Balancing Islamic education and liberal secular norms in the Canadian context
Date
2017-04-26
Authors
Ahmed, Maryam
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Abstract
Canadian Muslim schools, like many other minority organizations, attempt to find a harmony between maintaining the essential principles of Islam and offering students the important abilities required to understand and accommodate any pressures that may emerge between their religious norms and national norms. The aim of this project is to understand the nature of Islamic education in Canada with a focus on how one Islam-based school teaches Islamic values in a secular society. This qualitative research adopts an instrumental case study design to analyze documents in order to understand the nature of Islamic education as found at Al-Zahra Islamic school, as well as some challenges, within the context of Canada’s multicultural society. The study recommends some strategies that will help Canadian Islamic schools find a balance between protecting students' Islamic identity and maintaining their national identity.
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Keywords
Islamic Education, Canada’s Multicultural System, Kymlicka‘s Liberal Multiculturalism Theory, Islamic identity, Canadian Islamic schools, Islamic values, Canadian values