Journal of Educational Administration and History (Journal)
Melanie Brooks (Guest editor)
Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
Description
Special Issue on Islam and Educational Leadership: Advancing new spaces for dialogue and understanding.
As existing educational leadership thought is principally grounded in western Judeo-Christian beliefs and values, it is important to consider Islam as it relates to educational leadership and the experiences of Muslim students, practitioners, and scholars. Non-Muslims often know little about education in Islam and as a result, Islamic education is commonly viewed in opposition to western ‘enlightened’ values and democratic processes. Suspicions regarding Islamic education increased after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States and succeeding attacks worldwide. These concerns were largely driven by the idea that Islamic schools teach anti-western and anti-Semitic curricula. In addition, mass media and political rhetoric heighten existing apprehensions by regularly portraying Islamic schools as sites for indoctrination of Islamist ideology. This Islamophobic rhetoric has led Muslims to experience harassment, discrimination, and marginalisation. The authors in this special issue, Muslim and non-Muslim, advocate for increased understanding of Islam and Muslims, especially during the current rise of nationalist rhetoric, fearmongering, and heightened socio-political tensions.