizens among our students similarly bring new knowledge and experience to their white colleagues. It is arguable that lecturers in social science courses have a valuable resource here, which they can only effectively utilize if they expand their own areas of knowledge to comprehend the lifeworlds of these global actors.

 As in Volume 1, some colleagues report that some students have difficulty comprehending the analysis of Islamic society being offered to them. This is clearly most acute when the students have little or no background knowledge to draw upon, and/or their common sense knowledge is infused with the stereotypes they accrue from the mass media in European societies. An agreed aim of the social sciences is critically to examine common-sense knowledge. Clearly, those students who take the trouble to study reading materials provided before the class are much more likely to benefit from the discussion. How to achieve those study habits among all students is perhaps the perennial question for all tutors in all subjects.

 The problem of comprehension is compounded by the paucity of published material in this field that is written with the needs of secular, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian students in mind. Curriculum development in this area urgently needs to consider the production of readers and other teaching materials geared to the needs of those unfamiliar with Islam and Muslim societies.

 Providing an excellent starting point for teachers new to this field, most Case Studies in this volume, as in Volume 1, include a Bibliography prepared for the course described; these serve as invaluable stand-alone resources for colleagues undertaking curriculum development in this area of study.

 Successful classes seem to utilize accessible materials, particularly those with a personal focus. Volume 1 Case Study authors report the use of published speeches, videos of people encountered in the field, TV documentaries, and, perhaps most successful of all, a field trip to a local Mosque, where white students meet a local Muslim for, in most cases, the very first time. In this volume, tutors point out that using their own experience, personal experiences (as in the Hajj diaries), and the results of their own field-work, was well received by students.

 Each Case Study includes bullet points of ‘what worked well’ and what concerns were raised by the teaching process which provides a useful summary of the learning process.

Conclusion and further plans

The meat of this report is provided in the actual Case Studies. These provide much detail on how topics – some specific, some more general – of interest to social scientists have been developed with the aim of scrutinizing Islam and Muslims all over the globe. Individually, they will inspire other social scientists seeking to enter this field and

Page 7 develop their curricula; collectively they provide a resource for whole departments to review the balance of topics offered within their course. The Higher Education Academy’s Islamic Studies initiative has been spurred by the recognition that Islam as a religion, and Muslims as a large proportion of the world’s population, are topics of enormous importance which should be fully incorporated into the courses offered across British higher education institutions. It is perhaps surprising how few modules there are within the social sciences that focus on Islam and/or Muslims, given their geo-political significance and the social sciences claim critically to scrutinize society in all its fascinating complexity. This report has sought to initiate discussion on further development of this curriculum area.

Picking up on the recommendations in Volume 1, in Phase 3 (2011-12) of this project we aim to:

 Form a network of social scientists whose teaching already focuses on Islam and Muslims should be established.

 Such a ‘Social Science Islamic Studies Network’ will then share best practice and further develop its members’ teaching materials. Specific attention might be given to utilizing the HEA Islamic Studies web-site as a vehicle for sharing existing materials.

 We will work with information technology specialists to develop web-based reflections on teaching and learning about Islam in the social sciences, utilising students’ and tutors’ current experience.

 We will contact heads of all university social science departments to seek their support for regional events involving their staff, led by members of the Social Science Islamic Studies Network, aiming to extend the number of courses which focus on Islam and Muslims.

Bibliography

Bernasek, Lisa & Bunt, Gary (2010) Islamic Studies: provision in the UK. Report to HEFCE by the Higher Education Academy, York: HEA Available at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2010/rd06_10/

TEACHING ABOUT ISLAM IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

INDEX

Page Case Study Title & Author

9 Bringing Islam and Religion (back) into Social Policy Teaching ~ Rana Jawad

13 Developing undergraduate students’ skills in qualitative data analysis through the exploration of on-line Hajj diaries ~ Dr Iain Williamson, Dr John Song & Dr Steven Lyttle

16 The Messages Behind Imam al-Husayn’s Martyrdom: How Shi‘i Muslims

Page 8 Commemorate the Tragedy of Karbala ~ Imranali Panjwani (LLB, MPhil, PGDip)

20 Forced Marriage: an issue for social workers ~ Julie Williams

23 International Relations of The Modern Middle East ~ Kamran Matin

27 Seminar on ‘War on Terror - New Racism or Security? ~ Madeline-Sophie Abbas

33 Western Studies on the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) ~ Dr Deirdre Burke

35 Using of Wiki for Teaching ‘Islam and Modernity’ Module ~ Dr A Gol

39 Seminar on Islam and Sexual and Reproductive Health Policymaking ~ Rosemary Morgan

42 Families, sexuality and citizenship in Islam ~ Anita Naoko Pilgrim

Page 9 Title of case study Bringing Islam and Religion (back) into Social Policy Teaching Author name Rana Jawad Activity details (total approx.1500 words) This case study involves introducing students at undergraduate and postgraduate level to the role of Islam in the formation of social policy and welfare regime systems in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. The teaching of this topic has been done either within a lecture and seminar setting of a social policy module, or MA programmes on Islam and Religion and Social Policy. It is part of a broader comparative approach I have taken to the What the case study is study of how religion has intertwined with the provision of social welfare services and the about development of the founding principles of the modern welfare state in Europe. The teaching (one paragraph to of Islam is therefore done in three ways: (i) as part of the design and delivery of social welfare indicate to reader what services in Muslim-populated countries; (ii) in comparative context to the contribution of the case study is about, which other world religions to social welfare and philanthropy and generally; (iii) as a minority faith will appear as the in the UK which is presenting new demands for the adequate satisfaction of the needs of description of the case religio-ethnic communities within the spheres of social work and social welfare provision. study on HEA website) There are therefore, both normative and functional elements to the teaching of Islamic in social policy. On the one hand, I look at the perspective content of Islamic religious doctrine in relation to issues of human wellbeing, social justice and social order; and then I look at how religious actors and institutions and values have interacted with the welfare systems of different countries. My teaching therefore rests principally on empirical research which I have been undertaking for the last decade on this subject. The role of religion is very often neglected in the teaching of social policy at HE level in the UK – only ever getting cursory mention in historical accounts. This situation is beginning change in response to the changing social policy context of the UK which in the last decade and Why I did it opened new doors for the inclusion of faith groups in the social policy arena – partly as a (approx. 400 words) result of concern with the social integration of ethnic minority groups in the UK (and Muslims in particular) but also as part of a wider neo-liberal strategy aimed at reducing state social welfare provision. My own teaching of this topic responded to a gap in the field of social policy teaching, as well as student demand. What I wanted to Help students gain a fuller understanding of the dynamic role of Islam and religion generally achieve in the satisfaction and promotion of human wellbeing. (one sentence)

The teaching of this topic has been done either within a lecture and seminar setting of a social policy module, or MA programmes on Islam and Religion and Social Policy. I gave PowerPoint A short description of presentations of the basic theoretical frameworks; I included slides showing pictures and what I did examples from my own research. Students were also given a relevant reading for the seminar (approx. 600 words) to stimulate their thinking about how the religious welfare sector is similar or different to the secular voluntary sector. I also brought in an outside speaker from a UK-based religious welfare organisation to get students thinking about the issue involved in religiously-based social welfare provision.  As an introductory topic, students were greatly stimulated by the topic as it gave a What worked well general overview (approx. 10 bullet points)  They responded well to the speaker  They enjoyed seeing aspects of the empirical research Problems and / or  Some students were unable to identify with the topic issues  It was necessary to couch the discussion of Islam in terms of other religions to suit (approx. 10 bullet points) the student profile in the social policy module

What students thought  Generally positive, it changed their views about it (approx. 10 bullet points)

Key messages  Take the broad view: It is important to frame the teaching of Islam within historical, (approx. 3-4 bullet comparative and social scientific frameworks and not to over-emphasise the impact points) of 9/11 and 7/7 as the determining events in increasing the profile of Islam in social

Page 10 science teaching  Take the empirical route: Contemporary empirical research, based on social scientific frameworks, which can be used in teaching is indispensable Related documents or  I can provide PowerPoint slides if required links (Module booklet, links to web resources etc)

Any other comments N/A

Course details Course title Principles and Practice in Social Policy; MA in Religion, Globalisation and Social Policy; MA Islam in Contemporary Societies Level X □ undergraduate X □ postgraduate Year X □ 1 X □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 Module title (if applicable) Discipline/Subject Social policy, politics, sociology of religion, anthropology, Middle East area studies areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Islamic welfare, social policy, Middle East, religious welfare, charity (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role Lecturer in Social Policy Organisation University of Kent

Page 11 Developing undergraduate students’ skills in qualitative data analysis through the Title of case study exploration of on-line Hajj diaries. Authors names Dr Iain Williamson, Dr John Song and Dr Steven Lyttle Activity details (total approx.1500 words) What the case study is This case study outlines Level 5 BSc Psychology students’ engagement with on-line diaries about describing British Muslim pilgrims’ accounts of performing Hajj. The teaching session (one paragraph to described aims to provide students with an opportunity to develop their skills in interpretative indicate to reader what phenomenological analysis, a form of qualitative analysis which applies idiographic and case study is about, which hermeneutic principles and techniques to the study of experiential data, whilst simultaneously will appear as the educating them about elements of the Muslim faith and exposing them to positive description of the case representations of Islam. We describe the pedagogy underpinning the session and provide an study on HEA website) account of students’ reactions.

Why we did it As part of the research methods component of our BSc Psychology programme our students (approx. 400 words) undertake training in qualitative methods in both Levels 4 and 5. Level 5 activities focus on the analysis of qualitative data and students are introduced to different approaches to qualitative data analysis including interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which focuses on participant accounts of some element of lived experience (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009).

We teach IPA for several reasons. First, it is a popular, relatively accessible and contemporary method and students’ learning is well supported by detailed coverage of both epistemological aspects and analytic techniques in textbooks (e.g., Howitt, 2010; Lyons & Coyle, 2007; Willig, 2009). Second, the popularity of the method amongst researchers ensures that students are able to access research articles (across a wide range of topic areas) that have used the technique via databases such as PsycARTICLES and PsycINFO. Finally, several members of the research methods team have expertise in the paradigm.

Students are taught about IPA through a one-hour lecture (which explains the principles and procedures of the paradigm) and a subsequent two-hour workshop session which provides the opportunity to practice the ‘steps’ of analysis with data provided by the programme team. It is the latter which is the focus of this case study. In recent years we have used data from on-line diaries posted by British Muslims whilst performing Hajj. We selected this focus for a number of reasons.

Pilgrims’ diaries provide insights into an element of human experience where it would be both impractical and inappropriate to collect data ‘in situ’. Because the diaries we use have been produced during Hajj, they provide accounts which are detailed, rich in imagery and metaphor and which offer a compelling sense of participants’ meaning-making processes. Thus, the material is particularly well suited to an IPA analysis.

Hajj diaries also provide an opportunity for students to explore a key element of Muslims’ lives which is currently rather overlooked within academic psychology. In-depth research which investigates lived experiences of faith and spirituality tends to be occur in disciplines such as sociology, anthropology and theology (e.g. Cox, 2010; Timothy & Olsen, 2006) rather than psychology (Abu-Raiya & Pargament, 2010). In addition, our experience is that materials used in research methods training in psychology are typically ‘Eurocentric’.

The use of on-line diary data also allows students to develop their knowledge of a method which is relatively under-used in Psychology. This also facilitates discussion around areas such as management of ethics when using these types of data and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

References:

1. Abu-Raiya, H. & Pargament, K. I. (2010). Empirically based psychology of Islam: Page 12 Summary and critique of the literature. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 14, 93- 115. 2. Cox, J. L. (2010). An introduction to the phenomenology of religion. London: Continuum 3. Howitt, D. (2010). An introduction to qualitative methods in psychology. Harlow: Pearson.

4. Lyons, E. & Coyle, A. (2007). Analysing qualitative data in psychology. London: Sage.

5. Smith, J. A., Flowers, P. & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. London: Sage.

6. Timothy, D. J. & Olsen, D. H. (Eds.) (2006). Tourism, religion and spiritual journeys. Abingdon: Routledge. 7. Willig, C. (2008). Introducing qualitative research in psychology: Adventures in theory and method. (2nd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press.

What we wanted to We wanted to develop students’ skills in qualitative data analysis whilst simultaneously achieve fostering intercultural understandings of Hajj and its importance to practising Muslims. (one sentence) All classes were facilitated by two tutors with groups of around fifteen students. Students were divided into sub-groups (typically four students) and provided with one of two diaries (Diary A or Diary B) at the start of the session. The diaries used were both relatively brief (around1800 words). Students were also made aware of a range of support materials which were not distributed as hard copies but which were available via the university’s virtual learning environment. Details of these resources are listed below, and included an article that described the geography and rituals of Hajj, a web-link to a glossary that defined various Islamic-Arabic terms, and a psychology article on pilgrimage that was primarily intended as post-class reading. Some tutors projected images accessed from the internet to help students visualise aspects of Hajj.

Students were instructed to familiarise themselves with the account they had been given by reading it carefully and independently at least three times. Subsequently, (and still working alone) they were required to make notes on the diary transcript itself and note ideas, interesting use of language or imagery, and other observations in the left hand margin (this process is known as eliciting ‘first order codes’). When they had completed this process, they were asked to use the right hand margin to group some of these codes together to form initial ‘themes’ for the diarist. Once they had done this, they were asked to work with their group A short description of members to compare these initial themes and to cluster them together to form themes which what we did they felt summarised key elements of the diarist’s experience. Groups were told to be selective (approx. 600 words) and to construct three themes which were interesting, persuasive and well supported by extracts from the diary itself. Tutors supported the students by answering questions and helping to refine the emerging themes. This part of the session typically lasted for around 80 minutes. All students in the class then received the other diary. Each group was then asked to describe their themes and outline the particular extracts that they had selected as ‘evidence’ for the theme. Tutors noted the ideas on a whiteboard and encouraged discussion especially where groups who had been working on the same diary had developed different themes.

The class was then encouraged to move from thinking about the accounts in an idiographic manner and to consider shared elements of experience in the accounts of the two diarists. Tutors leading the sessions were provided with examples of worked analysis for both diaries and one theme which was felt to be a key element of shared meaning in both sources. These were used at the tutors’ discretion but often proved beneficial where students had struggled with the analysis of their diary or where they were struggling to see common elements of experience across the two diaries.

The final part of the session was spent discussing various elements of the method including the use of on-line materials, researcher reflexivity, the challenges of interpretation, and a critical discussion of IPA. What worked well  Staff report that students find the session interesting and that they engage well with (approx. 10 bullet points) the material.  The session was designed to be delivered flexibly and could therefore be adapted to

Page 13 the size and aptitude of the students in a particular group. Where students were progressing particularly slowly, it was possible to ask them to engage with certain sections of the transcripts (rather than the full accounts). In addition the discussion at the end of the session could be expanded or shortened depending on how the class had progressed with the core workshop activity of data analysis.  The tutors enjoyed working collaboratively and developing their skills in qualitative methods. It was particularly beneficial for those tutors with expertise in quantitative methods who in many cases had been exposed to relatively little previous training in qualitative methods. Some tutors commented that they had learned a lot about both IPA and Hajj.  The data were rich in content with plenty of vivid imagery and metaphors and thus, lent themselves well to the IPA methodology (which aims to ‘give voice’ to participants). The nature of the material also allowed students to discuss the motives behind the diaries – i.e., the extent to which diarists aimed to educate or extol as well as describe their own experiences.  The inclusion of the on-line glossary enabled the students to understand some of the unfamiliar words and concepts in the diaries better and made the material more accessible.  Students were exposed to materials that they might otherwise not encounter at university. For some students this session was an opportunity for them to learn about an aspect of a religion with which they are unfamiliar.  This session was the ninth in a series of weekly two-hour workshops and students were well-used to working together by the time of this activity.  Although we had provided resources explaining key words mentioned in the diaries, some students found it difficult to comprehend some ideas in the material due to the use of ‘foreign’ vocabulary and concepts.  Some students read through the diaries very slowly and this caused difficulties both within and between groups as different individuals made progress at varying speeds. Problems and / or The provision of additional resources via the virtual learning environment went some issues way to addressing this issue but in some workshops the second part of the session felt (approx. 10 bullet points) rushed and the whole-class discussion at the end of the workshop was rudimentary.  Ideally, we would have liked students to be able to read both diaries thoroughly, and have had more time to draw common themes across both diaries during the workshop. However this is not practicable across a single session.  Some students seemed uncomfortable with analysing data based on pilgrimage experiences, either due to their own (negative) views of religion, or their fear of making comments that might be misconstrued as offensive during class discussion. What students thought  We asked our students some questions about their experience of the session using an about it open-ended questionnaire. Positive responses primarily related to developing (approx. 10 bullet points) analytic skills and knowledge about Islam:  Many students found the data themselves engaging and described them as ‘rich in emotion’, ‘very interesting and informative’, ‘relevant and insightful’ ‘and ‘an eye opener’.  Most students were positive about ‘doing something different’ ‘out of the ordinary’ and working with data that relate to ‘multiculturalism’. Several students felt the session was ‘very enjoyable’. One student said ‘it gave me a better understanding of how important it is to Muslim people to attend Hajj.’ Another wrote ‘The session increased my knowledge and understanding of the Hajj and some aspects of Islam’.  A majority of students found that the session enhanced their understanding of the analytic processes involved in an IPA. They described the activities as ‘very helpful’ and ‘really useful’. One student wrote that ‘I feel the session was useful as I was able to hear other people’s interpretation of the language used in the diaries and get tips on how to analyse’. Another commented ‘It helped me to form a better understanding of IPA and I also learned that qualitative work can actually be quite fun’.  Some students commented positively on the development of specific and transferable skills. One student said ‘The experience of IPA in the workshop was useful for the assignment as the skills that were practiced could be transferred’. Another commented ‘As I am wanting to do a qualitative dissertation next year I found the workshop particularly useful as it helped me to practice the techniques used to analyze data.’  A small number of students had participated in pilgrimages themselves (either Islamic or Catholic). These students found the session particularly interesting and of personal relevance.

Page 14 Students also had some criticisms of the workshop:

 The most common theme in the negative feedback related to the use of religious material. A sizeable minority of students made statements like ‘studying religion is tedious’ ‘it was boring if I’m honest’ or ‘my interest waned almost immediately’. Some students stated that the material ‘had no relevance to me’.  Other students admitted to feeling uncomfortable discussing the material – especially in groups incorporating Muslims and non-Muslims. Some Muslim students voiced concerns about being seen as representatives of their faith group and were ‘worried’ about being asked questions by their classmates and ‘scared I would get anything wrong’. Some Non-Muslim students stated that they were ‘uncomfortable’ and seemed to be concerned about saying things which were unintentionally offensive.  Some students struggled with some of the terminology in the diaries and, even though they described the additional resources as helpful, found some of the unfamiliar terms ‘daunting’ and ‘confusing’. A few found the process of having to cross-reference with the glossary laborious and felt it disrupted the ‘flow’ of analysis.  A few students felt that there ‘too much to read in the time’. One student wrote that ‘everything took place so fast’. Some students suggested that the diary data be provided to students ahead of the session so they were familiar with them before the session started.  Our session demonstrates that there are important opportunities to teach about Islam outside of ‘specialist’ modules on social or cross-cultural psychology. Key messages  With careful planning students can develop research skills and learn about aspects of (approx. 3-4 bullet Islam in parallel in a way that most find interesting and enjoyable. points)  Because of the nature of the material, additional resources that explain the language and rituals of Hajj in an accessible manner are essential.  Tutors need to be aware that some students (both Muslim and non-Muslim) find the discussion of religion discomforting. Related documents or links We used the following Hajj diaries for the activity: (Module booklet, links to web resources etc)  Alveena Salim (2007) Diary of my Hajj http://www.minhaj.org/english/tid/2938/Diary-of-my-Hajj.html  Imitiaz Tyab (2007) My Hajj diary http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7144222.stm

The sessions take place in a room where each student has access to a personal computer with internet and intranet access, and tutors are able to use visual projection facilities.

We provided students with access to resources during the session to help them understand the rituals, geography and Arabic-Islamic language and concepts mentioned in the diary and to provide a theoretical context for the psychological study of Hajj. These resources (along with the audio-visual presentation that accompanies the lecture on IPA) are made available to students via our virtual learning environment and can therefore be read during or after the session. The resources were:

 A glossary of Islamic terms is made available via the following link: http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/engagement/resources/texts/muslim/reference/g lossary.html

 A related psychology article, provided as a pdf file:

Mazumdar, S. & Mazumdar, S. (2004). Religion and place attachment: A study of sacred places. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 24, 385–397.

 An article which describes core elements of the Hajj pilgrimage is also provided:

Long. D. E. (2003). The Hajj and its impact on Saudi Arabia and the Muslim world. Saudi-American Forum, 6, 1-9.

Page 15 It is also possible to project photographs of Hajj sites and rituals from photo journalism websites such as:

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1865298,00.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11757499 The workshop described here aims to provide Psychology students with some engagement with key aspects of Islam. Members of the team have also developed a series of other opportunities for students to explore the influence of Islam on identity and behaviour in other Any other comments modules of the BSc Psychology programme. Our students engage with topics such as British Muslims’ perspectives on organ donation, the ways in which gay Muslim men navigate their spiritual and sexual identities, and exploring the motives of white Europeans who convert to Islam. Course details Course title BSc (Hons) Psychology Level Undergraduate Year 2 Module title (if Further Research Methods for Psychologists applicable) Discipline/Subject areas Psychology, Social Science (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Phenomenology; Hajj; lived experience; diaries; research (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Dr Iain Williamson is the Programme Leader for the MSc Health Psychology at De Montfort University and a lecturer and workshop leader on the Further Research Methods for Psychologists module on the BSc Psychology programme. Iain wrote the Hajj diaries session and accompanying lecture and has delivered the session on several occasions.

Dr John Song is the Module Leader for Further Research Methods for Psychologists. John Role lectures on the module and is a workshop leader. He has delivered the Hajj diaries session on several occasions.

Dr Steven Lyttle is the Head of the Division of Psychology at De Montfort University, Leicester. Steven has been a workshop leader on Further Research Methods for Psychologists for a number of years and has delivered the Hajj diaries session on several occasions. Organisation Division of Psychology at De Montfort University, Leicester Email address [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]

Page 16 The Messages Behind Imam al-Husayn’s Martyrdom: Title of case study How Shi‘i Muslims Commemorate the Tragedy of Karbala Author name Imranali Panjwani (LLB, MPhil, PGDip) Activity details (total approx.1500 words) My case study is about the deeper intellectual messages and moral motivations behind Shi‘i Muslims’ commemorations of the tragedy of Karbala. The tragedy, which took place on 10 th Muharram 61 A.H/680 C.E in Karbala, Iraq, saw al-Husayn, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, martyred on the orders of the caliph, Yazid. In addition to al-Husayn’s martyrdom, Yazid’s huge army massacred al-Husayn’s relatives and companions, including What the case study is young children and enslaved the surviving women. In Islamic history, this event carries great about significance for Muslims, particularly Shi‘i Muslims, as it shows al-Husayn’s sacrifice for (one paragraph to justice and Yazid’s cruelty. indicate to reader what case study is about, which What has unfortunately happened in academia as well as the media is a greater focus on the will appear as the rituals of Shi‘i Muslims in their commemorations of this event. These rituals, which range description of the case from beating chests to passion plays, have been overemphasised by scholars in the field to study on HEA website) depict a rather colourful and aesthetic view of the martyrdom. Whilst this occupies a place in Shi‘i mourning, the commemoration of the martyrdom is driven by a strong moral attachment to al-Husayn and his sacrifice. This case study aims to explore this attachment and demystify some of the rituals to penetrate the core meanings behind them. It is hoped this would give a more meaningful analysis of the tragedy and what al-Husayn stood for.

I undertook this case study to bring out the intellectual themes of the tragedy of Karbala such as justice, human dignity, torture, corruption and freedom of expression. There is hardly any literature on these issues within the context of al-Husayn’s martyrdom. Moreover, there is little examination of the perception of Shi‘i Muslims on these themes and what morally drives them every year to engage in mourning during the months of Muharram and Safar in the Islamic calendar.

For example, works such as ‘The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi‘i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran’ by Kamran Scot Aghaie (2004), ‘The Women of Karbala: Ritual Performance and Symbolic Why I did it Discourses in Modern Shi‘i Islam’ by Kamran Scot Aghaie (2006) and ‘The Shi‘ites: Ritual and (approx. 400 words) Popular Piety in a Muslim Community’ by David Pinault (1992) focus on the ritualistic, symbolic and ceremonial aspects of Shi‘i commemorations. Arguably the only work to intellectualise the tragedy is the seldom recognised conference of 1984 which was published in a book by the Muhammadi Trust entitled, ‘Al-Serat: Imam Hussain – Conference.’

My case study also aimed to connect the abuses al-Husayn, his family and companions went through to contemporary world events such as terrorism, unilateral violence and torture. There is very little literature on al-Husayn’s theory of justice and freedom, how he impacted revolutionaries after him such as Mahatma Ghandi and his status as a universal saint, outside the Islamic context.

What I wanted to I wanted to re-contextualise the tragedy of Karbala from being a purely ritualistic event to a achieve morally-appealing historical event, accessible for all human beings and achieve a more (one sentence) balanced portrayal of Shi‘i commemorative practices.

A short description of In order to carry out this case study, I conducted a module comprising of 12 seminars at the what I did Imam Hasan Centre in Sydney, Australia during Muharram. It was entitled: ‘Intellectual (approx. 600 words) approaches to Karbala: Al-Husayn – the Human Conscience.’ The venue was purposeful; a Shi‘i community centre with people from Pakistani, Indian, East-African, Afghani, Iraqi and Iranian backgrounds. University students, professionals and lay members were present and the seminars were interactive to engage with the participants. The seminars were also held adjacent to a hall in which the members would gather after the seminar to participate in matam (beating of the chest), recitation of poetry and procession of symbols associated with Karbala such as the alam (flag) and lash (coffin).

Page 17 The contrast of intellectual dialogue and commemorative practice allowed me to see how many community members were reflective of the reasons behind their actions, what the ritual practices meant to them and whether they could practically apply the moral messages of Karbala. Furthermore, the question and answer sessions enabled me to accomplish the main task of my case study – to penetrate the aesthetics of the majalis (literally ‘seated gathering’; also used to denote a lecture) and understand what motivated members to develop such a strong attachment to al-Husayn’s sacrifice.

Empirically, I also observed the commemorative practices to feel the atmosphere of mourning, understand the breadth of emotions and the importance of symbols as depictions of the tragedy of Karbala. This helped me enter the minds of those who placed more emphasis on ritual commemoration to those that didn’t.

Academically, I divided the module into several parts covering the following topics: jihad (striving), iman (faith), human dignity, human rights, freedom of religion, interpretation of the Qur’an and finally, justice. Each part was designed to bring out the moral and intellectual issues of al-Husayn’s sacrifice.

The final part of the course was one-to-one tutorials to engage with interested participants on what they had learnt in the module, their view of ritual commemoration before and after the module and whether they agreed with the aim of the case study i.e. the extraction of the deeper messages of the tragedy of Karbala.

 The concept of the majalis or lecture prodded people to think practically about the martyrdom of al-Husayn. Although participants admitted that some speakers focus purely on heightening people’s emotions towards the sacrifices by graphically narrating the deaths of al-Husayn and his followers, others pose moral and intellectual questions about the event. This showed within the rituals of Karbala, the majalis provided a potential medium to get intellectual messages across.  Using the majalis as a medium for my module, I found that the younger generation of Shi‘i Muslims were actively looking for connections between Imam al-Husayn and his view of human rights and justice. They wanted to link the tragic events to What worked well contemporary philosophical and world issues. It appeared that few lecturers were (approx. 10 bullet points) willing to make these connections and if they did, it was too generalised.  The majority of participants admitted that their strong attachment to al-Husayn is based on both the moral imperative of learning from his sacrifice as well as the emotive and ritual element of commemorating it. This underscored the importance of bringing out the moral foundations of al-Husayn’s martyrdom.  Some of the older generation of Shi‘i Muslims also appreciated the philosophical approach of the module as it encouraged them to think beyond the tragedy.  The one-to-one tutorials enabled interested participants, male and female, to ask deeper questions outside the structure of the lecture.

 Some members of the older generation of Shi‘i Muslims initially found it difficult to digest ethical analyses of the tragedy of Karbala but later admitted that it filled the void of linking the tragedy to their lives today.  Symbols and cultural nuances such as wearing black, holding the alam (flag) and Problems and / or carrying out replica coffins of those who were martyred were beneficial to issues participants to connect with the event of Karbala. However, sensitivity was required (approx. 10 bullet points) on several occasions during discussions so that people’s cultural methods of commemorating the tragedy, particularly on Ashura day, were not impinged upon.  Despite the module’s emphasis on a more practical rather than ritualistic view of the sacrifice of al-Husayn, it appeared that the over-emphasis on commemorative aspects such as zanjir (self-flagellation) by some cultures still took place. What students thought  The younger generation of Shi‘i Muslims thoroughly enjoyed and accepted the idea of about it delving into the moral foundations of al-Husayn’s sacrifice. In fact, it appeared there (approx. 10 bullet points) was a long overdue demand for this approach which was not facilitated by the older generation of Shi‘i Muslims.  Some members of the older generation of Shi‘i Muslims accepted the aforementioned approach but there were a few who believed the approach was too radical.  Female participants, particularly undergraduates, had the highest percentage of

Page 18 questions. It seemed as if female perspectives on the tragedy were not always facilitated.  Postgraduates immediately understood the messages of the module but wanted more by way of books and articles that they could refer to in their own time.  I found that Shi‘i Muslims are driven by a strong moral attachment to the tragedy of Karbala, contrary to representations in wider academia and media. However, the ritual and emotive element still occupied a strong place in their hearts. To me, this was important and necessary but at times, the moral attachment was not intellectualised.  The younger generation of Shi‘i Muslims expect intellectual deliberations of the Key messages tragedy and when this expectation is not met, they may find it difficult to connect to (approx. 3-4 bullet al-Husayn’s sacrifice (despite the presence of commemorative symbols and rituals). points) For the older generation, it is the opposite; rituals hold a more important place than bringing out deeper analytical messages. However, this appears to be changing as parents have seen that the intellectual demands of their youngsters are a priority to them. This in turn influences the mindset of the older generation.  Despite the aesthetics of the commemoration of the tragedy of Karbala, the medium of the majalis or lecture still possesses an evolutionary quality to the extent that a particular speaker can use it to develop participants’ understanding of the tragedy. This point needs to be brought out in academic literature on Karbala. Primary Sources

1. Husayn, Ali ibn. Al-Sahifa Al-Sajjadiyyah (The Psalms of Islam), (Ansariyan Publications. 1987). Translated by William Chittick. 2. Mikhnaf, Abi. Kitab Maqtal al-Husayn. (n.d) www.sicm.org.uk/knowledge/Kitab %20Maqtal%20al-Husayn.pdf 3. Mufid, Muhammad. Kitab Al-Irshad – The Book of Guidance, (Muhammadi Trust, 1988). 4. Tabari, Muhammad. Tarikh al-Tabari. (State University of New York Press, 1996). 5. Tawus, Seyed Ibn. Lohoof (Sighs of Sorrow). (Naba Cultural Organisation, 2006). 6. Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary (English and Arabic Edition). (Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, 1987).

Secondary Sources

Related documents or 1. Aghaie, Kamran Scot. The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi‘i Symbols and Rituals in Modern links Iran. (University of Washington Press, 2004). (Module booklet, links to 2. Aghaie, Kamran Scot. The Women of Karbala: Ritual Performance and Symbolic web resources etc) Discourses in Modern Shi‘i Islam. (University of Texas Press, 2006). 3. Chelkowski, P. Ta'ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran. (New York University Press, 1979). 4. Enayat, Hamid. Modern Islamic Political Thought. (I.B Tauris, 2004). 5. Howard, Ian. Arabic Accounts of al-Husayn’s martyrdom. Al-Serat Journal, Spring 1986, The Imam Husayn Conference Number, XII/1. http://www.al-islam.org/al- serat/karbala-historical-resources/ 6. Howard, Ian. Events and Circumstances surrounding the martyrdom of al-Husain b. Ali. Al-Serat Journal, Vol I, 1975, no.2, pp3-13. http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/event/ 7. Ishtihardi, Mohammad. Lamentations – Part II: The Tragedy of the Lord of Martyrs (Al- Mahdi Institute, 2001). 8. Muhammadi Trust. Al-Serat – The Imam Husayn Conference. (Vol 12, 1986) 9. Mutahhari, Murtada. Ashura – Misrepresentations and Distortions. Al-Tawheed Journal, Vol 13. http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/ashura/ 10. Pinault, David. The Shi‘ites: Ritual and Popular Piety in a Muslim Community. (Palgrave MacMillan, 1993) 11. Qurashi, Baqir. The Life of Imam Husayn. (Ansariyan Publications, 2000)

Any other comments

Course details Course title ‘Intellectual approaches to Karbala: Al-Husayn – the Human Conscience’ Level undergraduate postgraduate

Page 19 Year 1 2 3 4 5 Module title (if applicable) Discipline/Subject Sociology, Anthropology, History and Theology areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Karbala, Husayn, Shi‘i, Martyrdom, Commemoration (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role Researcher & Final Year PhD Candidate Organisation King’s College London

Page 20 Title of case study Forced Marriage: an issue for social workers Author name Julie Williams Activity details (total approx.1500 words) What the case study is This case study discusses why and how the law on forced marriage is taught to social work about students. It also aims to illustrate why it has to be taught in a way which challenges the (one paragraph to stereotypes and prejudices many people have around Islam, arranged marriage and the indicate to reader what oppression of women. In doing so it also considers how you teach something that is case study is about, which statistically more prevalent within Muslim communities without encouraging or reinforcing will appear as the anti-Islamic attitudes and beliefs. description of the case study on HEA website)

The regulatory body for social work, the General Social Care Council (GSCC) makes it a requirement for qualifying social work courses to equip students with the knowledge and skills to work with people from any walk of life in a non-discriminatory and non-judgemental way. Throughout the course students are expected to reflect on their own attitudes and prejudices and this is done not just through specific modules but underpins all teaching. Social work students also need to have an understanding of social work law.

The course provides law teaching across all three years focusing on the core areas of social work practice. The final year law module allows students to specialise in one of the core areas but also introduces a range of complementary topics including forced marriage. On taking over the law module three years ago I introduced teaching on Domestic Violence, Why I did it Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation. I felt that Forced Marriage and FGM were (approx. 400 words) under-represented topics in social work education and, although marginal issues, can be very challenging when they arise in practice.

It is essential that future practitioners are able to identify cases of forced marriage and have an awareness of the mechanisms that exist to protect those at risk. In doing so it is also essential that they do not restrict their view of forced marriage as being somehow intrinsically linked to Islam.

Having taught this for the past three years I have observed that a number of students are of the opinion that forced marriage is almost exclusively found within the Pakistani Muslim community. What started out as a law lecture that made reference to the fact that forced marriage is not restricted to any particular religion, community or culture has had to develop into something more and challenge the prejudices and stereotypes some students have. What I wanted to To enable students to understand the relevance of forced marriage as an issue for social work achieve practitioners whilst also making explicit the distinctions between forced and arranged (one sentence) marriage and challenging misconceptions about Islam being a central force behind forced marriage. A short description of Students watch and discuss the video produced by the Forced Marriage Unit. what I did (approx. 600 words) This is followed by a lecture on the law illustrated with case examples from my own practice.

When challenging gender stereotypes it helps that one of my cases involved a young Muslim man who was willing to marry the chosen partner but fundamentally disagreed with his parents as to when it should happen. This generates much discussion, reinforces the 2009 FMU statistics showing that 14% of cases involve males and also serves to illustrate the distinction between arranged and force marriage.

I developed case studies for students to consider the role of social work practitioners in cases of forced marriage. Each case study examines the legal aspects and practice implications for social workers. These also serve to generate discussion on values and culture. They are:

 a 23 year old woman declining an arranged marriage;

Page 21  a 14 year old girl not attending school whose friends disclose that she is worried about being taken abroad for marriage;  the capacity of a 22 year old man with a severe learning disability to consent to an arranged marriage.

There is a Moodle site for the module with a link to an e-learning course developed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Students are encouraged to do this. It’s a fairly short activity that is an ideal study aid. When it is successfully completed they can print out a certificate of achievement. Other links are to the FCO professional guidance documents. Students are encouraged to read these.

Student's ability to apply their knowledge of the law is assessed by means of a question in an open book law exam. It based on a question on a short case scenario with multiple choice answers.  Case studies enabled students to make the links between the law and practice whilst generating debate on ethics, morality and values;  Talking about Western European practices of arranging marriages to perpetuate wealth, status and the needs of the family rather than to pursue individual happiness;  Talking about the practice of bride kidnapping still practiced in a few Eastern European communities;  Talking about other ways of finding partners and how well that can work when the What worked well first time you meet each other is through ‘beer goggles’; (approx. 10 bullet points)  Video from the Forced Marriage Unit was popular;  Discussion of real cases I dealt with when practising as a social worker;  Students disclosing personal experience or knowledge of forced marriage. At least one student in every cohort knows of a case;  Students challenging their more resistant/sceptical colleagues on the acceptability and validity of arranged marriage e.g. “My mum and dad have been happily married for 35 years, have five children, and didn’t meet until the day they married” Muslim student.  Dealing with the open scepticism that arranged marriages are voluntary, workable and enduring;  When I am talking about my own practice experience I deliberately do not mention Problems and / or the person's religion. I am always asked what their religion is. If I say Islam I always issues notice that there are several students whose prejudices have been obviously been (approx. 10 bullet points) confirmed;  Convincing students that cultural practices do not necessarily have to align with any particular religion;  Time allowed for teaching and learning.  Module feedback demonstrated that students had enjoyed learning about the topic;  Felt more able to understand the distinction between forced and arranged marriage;  Several expressed surprise that forced marriage is not restricted to Islam or women What students thought and girls; about it  They found learning from my own practice experience useful; (approx. 10 bullet points)  Some British South Asian students came to me and thanked me for raising the topic. They felt more confident in challenging misconceptions around arranged marriages;  Some students felt that they had their views challenged, not just by the teaching content but, by the contributions made by students with personal knowledge of arranged or forced marriage. Key messages  Forced marriage is an issue across all areas of social work practice; (approx. 3-4 bullet  It is not an ‘Islamic problem’; points)  It is not gender specific.

Related documents or 1. Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 links 2. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2007/20/contents (Module booklet, links to 3. The Forced Marriage Unit video is available on YouTube web resources etc) 4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoGwwlFw20s 5. Forced Marriage e-learning training. An e-learning module developed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 6. https://www.fmelearning.co.uk/login/index.php

Page 22 7. Islam and Social Work: Debating values, transforming practice. 8. Ashencaen Crabtree, S, Husain, F, and, Spalek, B. (2008) BASW/Policy Press

9. The Right to Choose: Multi-agency statutory guidance for dealing with forced marriage (2008) 10. http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/3849543/forced-marriage-right-to- choose

11. Multi-Agency practice guidelines: Handling cases of Forced Marriage (2009) 12. http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/3849543/forced-marriage- guidelines09.pdf

13. Forced Marriage and Learning Disabilities: Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines (2010) 14. http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/travel-living-abroad/when-things-go- wrong/fm-disability-guidelines

I am willing to make my PowerPoint and case studies available. Please email me. Any other comments I review and revise the teaching session each year and would welcome suggestions for improvement. Course details Course title Level X undergraduate □ postgraduate Year □ 1 □ 2 X 3 □ 4 □ 5 Module title (if Social Work Law applicable) Discipline/Subject Social Work/Law areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords forced marriage; law; social work; arranged marriage; safeguarding (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role Lecturer in Social Work Organisation Birmingham City University Email address [email protected]

Page 23 Title of case study International Relations of The Modern Middle East Author name Kamran Matin Activity details (total approx.1500 words) What the case study is This case study promotes the educational potentials of a multi-disciplinary approach to the about study of the modern history and politics of Muslim societies of the Middle East. It is based on a (one paragraph to third year undergraduate course, International relations of the Modern Middle East, which indicate to reader what seeks to provide a non-essentialist approach to the modern Middle East through the case study is about, which application of an ‘international-historical-sociological’ approach. Each weekly theme seeks to will appear as the show how the internal socio-political structures and institutions of the modern Muslim description of the case societies were fundamentally shaped by their constant interaction with the external, mostly study on HEA website) Western originated, pressures, opportunities, and constrains.

I was born and grew up in a Muslim society, witnessed an ‘Islamic’ revolution as a young adult, and have studied and lived in the UK for the last 13 years. During these years, I have observed that Western public opinion regarding the Muslim world is largely based on a culturalist and often essentialist clichés that associates all the contemporary problems of the Muslim world, the Middle East in particular, to Islam. I have been surprised by the fact that although such approaches have lost much of their previous influence within academia, they still remain highly influential in public discourse and policy-making institutions. In fact the project of ‘multi-culturalism’ in Europe is tacitly based on a notion of culture and religion as an internally coherent and largely autonomous phenomenon that ultimately determines the social and political life of its subject population.

I engaged with this issue in a systematic way during my doctoral research on the Iranian revolution. A significant portion of the existing literature on the Iranian Revolution is influenced by a culturalist approach that views it as an instance of the resistance of ‘Islam’ or ‘Muslims’ to modernity. There is of course a growing body of literature that challenges this conception but the challenge has by and large remained empirical and not theoretical. In my doctoral thesis I sought to develop a conceptual basis for explaining and understanding the Why I did it phenomenon of ‘political Islam’ as produced by, and constitutive of, modernity, and not its (approx. 400 words) inherent negation.

In working out this conceptual basis I found the combination of the theoretical insights of the disciplines of International Relations (IR) and classical (historical) sociology extremely revealing. In designing and teaching this course, I tried to apply this multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the modern Middle East with special focus on the processes of nation-state formation, political institutions, and modern ideologies. In particular, I sought to show the students that while Islam is undoubtedly a crucial variable in understanding the modern history and contemporary politics of the Middle East, it is neither the only variable nor even a coherent and constant one. Rather, it is a historical phenomenon that has been shaped and reshaped throughout its history in the context of Muslims’ encounters and confrontations with other societies; and that the all-important questions of democracy, political Islam, political oppression, gender etc., should be addressed with these wider fields of international relations and historical legacies. This approach therefore shows that religion and cultures are not discreet and unchanging but historical and dynamic phenomena. More importantly, it hopefully allows the students to envision the possibility of change in what is perceived to be Islamic values and culture for their ultimately subject to Muslims’ interpretation and enactment. What I wanted to To cultivate a critical approach to the study of the Middle East that recognises that Islam is achieve ultimately what Muslims make of it under concrete international, historical and social (one sentence) circumstances.

A short description of I designed the course with the specific aim of highlighting the explanatory potentials of a what I did three-dimensional international, social and historical approach to the Middle East’s modern (approx. 600 words) political history. The course, taken by undergraduate finalists, therefore consists of four parts. First, it critically surveys the traditional theoretical approaches to the analysis of Middle East states and societies. Second, it delineates the wider historical and international context of the

Page 24 region’s contemporary politics by looking critically at the origins and outcomes of the formation of modern Middle Eastern states. It also examines the reasons for and the ways in which this process and its outcomes have differed from its European counter-parts. Third, it provides in-depth analyses of three major contemporary political developments in the region, namely, the 1979 Iranian revolution and the subsequent evolution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Iraq War. The course concludes by looking at two pieces of writing that are informed by the kind of international-social-historical sensitivity that the course has tried to cultivate.

In weeks 1 and 2 we examine the Middle East both as a geographical and academic field and the pitfalls of orientalism (and Eurocentrism), i.e. studying the Middle East using theories and concepts that are constructed based on historical experience of Europe as a self-contained and autonomous entity. In week 3 we look at the international dimension of the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the subsequent imperialist composition of the political geography of the region. In week 4 we look at the impact of oil and the Cold War on the region, and the specific ways in which they have re-embedded the Middle East in the international political economy, and served to heighten socio-political tensions at national and regional levels. In week 5 we use the historical insights gleaned from the previous weeks to critically examine the character of the state and political rule in Middle Eastern countries and the reasons for their generally authoritarian forms. In week 6 we then turn to a major contemporary challenge to authoritarian modernizing Middle Eastern states, namely Political Islam. We look at their social and international contexts and ideological discourse. In weeks 7, 8, and 9 we deepen our analysis of the contemporary Middle East through a more detailed analysis of three formative events in the region, i.e. the 1979 revolution in Iran and the turbulent evolution of post-revolutionary Iran, the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Iraq War. We conclude the course in week 10 by studying two pieces of writing that mobilise the three- dimensional approach we have tried to operationalise in the previous weeks. I choose the first piece but the second reading is chosen by the students in small working-groups. Each group selects a book, a book chapter or a journal article on the Middle East that it considers to display a similar approach.

The readings for each week include a historical piece, an ‘internalist’ account of the subject matter and a counter-reading that has an international and historical conceptual sensitivity.

I make extensive use of audio-visual material for the course all compiled in Study Direct site available to the students online. The seminars largely revolve around students working in small groups dealing with pre-formulated questions leading to a general discussion I have also used role-play and ‘quiz’ techniques to stimulate the intellectual curiosity and interest of the students. 1. The structure of the course proceeding along a theoretical, historical, empirical (in depth case studies) line. 2. Repeating, in different iterations, the basic intellectual premise of the course, namely, the mutual constitution of international (or inter-societal) relations and internal social and political relations and patterns of development. 3. The choice of the readings supplemented by my own comments in the seminar. The students were often productively surprised by learning about the secular-modern What worked well aspects or experience of Muslim societies in the Middle East and the extent to which (approx. 10 bullet points) these were marginalised or defeated as a result of international relations, e.g. the Cold War. 4. Posing provocative questions forcing the students to leave their intellectual comfort zone. 5. Labouring on conceptual issues. 6. Role-play was very useful in encouraging the students to articulate their views. I often tried to assign the roles in such a way so that the students had to argue against their normal intellectual positions. Problems and / or 1. Find an appropriate language to convey the importance of theoretical and issues methodological issues involved in the study of the Middle East. (approx. 10 bullet points) 2. Most students’ limited background knowledge of the Middle East and Islam. 3. Few students read or spoke any Middle Eastern language. 4. Finding good pieces on the Middle East that would resonate with the multi- disciplinary approach promoted by the Course.

Page 25 5. Some students thought that the course had an intellectual bias. This was arguably due to the fact that the notion of ‘international-historical-sociology’ in IR is largely developed from a critical Marxist approach. 6. The scope of the course covering a whole region tends to occlude the diversity and complexity of the region and countries therein to be sufficiently appreciated. 1. The majority seem to have liked the structure and the holistic approach of the course. What students thought 2. Some find the readings too difficult or too much. about it 3. They like the role-play and discussions. (approx. 10 bullet points) 4. Some prefer a more active role from me giving ad-hoc mini-lectures others prefer student-led discussions.

1. International relations as integrated by distinct dimensions of social world. Key messages 2. Think critically about cultural categories. (approx. 3-4 bullet 3. The Middle East is not just about Islam and oil. points) 4. Islam is a social and historical phenomenon.

Related documents or 1. James Bill and Robert Springborg, Politics in the Middle East, 4th edn. (New York: links HarperCollins, 1994). (Course booklet, links to 2. Simon Bromley, Rethinking Middle East Politics: State Formation and Development web resources etc) (Cambridge: Polity, 1994). 3. Barry Buzan and Ana Gonzalez-Pelaez, eds., International Society and the Middle East: English School Theory at the Regional Level (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009). 4. Paul Cammack, David Pool and William Tordoff, Third World Politics: A Comparative Introduction, 2nd edn. (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1993). 5. William Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East, 3rd edn. (Boulder: Westview, 2004). 6. Louise Fawcett (ed.), International Relations of the Middle East (Oxford: OUP, 2005). 7. Deborah Gerner (ed.), Understanding the Contemporary Middle East (Boulder: Lynne Rienner, 2000). 8. Fred Halliday, The Middle East in International Relations: Power, Politics and Ideology (Cambridge: CUP, 2007). 9. Clement Henry and Robert Springborg, Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East (Cambridge: CUP, 2001). 10. Dilip Hiro, Dictionary of the Middle East (London: Macmillan, 1996). 11. John Hobson, The Eastern origins of Western Civilisation (Cambridge: CUP, 2004). 12. Albert Hourani, A History of the Arab Peoples (London: Faber, 1991). 13. Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacquline S. Ismael, Government and Politics of the Contemporary Middle East: Continuity and Change (London: Routledge, 2011). 14. Dietrich Jung, ‘Islam and Politics: A Fixed Relationship?’, Middle East Critique, 16:1: 19-35. 15. David Long and Bernard Reich (eds.), The Government and Politics of the Middle East, 4th edn. (Boulder: Westview, 2002). 16. Ian Lustic, ‘The Absence of Middle Eastern Great Powers: Political ‘Backwardness’ in Historical Perspective’, International Organization, (1997), 51(4): 653— 683. 17. Roger Owen, State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East, 3rd edn. (London: Routledge, 2004). 18. Peter Mansfield, A History of the Middle East, 2nd edn. (London: Penguin, 2003). 19. Marty, Martine E. and Appleby, R. Scott, eds., Fundamentalisms Project (Five Volumes) (Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1991-1995). 20. Kamran Matin, ‘Decoding Political Islam: Uneven and Combined Development and Ali Shariati’s Political Thought’, in Shilliam, R., ed., International Relations and Non- Western Thought: Imperialism, Colonialism and Investigations of Global Modernity (London: Routledge, 2010), pp. 108-124. 21. Beverley Milton-Edwards, Contemporary Politics in the Middle East (Cambridge: Polity, 2000). 22. Gerd Nonnenman, ed., Analyzing Middle East Foreign Policies and the Relationship with Europe (London: Routledge, 2005). 23. William Polk, The Arab World Today, 5th edn. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991). 24. Alan Richards and John Waterbury, A Political Economy of the Middle East, 2nd edn. (Boulder: Westview, 1996).

Page 26 25. Leon Trotsky, The History of Russian Revolution, 3 Vols in 1, (London: Gollancz,1934). 26. Malcolm Yapp, The Near East Since the First World War, 2nd edn. (London: Longman, 1996). 27. Sami Zubaida, Islam, the People and the State: essays on political ideas and movements in the Middle East (London: Rouledge, 1988). Any other comments

Course details Course title International Relations of the Modern Middle East Level □ undergraduate □ postgraduate Year □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 Module title (if applicable) Discipline/Subject International Relations, Politics areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords International Relations, Middle East, Political Islam (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role Lecturer in International Relations Organisation Department of International Relations, The University of Sussex Email address [email protected]

Page 27 Title of case study Seminar on ‘War on Terror - New Racism or Security?’ Author name Madeline-Sophie Abbas Activity details (total approx.1500 words) The seminar centred on exploring the political and social consequences of 9/11 and 7/7 for Muslims living in Britain. These debates were discussed in relation to key concepts of Islamophobia, community cohesion, multiculturalism, Britishness, and belonging. Key areas of What the case study is exploration included practices of racialisation e.g. racial profiling, the criminalisation of about Muslims resulting from anti/counter-terrorism legislation and the Prevent agenda, the role of (one paragraph to the media, and the increased securitization of Britain and its effects on Muslims’ lived indicate to reader what experiences. These debates contribute to provide a nuanced analysis of the challenges faced by case study is about, which Muslims to negotiate their position in Britain and their right to belong, and provide tools in will appear as the which to critique the current treatment of Muslims and Islam in Britain. This case study description of the case explores key concepts, interrogates stereotypes, and draws out key debates/issues through study on HEA website) group discussions with the aid of two newspaper articles and short extracts from first-hand accounts of participants from my own research project to engage students and focus the discussions.

I wanted to interrogate students’ assumptions about Islam and Muslims in the UK and to challenge them to think about how negative portrayals in the media and increased securitisation through anti/counter-terrorism have affected their everyday experiences. I wanted students to consider the implications that these discourses might have, not only on Why I did it Muslims and Muslim communities, but the wider impact on community relations between (approx. 400 words) Muslims and non-Muslims. There is a knowledge gap surrounding the effects of government legislation/policy and the media on the everyday experiences of Muslims. This seminar attempted to address this gap by presenting an oppositional view to dominant arguments in favour of increased securitisation, to explore the effects of surveillance and restrictions on civil liberties/human rights on Muslims, and the detrimental effect that this might have on relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. I used first-hand accounts from my research project because I wanted students to engage with personal experiences in order to gain greater understanding and empathy of some of the challenges faced by Muslims in Britain. Newspaper articles were used because I wanted What I wanted to students to analyse the language of media accounts in order to reflect on the ways in which achieve Muslims are constructed in the media and in conjunction with the transcriptions, how these (one sentence) representations might have concrete consequences. The central aim was to sensitise students to the political and social dynamics in post-9/11, 7/7 Britain, and the implications that they have for Muslims’ experiences in Britain and the development of positive community relations. I wanted students to be subjected to alternative perspectives to enable them to critique stereotypes and prejudices surrounding representations of Muslims and Islam. A short description of I appointed two students to present for 10 minutes on the topic ‘War on Terror – New racism what I did or security?’ which provided an introduction to the context for fellow students and the (approx. 600 words) learning objectives. I spent 5-10 minutes getting students to respond to the presentation and ensured that they understood central debates informing the current social and political position of Muslims in Britain post-9/11, 7/7.

I then sent around a handout which was divided into 3 sections. I also distributed supportive material (x2 newspaper articles and extracts from interview transcripts from participants from my own research project that explored their experiences of being Muslim in Britain, suitably anonymised). The hand-out was divided as follows: 1. Concept Checklist – I checked students’ understandings of the terms and debates surrounding the application of the following key concepts: Islamophobia, Britishness, racialisation, home-grown terrorist, Prevent agenda, community cohesion, belonging (10 mins) 2. Challenging Stereotypes – students decided how far they agreed with statements which drew on stereotyped ideas about Muslims and Islam. This section aimed to interrogate and bring into the open, how stereotypes operate and the assumptions behind them, in order to challenge them and present alternative understandings (10 mins). Examples included ‘Islam encourages terrorism and extremism,’ ‘Muslims do

Page 28 not identify with Britain.’ 3. Discussions Points and Debate – I split the class into two groups to discuss some of the key debates and instructed them to use the two newspaper articles and transcript extracts to focus and inform their responses. Each group then opened up their discussion to the class. (25mins)  Appointing two students to begin seminars with a presentation helped contextualise the topic and the key ideas/concepts. The presentation helped introduce the topic as despite preparatory reading and attending lectures being mandatory, students often turn up to tutorials with little prior knowledge. The presentation allowed me to interrogate some of the key concerns so that when I split the class into groups, the students had some ideas to grapple with.  Making sure that students understood key concepts helped them to approach the debates more confidently and to apply theoretical ideas to their discussions.  Having a section which challenged stereotypes helped to address the ‘white elephant’ in the room by providing a space in which to confront stereotypes head on – the thinking behind them, their implications, and to explore alternative perspectives. I encouraged people to draw on their personal experience to help with this. For What worked well example, have they watched a programme/read an article that has influenced how (approx. 10 bullet points) they perceive Muslims and/or Islam? What experiences can Muslim students in the class share with their peers about being Muslim in Britain?  I also drew on my own research to challenge stereotypes e.g. evidence that Islam provided a positive outlet for my participants which helped to authenticate my arguments and provide insight which many students had not considered.  The use of transcripts from my own research project enabled the students to engage with personal experiences of Muslims living in post-9/11, 7/7 Britain. These personal accounts enabled me to reach students in a way that other formats could not.  Getting students to develop the key issues through group discussion provided a great opportunity for students to engage with new ideas and to encounter different perspectives. The group discussion was aided by the articles and transcript material which helped focus the discussion and provide food for thought.

Problems and / or  Engaging with ethnographic and media representations meant reflecting critically on issues their own position which proved difficult for some students. (approx. 10 bullet points)  Silence around certain issues for fear of ‘saying the wrong thing’ or exposing ‘politically incorrect’ views raises problems for developing open and honest discussion. Often there were a few vocal members of the group who were comfortable challenging opinions and thinking through alternative standpoints, but this was sometimes met with awkwardness and withdrawal from other students. Bringing students into the discussion is important for maintaining flow and maintaining confidence within the group and had to be constantly negotiated.  Discussions of the challenges faced by Muslims e.g. Islamophobia often raise concerns of complicity or blame from non-Muslims which can stifle academic debate. Introducing critique of evidence of Islamophobia and the criminalisation of Muslims in government documents/policy (anti/counter-terrorism laws, Prevent etc.)/media has to be carefully negotiated to avoid other students from feeling like the finger is being pointed at them. There were occasions when I felt that students could have learnt more if they had opened themselves up to the discussion but were afraid of offending their peers. The success of the group discussion is greatly influenced by the facilitation by the tutor. I had to constantly encourage students to get them to share their views by emphasising the honest/communal environment and resorted to asking students directly to respond to questions (so knowing names is a must!).  It is important to think about how you are positioned as a teacher and how you position/introduce yourself and how this might be different depending on the students within the class. As someone who is seen as ‘white’ but who has a father of Muslim heritage, this provided an interesting challenge – whether to emphasise my ‘Muslim’ identification which could either bias me in the eyes of the non-Muslim students or could enable me to have greater influence as an ‘insider’ to challenge misconceptions of Islam/Muslims. These negotiations exist throughout the seminar and need to be constantly managed in order to challenge stereotyped views and open them up for discussion/critique.  The lack of prior reading (despite readings being set and a list of titles included in the

Page 29 module handbook) made it difficult to reach the depth of discussion/argument I would have liked. This was rectified to an extent with presentations (as discussed) and introducing the key concepts/ideas at the beginning of the seminar and the use of supportive materials (short newspaper articles, transcripts – other resources would work equally well).  Time management to cover all the issues in depth can be tricky to negotiate in a one hour long tutorial so it is important to pick out the key ideas and make sure that these are properly understood by students so that they can engage with them outside of class.  Balancing the amount of material to read and the time to chat about it also requires negotiation and can vary substantially from group to group. It is better to have less material and for the students to get to grips with it than overload them. Alternatively, materials can be circulated prior to class to give students time to consider the issues.  Clarity of questions is important – I went through the question sheet with the students first to make sure that they understood what was being asked of them and the main concepts before splitting them into groups for the debate section. This was to ensure that students had not misunderstood the questions and that they were more confident when formulating their ideas for the debates section. I gave them the option of dividing into groups to talk amongst themselves first or talking through the debates section as one group. This varies from group to group – one group preferred more input from me to facilitate their discussion whilst my other group preferred to think through their ideas before presenting them to the class.  Dealing with misconceptions can be tricky – particularly where there is the potential to offend. This is particularly relevant to discussions of Muslim identities and Islam where unfortunately, stereotyped assumptions have taken root. I feel that it is important not to let prejudiced opinions go unchallenged, whilst not singling out or in any way humiliating the student, which can shut down discussion altogether. The fear of being exposed as ‘prejudiced’ was perhaps partly why some students kept quiet on some of the issues raised. Introducing the tutorial space as a ‘safe’ environment and re-articulating this is crucial for building rapport and getting to the heart of the issues. I conducted an evaluation at the end of the seminar to get feedback on what students liked and what they would like to do differently. The majority of students enjoyed the opportunity to discuss Islam and the situation of Muslims in Britain in a way which engaged with issues that they saw as relevant to contemporary society. They particularly liked exploring issues surrounding the role of the media, community relations/multiculturalism, the role of the government and using personal experiences (both from my research and their own experiences) to situate these discussions. Many students liked being given the space to challenge ideas and being critical in an open forum. Students liked being given reading material (x2 newspaper articles and short transcript extracts) to help them understand and think through alternative perspectives that they had not considered or experienced. They felt that these materials provided a focus and stimulus for discussions and a common ground in which to approach the issues. Some students enjoyed being split up into groups to debate the What students thought issues as they were able to see other points of view which they found helpful in terms of essay about it writing and advancing skills in critical thinking. Conversely, other students preferred to talk (approx. 10 bullet points) through the issues as a class and relied more on my knowledge and research experience to learn rather than splitting off into groups and learning from each other. It is important to assess the particular needs of the group as the group dynamics can vary substantially and different groups require different levels of input and direction to encourage analytical/critical thought.

The absence of full class participation was seen as detrimental to the group dynamics. This aspect needs to be constantly managed by encouraging silent members to contribute and asking direct questions as lack of involvement can bring down the overall confidence of the group to speak on complex and thorny issues. Checking the format with the group and asking them how they would like to approach tasks can help assess the particular knowledge gaps and difficulties with the topics that students are facing and to address them appropriately.

Key messages The seminar helps students to : (approx. 3-4 bullet  Challenge stereotypes and de-familiarise their perceptions of Muslims and Islam and points) to engage with alternative perspectives and viewpoints  Gain a more nuanced understanding of the political context and how events such as

Page 30 9/11, 7/7 and resultant anti/counter-terrorism legislation and security policies have affected Muslims’ experiences of living in Britain  Develop awareness of the role of the media in constructing and maintaining negative portrayals of Muslims and Islam and their implications and consequences  Explore the challenges facing community relations between Muslims and non-Muslims  Develop awareness of practices of racialisation e.g. racial profiling and what this means in terms of racial dynamics in UK society and the operation of ‘white’ privilege/hegemony  Sensitise students to the everyday experiences of Muslims living in the UK  Situate discussion in contemporary debates around community cohesion, multiculturalism, Britishness, human rights and civil liberties. Related documents or The seminar questions and resources are immediately available on request. links (Module booklet, links to Examples of useful newspaper articles are: web resources etc) CHAPMAN, J.. 2008. Islamic extremists groom 13-year-olds for terrorism. The Express, June 9, 2008. FRESCO, A. 2008. Intervention in the community to beat home-grown terrorism. The Times, March 21, p.35.

Similar articles or other types of media would work equally well.

With a nexis subscription these articles can be found at: http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do? docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T11857714751&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&r esultsUrlKey=29_T11857714754&cisb=22_T11857714753&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi= 10939&docNo=3

http://www.lexisnexis.com/uk/nexis/results/docview/docview.do? docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T11857714775&format=GNBFI&sort=BOOLEAN&startDocNo=1&r esultsUrlKey=29_T11857714778&cisb=22_T11857714777&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi= 232240&docNo=4

See also:  ABBAS, T. 2007. Islamic Political Radicalism. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press  ABBAS, T. 2005. Muslim Britain: communities under pressure. London, New York: Zed Books  AFSHAR, H. 2008. Can I see your hair? Choice, agency and attitudes: the dilemma of faith and feminism for Muslim women who cover. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 31, 411- 427.  ALLEN, C. 2004. Endemically European or a European Epiemic? Islamophobia in a post 9/11 Europe. In: GEAVES, R., GABRIEL, T., HADDAD, Y. & SMITH, J. I. (eds.) Islam and the West Post 9/11. Aldershot, Burlington, USA: Ashgate.  ALLEN, C. & NIELSEN, J. 2002. Summary report on Islamophobia in the EU after 11 September 2001. Vienna: European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xeonophobia.  BASIT, T. 2009. White British; dual heritage; British Mulim: young Britons' conceptualisation of identity and citizenship. British Educational Research Journal, 35, 723-743.  BEGUM, H. 2008. Geographies of Inclusion/Exclusion: British Muslim Women in the East End of London. 13. Available: [Accessed 29th March 2010].  COLE, M. 2009. A Plethora of 'suitable enemies': British racism at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 32, 1671-1685.  COMMISION OF BRITISM MUSLIMS AND ISLAMOPHOBIA. 2004. Islamophobia: issues, challenges and action. Stoke on Trent, Sterling, USA: Trentham Books.  HYNDMAN, J. 2003. Beyond Either/Or: A Feminist Analysis of September 11th. International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, 2.  INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS. 2009. Spooked: how not to prevent violent extremism. London: Institute of Race Relations.  INSTITUTE OF RACE RELATIONS. 2010. Evidence to the UK parliamentary select committee inquiry on preventing violent extremism. Race and Class, 51, 73-80.  KHANI-HOPKINS, V. & HOPKINS, N. 2002. 'Representing' British Muslims: the strategic

Page 31 dimension to identity construction. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 25, 288-309.  MARRON, D. 2009. Challenging the risk society: contextualising the impact of 'Islamic' terrorism. In: VERTIGANS, S. (ed.) Militant Islam: A Sociology of Characteristics, Causes and Consequences. London, New York: Routledge.  MAXWELL, R. 2006. Muslims, South Asians and the British Mainstream: A National Identity Crisis? West European Politics, 29, 736-756.  MCCULLOCH, J. & PICKERING, S. 2009. Pre-crime and Counter-terrorism: Imagining Future Crime in the War on Terror. British Journal of Criminology, Advance Access published May 11, 2009, 1-18.  MYTHEN, G., WALKLATE, S. & KHAN, F. 2009. I'm a Muslim, but I'm not a terrorist: victimization, risky identities and the performance of safety British Journal of Criminology, Advance Access published June 3 2009, 1-19.  NICKELS, H. C., THOMAS, L., HICKMAN, M. J. & SILVESTRI, S. 2010. Working Paper 13: A Comparative Study of the Representations of "Suspect" Communities in Multi-Ethnic Britain and of their Impact on Irish Communities adn Muslim Communities - Mapping Newspaper Content. Suspect Communities. London: Institute for the Study of European Transformations, London Metropolitan University.  PANTAZIS, C. & PEMBERTON, S. 2009. FROM THE ‘OLD ’TO THE ‘NEW ’ SUSPECT COMMUNITY: Examining the Impacts of Recent UK Counter-Terrorist Legislation. British Journal of Criminology, 49, 646-666.  POOLE, E. 2002. Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims, London, New York, I.B. Tauris.  POYNTING, S. & MASON, V. 2007. The resistible rise of Islamophobia: Anti-Muslim racism in the UK and Australia before 11 September 2001. Journal of Sociology, 43, 61- 86.  PUGLIESE, J. 2006. 'Asymmetries of Terror Visual Regimes of Racial Profiling and the Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes in the context of the War in Iraq'. borderlands ejournal, 5.  RAI, M. 2006. 7/7: the London Bombings, Islam and the Iraq War. London: Pluto Press  RICHARDSON, J. E. 2004. (Mis)Representing Islam: The racism and rhetoric of British broadsheet newspapers, Amsterdam, John Benjamins Publishing Co.  RUNNYMEDE TRUST. 1997. Islamophobia: a challenge for us all. London: Runnymede Trust.  SEIDLER, V. 2007. Urban fears and global terrors: citizenship, multicultures and belongins after 7/7. London: Routledege  SHERIDAN, L. P. 2006. Islamophobia Pre-and Post-September 11th, 2001. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21, 317-336.  SMELSER, N.J. 2007. The Faces of Terrorism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, part 111  TYRER, D. Year. 'The unbearable whiteness of seeing: moderated Muslims, (in)/visibilities and Islamophobia'. In: SAYYID, B., ed. Thinking Thru' Islamophobia/ A Symposium 2008 University of Leeds. University of Leeds, 57-63.  VALENTINE, G. & SPORTON, D. 2009. How Other People See You, It's Like Nothing That's Inside': The Impact of Processes of Disidentification and Disavowal on Young People's Subjectivities. Sociology, 43, 735-751.  ZAKI, Y. 2002. The politics of Islamophobia. Re-present, Winter/Spring, 8-18.  ZINE, J. 2007. Between Orientalism and Fundamentalism: Muslim Women and Feminist Engagement In: HUNT, K. & RYGIEL, K. (eds.) (En)Gendering the War on Terror: War Stories and Camouflaged Politics. Aldershot, Burlington, USA: Ashgate

Any other comments

Course details Course title BA Sociology, BA Sociology and Social Policy, BA Social Policy and Crime Level □ undergraduate □ postgraduate Year □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 Module title (if Introduction to Race and Ethnicity (elective) applicable)

Page 32 Discipline/Subject Sociology, Social Policy, Criminology areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Islamophobia, war on terror, 9/11, 7/7, role of the media, security, Prevent agenda, (3-5 keywords for people criminalisation, racialisation, racial profiling, community cohesion, multiculturalism, to be able to search for Britishness, belonging, human rights, civil liberties your case study)

Personal details Role Teaching Assistant Organisation University of Leeds Email address [email protected]

Page 33 Title of case study Western Studies on the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) Author name Dr Deirdre Burke Activity details (total approx.1500 words) What the case study is The case study reports on ongoing work with students whereby each student assesses a about Western biography of the Prophet, in the light of insider (Muslim) criticisms of weaknesses of (one paragraph to such accounts. This introduces students to another dimension of the insider/ outsider debate, indicate to reader what by considering the legacy of the Orientalist approach to Islam. This enables students to assess case study is about, which if their selected biography is subject to any of the perceived weaknesses of outsider texts. will appear as the description of the case study on HEA website) At the heart of our degree course is the development of academic and subject literacies. All our modules seek to develop student awareness of sources and the need to critically appreciate authors and their works. This approach seeks to counter the students’ tendency to accept author viewpoints uncritically; in this instance they follow up earlier book reviews by considered the suitability of the author to undertake such a text. This consideration of academic qualifications and This task builds on earlier work on emic (insider) and etic (outsider) perspectives, developing the awareness students should already possess about the way that academic and confessional materials contribute to the development of their understanding of religious topics. One of the criticisms raised by Khan is that western accounts tend to treat the Prophet as an ‘object’ in history rather than a ‘subject’ for belief. Why I did it Whilst ‘Orientalism’ is seen as an academic approach belonging to the nineteenth and (approx. 400 words) twentieth centuries, Geaves (2010) shows ongoing insider questions about non-Muslim study: “To study Islam as a Western scholar since the latter half of the twentieth century is to be a figure of suspicion amongst Muslims, and the accusation of ‘Orientalist’ is not one to be taken lightly.” (2010).

Key works by Islamists like Montgomery Watt offer depth of study but often ask questions about the early development of Islam that is at odds with Muslim understanding of origins. Do we move away from authors who developed from earlier academic traditions, such as orientalism, or is it possible to use such texts in a discerning way?

Religious Studies is still a fairly new discipline, and as a graduate of one of the first Religious Studies courses, I am aware that many Western authors have essentially been self taught as the discipline of Religious Studies has developed over the past half century. The task was designed to raise students awareness of a range of critical points so they could What I wanted to read and critically assess a Western biography of the Prophet through Muslim eyes. Often achieve students have a tendency to be defensive in the face of Muslim criticisms of Western studies (one sentence) of religion, but this task arms them with Muslim perspectives that they apply to the particular case. This personal involvement seems to take students beyond their defensive stances to enable them to take a phenomenological approach. Students were introduced to the historical context of western biographies of the Prophet Muhammad, drawing on Gabrieli’s categories of traditions of exaltation, denigration and modern historical studies. We then explored Muslim criticisms of western approaches, linking A short description of to issues about orientalism and its legacy for contemporary scholars of Islam. Students were what I did then allocated a text for the essay task, in which they had to consider how far the text (approx. 600 words) addressed insider criticisms of outsider studies.

Students were supported by a webfolio which reminded them of the task and offered some learning tasks and exemplars. Extracts from past student essays were used to encourage the development of academic writing skills in introductions and referencing. What worked well  the practical nature of the activity enabled students with a wide range of abilities to (approx. 10 bullet points) produce satisfactory work  students were able to discuss issues in authorship from new perspectives  each individual student was able to contribute to discussions as they dealt with a unique text. This role of acting as a spokesperson for an author encouraged students

Page 34 to read the text and contribute to lecture discussions over the first weeks of the course as we explored the early development of Islam. Problems and / or  The task works well with smallish groups of students (15-20) in allowing each issues student to work from a unique text. Which they could hold on long loan. With larger (approx. 10 bullet points) groups access to text may be limited.

What students thought I found the Islamic question interesting and instilled a sense of enthusiasm in the research, about it which was eventually very satisfying. (approx. 10 bullet points)  students benefit from practical activities Key messages  students can be empowered if they each study a discrete work and can thus (approx. 3-4 bullet contribute to discussions. points)

Webfolio for students: http://eportfolio.wlv.ac.uk/viewasset.aspx? oid=2437247&type=webfolio

 Ahmed, A. S. (1992) Postmodernism and Islam. London: Routledge.  Gabrieli, F. (1977) Muhammad and Conquests of Islam. London: World University Library.  Geaves, R. (2010) Islam Today. London: Continuum.  Khan, A.H. (1978) Muhammad as Object and Subject. Studies in Religion, 7: 4, pp. Related documents or 275- 288, London: Sage. links  Rippin, A. (1990) Muslims, Volume 1. The Formative Period. London: Routledge. (Module booklet, links to  Rodinson, M. ‘A Critical Survey of Modern Studies on Muhammad’ in Swartz, M.L. web resources etc) (1981) Studies on Islam, pp. . Oxford: Oxford University Press.  Royster, J.E. (1972) The Study of Muhammad: A Survey of Approaches From The Perspective of The History And Phenomenology of Religion. The Muslim World, 62:1, pp. 49-70. Chichester: Wiley.  Sharifi, H. (1986) ‘A Muslim Assessment of Books on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad’ in A. Ashraf (ed.) Resources for the teaching of Islam in British Schools pp. 25-43.. Cambridge: The Islamic Academy.  Watt, W.M. ‘Muhammad’ in Holt, P.M. (1977) The Cambridge History of Islam, pp. . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Any other comments

Course details Course title Religious Studies Level □ undergraduate Year □ 3 Module title (if The Study of Islam applicable) Discipline/Subject Religious Studies areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Information Literacy. Orientalism. Prophet Muhammad, insider/ outsiders (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role Course Leader Religious Studies Organisation University of Wolverhampton Email address [email protected]

Page 35 Title of case study Using of Wiki for Teaching ‘Islam and Modernity’ Module Author name Dr Ayla Gol Activity details (total approx.1500 words) A group Wiki in Blackboard has been created by Dr Gol as the module convener for the use of both staff and students enrolled in the module, ‘Islam and Modernity’ at postgraduate level at What the case study is the Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University. In particular, the ‘Teams about LX’ tool in Blackboard has been used to create a group Wiki resource for following teaching (one paragraph to indicate and learning strategies at Masters’ level: to reader what case study  to enrich students’ learning experience on understandings of Islam and modernity is about, which will appear  to develop higher-order skills of critical thinking and independent research as the description of the  to widen access to information and knowledge on the virtual learning environment case study on HEA website) (VLE)  to create a technology-enhanced learning environment that promotes a ‘collaborative learning’ culture.

Since I joined the Department of International Politics in Aberystwyth University as a full time lecturer, I have designed 3 new modules: Islam, Foreign Policy and the Developing World; Religion and Politics in the Middle East - at undergraduate level - and Islam and Modernity at Masters level. These modules expand the departmental curriculum in the inter- disciplinary subject area of Islamic Studies and Middle Eastern politics and introduce students to ‘technology enhanced’ teaching and learning methods. In addition, I contributed to ‘designing modules for research-based teaching in Islamic studies’; the use of educational technology for formative assessment in the form of ‘e-Portfolio’, which was used as an example of good practice in Aberystwyth University and the use of Wiki for the construction of collaborative knowledge in the study of Islam and modernity. There are three main motivations for developing new modules relating to Islam in the department of International Politics: Firstly, I aimed to link my research interests with teaching interests in accordance with institutional needs. As a research-led teaching institution, Aberystwyth University gave me Why I did it the opportunity to teach in line with my own research interests and challenge the existing (approx. 400 words) understanding of Islam and Middle Eastern politics. Moreover, it is no coincidence that I come from Turkey and my enthusiasm has also been fired by an intellectual curiosity to understand the relationship between Islam and modernity in the Turkish context, where the relationship between religion and politics has always been a contested issue. Secondly, I wanted to challenge students’ existing knowledge and perceptions about Islam. Based on my experience and reflections on teaching and researching Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in British Universities (LSE and Aberystwyth) since 2003, I encountered specific difficulties in engaging and challenging students’ existing knowledge and understanding of Islam and Muslims; which students might have preconceived before taking my modules. Thirdly, as a result of my observations of student learning and feedback, I decided to introduce students to a new method of teaching and learning that would encourage them to deconstruct their own knowledge by questioning some of the key issues, which are central to understanding Islam, modernity and Muslim identity.

What I wanted to I wanted to create a, ‘blended learning’ environment that promotes technology-enhanced achieve learning, critical thinking, independent research and collective knowledge construction in (one sentence) the study of the relationship between Islam and modernity.

A short description of The use of Wiki for postgraduate teaching was a continuation of my good practice of what I did including the innovative use of new technologies for learning and teaching in my Master’s (approx. 600 words) module, Islam and Modernity. As a direct outcome of my engagement with the use of ‘Educational Technology’ (ET), I developed a teaching cycle on technology-enhanced learning and teaching methods as part of my Post Graduate Certificate for Teaching in High Education (PGCTHE). The effective use of ET for undergraduate assessment in the way of e-Portfolio was chosen as a case study for good practice in technology-enhanced learning for the launch of Gwealla Project in October 2009. Thereafter, the use of Wiki at postgraduate level aimed,

Page 36 on the one hand, to contribute towards the further development of ‘blended learning’ which combines technology-enhanced and reflective teaching in both VLE and face-to-face class teaching. On the other hand, the use of Wiki specifically aimed at deconstructing students’ existing knowledge by questioning some of the key concepts and issues, which are central to understanding Islam, modernity and Muslim identity. This module explores the relationship between Islam and modernity and relations between the Muslim world and the West in the 21st century. It particularly focuses on some of the contemporary challenges when examining the Western modernity in the context of Islam, and enables students to reflect on the concepts of Orientalism, Eurocentricism, identity, religion and culture in postcolonial studies. There is no prerequisite, and the module is available to students in all degree schemes. Furthermore, the use of Wiki was identified as appropriate for Masters level students to engage with challenging and controversial issues.

In order to include the use of Wiki, I made alterations to traditional teaching and assessment methods, which usually consists of two assessed essays; or one essay and one final exam during a semester. After gaining Departmental support and institutional approval, the use of Wiki and e-Learning replaced a portion of traditional ways of assessment. The contribution of students to Wiki is worth 15% of the final overall mark. In harmony with the strategic aims of Aberystwyth University e-Learning, the teaching method of the module is funded by the e-Learning Strategy and the Gwella Project to support the use of Wiki. In this method of learning, students are particularly expected to take responsibility for their learning process and practice how to construct knowledge collectively as part of blended learning.

The use of Wiki is progressed at three stages: first, after creating a group Wiki in Blackboard by the module convener, students were given clear instructions in the module handbook about assignments and marking schemes. In particular, how to the creation of a group Wiki on Blackboard was explained and then demonstrated in the first seminar. In the second stage, ‘key concepts’ and ‘themes’ were listed in the module handbook. Students were then asked to explore and challenge the existing knowledge on understanding of Islam and modernity throughout the creation of Wiki. At the third stage, a list of glossaries was created on the module Wiki group in Blackboard in parallel with each week’s seminar discussions. Students are specifically encouraged to exchange knowledge and engage in the debates that we discussed in the seminars. 1. Creating a technology-enhanced learning environment that promotes ‘hands-on’ learning, critical thinking, collaborative learning, independent research and collective knowledge creation. 2. Developing a ‘blended learning’ strategy to replace a portion of traditional face-to- face classroom time with online assignments and activities in the VLE. 3. Changing the role of lecturer from ‘educator’ to ‘facilitator’. What worked well 4. Engaging with the generational demands of students as 21st century learners. (approx. 10 bullet points) 5. Advancing innovative and effective use of educational technology in teaching and learning. 6. Encouraging alternative strategies for including existing tools in Blackboard to support staff in their teaching in an era of budget cuts that no longer provide the support of part time teaching assistants. 7. Accessing different media outlets on the web to enhance students’ knowledge of Islam and Muslims.

Problems and / or issues 1. Despite my assumptions that the new generation of students are highly technology (approx. 10 bullet points) orientated some of them were intimidated by the idea of creating a group Wiki on the VLE. 2. Some students were worried about being ‘exposed’ to their class mates if they did not feel confident about the subject matter. 3. I initially instructed students to submit their Wikis based on ‘glossaries’, as indicated in the third stage of this teaching strategy and before the seminars. 4. Student feedback indicated two particular issues: first, students preferred to submit Wikis after seminar discussions. Second, they suggested submitting Wikis as a summary of their readings. 5. In response to students’ requirements, I changed the submission deadline and the format of Wiki submissions. Hence, I issued a new set of instructions: a. Students were allowed to write a summary of one peer reviewed journal article

Page 37 or book chapter that they read for the relevant week’s topic. They were asked to explain what they found difficult or confusing and/or what they found most interesting or particularly informative in their readings. b. Students were particularly encouraged to develop critical thinking about Islam and Modernity in reference to our discussions throughout the semester. If students feel that there were additional points that should be added to the debates, they were encouraged to include in their summary. c. Each Wiki submission should be between 300-400 words. d. All entries must have full references. e. The end result was productive. After engaging with issues collectively in seminars, the majority of students felt more confident about contributing to the Wiki page. The overall feedback from students was very positive and supportive. The following are students’ remarks from the end of semester Module Evaluation forms:

1. The module was quite intellectually demanding, it introduced me to a wide range of unfamiliar literature & gave me an opportunity to engage with a body of knowledge that I was previously unaware of. 2. I found the workload of this course to be greater than that of my other modules, the course assignment was more widely spread across different assignment, and particularly the wikis were somewhat confusing at the beginning. 3. Overall an outstanding course, due primarily to the exceptionally knowledgeable and What students thought consummately skilled teaching staff. about it 4. I think the wikis must be done in the end, because it is too challenging to explain (approx. 10 bullet points) concepts in the beginning of semester before you have the overview. 5. This was an amazing module. It opened my mind and made me change the way I see many things. 6. The module was intellectually challenging and thought provoking. Learning experience was very good. 7. Workload was right, essay question interesting and the wiki was an interesting addition to the assessment criteria. 8. The module was informative and stimulating. 9. The module was intellectually demanding. 10. Really good module, tutor very good and small class size was very effective. Overall, a very enjoyable module, would advise it to others.

On completion of this module, students are able to Key messages 1. Understand the complexity and diversity of Islam and Muslim societies. (approx. 3-4 bullet points) 2. There is no single political trajectory in the relationship between Islam and modernity. 3. Critically evaluate the orientalist views and perceptions of Islam in Western media.  Please see the attached module handbook for IPM8430. Related documents or  http://nexus.aber.ac.uk/xwiki/bin/view/Main/Teaching+Excellence+Award links  http://nexus.aber.ac.uk/xwiki/bin/view/Main/grade_centre_gol (Module booklet, links to  http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/islamicstudies/Pe web resources etc) rspectives_issue_1.pdf pp-32-37.  http://nexus.aber.ac.uk/xwiki/bin/view/Main/presentations

At the end of the academic year, when the Wiki is complete and I am, as the module convener, Any other comments confident about its content, I will archive it as a static web page and put it up on my personal web-page as an example of good practice in technology-enhanced learning and critical thinking within the studies of Islam and Modernity in Aberystwyth University. Course details Course title MSc International Politics Level □ undergraduate □X postgraduate Year N/A □ 1 Module title (if IPM8430 Islam and Modernity applicable) Discipline/Subject areas International Politics

Page 38 (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Islam, modernity, wiki, educational technology, e-Learning (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role Lecturer in International Politics and Director of CSRV Organisation Aberystwyth University Email address [email protected]

Page 39 Title of case study Seminar on Islam and Sexual and Reproductive Health Policymaking Author name Rosemary Morgan Activity details (total approx.1500 words) What the case study is The seminar is part of a lecture on “Balancing Evidence and Ideas in Health Policymaking: about Ideologies, Religion, and Health”. During the seminar the students explored the different (one paragraph to ways Islam affects sexual and reproductive health policymaking and health outcomes in the indicate to reader what Middle East and North Africa, with particular attention to Iran. case study is about, which will appear as the description of the case study on HEA website)

The aim of the seminar is to enable students to develop a better understanding of the role of religion in health policymaking in low to middle income countries, within the wider context of the role of ideas, beliefs, and values in health policymaking. North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) was chosen as a specific case study because it provides a particularly stark example Why I did it of how religion, and in particular Islam, can affect health policymaking. Within the seminar I (approx. 400 words) particularly wanted the students to understand how and why Islam is interpreted in different ways throughout the MENA, how this can affect overall sexual and reproductive health policy and health outcomes, and why it is important to consider religion when analysing or implementing health policy or programs.

What I wanted to I wanted the students to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the role and achieve influence of religion in sexual and reproductive health policymaking in low to middle income (one sentence) countries.

A short description of Prior to the session I had the students read two articles, one related to abortion policy and what I did practice in the MENA and the other about reproductive health in Iran, in addition they were (approx. 600 words) given a set of questions to consider. During the session the students were put into groups of 5-6 to discuss the questions for 30-40 minutes. During this time I visited each group individually to discuss emerging issues. Time was allocated at the end of the session (about 30 minutes) to discuss the questions as an entire group.

Students were asked to discuss the following questions:

1. What are some of the ways Islam influences sexual and reproductive health (SRH) (particularly abortion) policymaking in the MENA?

2. Would you be able to implement a standardized sexual and reproductive health programme (similar to Iran’s) throughout the MENA? Why or why not? (i.e. what things might you have to consider?)

3. What role do religious leaders play in developing sexual and reproductive health policies in Iran? How might this differ from other Islamic countries? How might this affect sexual and reproductive health outcomes (ex. abortion services, contraceptive prevalence, and provision of services to unmarried people)?

4. What forms of evidence does a policymaker, or Islamic jurist, in Iran consider when making policies about new sexual and reproductive health issues (ex. modern sexual and reproductive health methods/ technology)? How might this differ from the types of evidence policymakers consider in the UK regarding these issues?

5. Based on your reading of the two articles, do you agree with the author’s conclusion that Iran has an “enlightened approach to reproductive health?” Why or why not?

(Things to think about: author’s portrayal of Iran and how it relates to the other

Page 40 article; religious leaders interpretation(s) of religious texts with regards to sexual and reproductive health; sexual and reproductive health issues including: % of women using contraception, incorrect use of contraception, number of unsafe abortions, needs of unmarried people; gender differences).

 Students were interested and engaged with the topic.  Having the students pre-read the articles and consider the questions prior to the session allowed for more time to discuss.  Putting the students into small groups to discuss the issues allowed all students to What worked well participate. (approx. 10 bullet points)  Having the lecturer visit each group individually ensured the students remained on track and allowed for specific questions to be asked directly to the students if needed.  Using two articles which show differing viewpoints allowed for more critical thinking and diverse discussion among the students.

 It can be difficult for students from high income countries to critically assess both the positive and negative influence of religion in health policymaking in low to middle income countries due to pre-conceived notions.  Students’ pre-conceived notions of Islam and gender were evident throughout the Problems and / or discussion; it is difficult to problematise and question these notions in such a short issues time. (approx. 10 bullet points)  The first time this seminar was conducted only the article on Reproductive Health in Iran was used, which places Iran in a particularly positive light, this appeared to restrict critical thinking among the students, at the same time however, it allowed them to challenge their pre-consisting ‘negative’ beliefs about the role of religion in sexual and reproductive health.

 Students seemed to enjoy the seminar and were often surprised about how much the role of Islam varied throughout the MENA. What students thought  Students were interested to see how the interpretation of Islam can be utilized to about it support sexual and reproductive health. (approx. 10 bullet points)  Students particularly enjoyed discussing whether Iran’s approach to sexual and reproductive health can be considered enlightened.

 The role of religion, and particularly Islam, in sexual and reproductive health policymaking varies across countries. Key messages  Islam can be interpreted in ways that have both positive and negative effects on (approx. 3-4 bullet sexual and reproductive health. points)  When analysing and implementing health policy or designing health interventions in low to middle income countries religion (in addition to other contextual factors) must be considered, incorporated, and problematised.

Articles: Related documents or 1. Hessini, L. (2007). Abortion and Islam: Policies and Practice in the Middle East and links North Africa. Reproductive Health Matters, 15(29), 75-84. (Module booklet, links to 2. Mehryar, A. H., Ahmad-Nia, S., & Kazemipour, S. (2007). Reproductive Health in Iran: web resources etc) Pragmatic Achievements, Unmet needs, and Ethical Challenges in a Theocratic System. Studies in Family Planning, 38(4), 352-361.

Any other comments The seminar was part of a wider international health module for third year medical students.

Course details Course title Level X undergraduate □ postgraduate Year □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 Module title (if Health Policy and Development applicable)

Page 41 Discipline/Subject International health, health sciences, policy studies, sociology, political science. areas (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Sexual and reproductive health, Islam, policy (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study) Personal details Role PhD Researcher/ Teaching Assistant Organisation Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds Email address [email protected]

Page 42 Title of case study Families, sexuality and citizenship in Islam. Author name Dr. Anita Naoko Pilgrim Activity details (total approx.1500 words) This seminar draws on an anthropological understanding of the family in politics (kinship). It offers students the opportunity to think about how family and religious faith are also involved in citizenship status. What the case study is Utilising progressive feminist thinking from within Islam, it encourages about students to think about religious faith, and Islam in particular, as (one paragraph to indicate pragmatic and rational rather than irrational and emotive. Work can be to reader what case study developed around this seminar to explore ways in which religious faith is about, which will appear is sometimes utilised to create a sense of belonging: to the nation-state as the description of the (consider ways in which Christianity underpins much of the British case study on HEA nation-state compared to Islamic states which are structured through website) Shariah law) or to universal brotherhood (ummah, in Islam compared to alliances of secular-rationalist nation-states in Europe. North America and Australasia). This seminar can be used separately, or can follow on from the seminar in my previous case study, Seminar on Marriage, Families and Islam. Working on these topics encourages students to think beyond the box in a number of ways. As well as challenging preconceptions about Islam, it Why I did it demonstrates to students the use of theoretical approaches like (approx. 400 words) feminism or conceptual frameworks like citizenship in understanding society. It shows how social institutions like religious faith, the family/ sexuality and gender are all inter-linked. The students should come away from this seminar with a better grasp What I wanted to on how to apply a theoretical and/or conceptual framework to enable a achieve sociological/anthropological understanding of society. (one sentence) The seminar also helps students from secularised high-income countries tackle pre-conceived notions about Islam. A short description of A lecture supported by wider reading gives the students an what I did anthropological understanding of kinship and family as a means of (approx. 600 words) organising society. (Family and kinship also work to support the community represented by a nation-state or a religious faith group.)

Use of the chapter Pilgrim, A.N. “Sexuality Politics in Islam”, in Farrar, M, Robinson, S, and Valli, Y (eds) 'Islam' in the 'the West': Key Issues in Multiculturalism (Palgrave 2012) provides an understanding of progressive feminist thinking in Islam, in relation to sexuality. The work of two progressive feminist scholars of gender and sexuality (Ali and Kugle) is particularly drawn on in this chapter. Theirs and other feminist texts are outlined below for further reference. Drawing on broader writing on citizenship (a suggested reading for this is also provided below), students will be able to consider questions of gender, sexuality, religious faith and citizenship in the seminar.

In the seminar, students in groups of 3 or 4 could discuss either of these two sets of questions (both of which can be provided to them to stimulate their thinking): Page 43  Ways in which feminists suggest the family is integral to Islam;  Ways in which progressive scholars suggest debate on sexuality could support a better Islamic praxis;  How might the debate on sexuality in Islam also contribute to developing more egalitarian citizenship principles in white secular as well as Islamic communities?

 What is the Islamic concept of ummah?  How does national citizenship work in secular nation-states?  In what ways are these similar and in what ways are they different?  How do belonging to a heterosexual family or being lesbian, gay or bisexual impact on belonging in ummah, and in the secular nation-state?

Both ummah and citizenship are ways of organising large-scale community belonging. Comparing the writing of Kugle and Richardson suggests that people of lesbian and gay sexuality, as people who tend towards non-traditional ways of organising familial-sexual relations, are excluded from belonging both to the Islamic community and to the secular nation-state. Thinking about religious faith and sexuality through the conceptual prism of citizenship demonstrates how similar the ways of organising belonging are in both. Both are dependent on heterosexual family/kinship arrangements to secure belonging.

In British secular society, recent changes in legislation seek to provide full citizenship rights to those in lesbian and gay relationships, and their families. It is too early to say what impact this may have and how fully integrated these fundamental shifts in citizenship are. Students can be encouraged to speculate on how the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2010 are likely to impact on citizenship in the future.

Turner 2002 suggests that citizenship may move from a traditional mode of warfare, work and reproduction to include more volunteering as an indicator of commitment to the nation-state. How accurate do students think this prediction has been? (Think of New Labour’s shift from public sector services to services provided through the third sector and David Cameron’s coining of the concept of a Big Society.) Voluntary social work and charitable acts are strongly encouraged in Islam – do students think that undertaking these acts of faith as well as charity will mean Muslim people will be more readily accepted in Britain?

In my chapter I argue that within Islam, engagement with and debate about scriptures which support the Koran (Hadith, Tafsir, Sirah) are key to the faith. While the Koran is accepted as the direct word of God, there is a strong tradition of debate about the truth represented in the classical Arabic of the Koran, rather than acceptance of religious figures’ pronouncement on the truth. This suggests that there is an intellectual process of citizenship in Islam, rather than the conferring of citizenship status if principles of religious belief are accepted without question. Kugle argues that the debate about sexuality in Islam is a key element of

Page 44 Muslim faith, regardless of what conclusion the thinking Muslim comes to on this topic.

What worked well Feedback from a workshop of academics agreed that introducing these (approx. 10 bullet points) two controversial topics via a concept of citizenship could allow students to debate them both more freely. Care should be taken to ensure that students understand that their secular-rationalist and religious faith approaches to thinking are being offered equal status in a debate about ways of considering community belonging. Care should be taken not to expose Muslim students to feeling that their Problems and / or knowledge of their own community is being exploited if they take on an issues authoritative role in the group discussions. (approx. 10 bullet points) Consideration should also be given to how students who hold to either religious faith or secular-rationalist views as absolute truth without question can be gently challenged without being undermined. Students who may be lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender will also feel strongly about this block of teaching and may need encouragement to approach the discussions objectively rather than on a personal basis. What students thought N/a about it (approx. 10 bullet points)

I hope students would take from this lecture, reading and seminar:  A more nuanced understanding of different strands of thinking in Islam; Key messages  The ability to develop an understanding of society through higher (approx. 3-4 bullet points) level theoretical and conceptual analysis;  Understanding of diverse sexualities and family politics and ways in which these intersect with religious faith and citizenship status. Related documents or For the lecture and seminar, I recommend use of: links  Pilgrim, A.N. (forthcoming). “Sexuality Politics in Islam”, in (Module booklet, links to Farrar, Max (ed) Islam in the West, Palgrave: Basingstoke. (In web resources etc) this chapter I summarise some of the following reading and develop ideas which I have drawn on for this seminar.)

I also recommend:  Ali, K. Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence. Oxford: Oneworld Publications.  Kugle, S.S.al-H., 2010 Homosexuality in Islam: critical reflection on gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims. Oneworld: Oxford

Feminist texts to refer to in the lecture, and to recommend for students’ further reading:  The writing of Qasim Amin in Egypt – he published Women's Liberation (Tahrir al-Mar'a) in 1899.  Perhaps also mention the modern Egyptian feminist writer Leila Ahmed (recent newspaper article on her new book on the veil: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/efc25b9c-81ba-11e0-8a54- 00144feabdc0.html#axzz1NYQjrTp2, accessed May 2011)

Page 45  This is a site supporting feminist Islamic conferences: http://feminismeislamic.org/, accessed May 2011.  Badran, Margot 2002 “Islamic Feminism: What’s in a Name”, available at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2002/569/cu1.htm , accessed March 2010.  A key feminist writing about Islam is the Moroccan academic Fatima Mernissi, she wrote one of the earliest texts after Amin: 1975. Beyond the Veil. London: Saki Book Publishers. This more recent book is a feisty meditation on Western notions of the harem, femininity, intelligence and different ways in which different cultures use women’s clothing as repression: 2001. Scheherezade Goes West: Different Cultures, Different Harems. New York: Simon and Schuster.  Another fascinating study to mention to the students is Malu Halasa and Rana Salan’s The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie, helpfully summarised in this review in the FT Weekend: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd77d128-a7b7-11dd-865e- 000077b07658.html#axzz1PvSW4wqm.  A useful short text on citizenship: Extract from Diane Richardson’s writing on citizenship and sexuality (2000), reprinted in Braham, P. and Janes, L. (eds) 2002. Social Differences and Divisions. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 244-6. (I draw on and would encourage reading of the whole chapter on citizenship and other extracts in this section of the book: Turner, B.S. 2002 “Citizenship”. It is written for second year undergraduate students.)  Two useful British websites are: The Safra Project, a resource project working on issues relating to lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender women who identify as Muslim: http://www.safraproject.org/. Imaan, a support group for lgbt Muslim people, their families and friends: http://www.imaan.org.uk/index.htm. (Their online library http://www.imaanlibrary.org/ contains references to numerous blogs, films, links to other groups and other resources.) Any other comments

Course details Course title Level □ undergraduate □ postgraduate Year □ 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 Module title (if applicable) Discipline/Subject areas Sociology of race, sociology of religion, anthropology, politics. (e.g. sociology, anthropology and politics, criminology etc) Keywords Kinship, family, sexuality, religious faith, citizenship. (3-5 keywords for people to be able to search for your case study)

Page 46 Personal details Role Honorary Research Fellow Organisation University of Glamorgan, Department of Social Sciences Email address [email protected]

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