1001 Ideas: Muslim Cultures and History

Description 

The Islam narratives found in school textbooks written in the German language today reflect to a large extent European perceptions of Islam from past centuries, which depict the latter as a source of backwardness and violence. With a view to destabilising these unilateral patterns of perception, the project has rendered specialised research available to teachers in the German language as web-based material since 2005 (www.1001-idee.eu). The project is thus well positioned within contemporary discourse addressing history and histories between Europe and the Orient as well as between Christianity and Islam. Key aspects include investigating categories of self and other and how cultural transfer is portrayed or ignored. 

Aims 

The aim of the project is to become a European centre of reference for the intercultural classroom. The focus is placed on pluralistic perceptions of Muslims, Muslim traditions, cultures and history in the subjects of history, politics and social sciences, German, literature, music and ethics. From a secular perspective, teachers are provided with material inspiring them to take a closer look at civil society in Muslim-majority countries, to perceive these societies as the results of many different historical and current developments, and to address life realities as well as the cultural contribution of Muslims in Europe. In doing so, the collective images which have to a considerable extent shaped European perceptions of Islam are subjected to critical scrutiny. Education about Muslims and Islam is thus considered part of intercultural learning.  

The project specifically aims

• To rescind the reduction of Muslims to religious categories;
• To overcome boundaries of perception laid down by European history;
• To lend a voice to school classes struggling for expression in an intercultural environment;
• To encourage young people in this part of the world to discover affinities with young people in other parts of the world.

Within these primary goals, the following steps are planned for the project phase 2010-2011:

• To evaluate teaching material and training courses, as well as
• their transfer to other European countries and contexts;
• To continue knowledge transfer between universities and schools as well as the development of teaching modules for non-specialist schools;
• To build up a network of disseminators;
• To advise the federal states on curricular development. 

Methodology 

Didactic presentation of current research on ways of life in Muslim-majority societies; curriculum development; training courses; quality assurance via evaluation. 

Publications 

Gerdien Jonker, Pierre Hecker, Cornelia Schnoy (2007), Muslimische Gesellschaften in der Moderne: Ideen – Geschichten – Materialien, Wien: Studienverlag 

Teaching modules are available at www.1001-idee.eu

Cooperation 

Ministries of Education and Teacher Training Institutes of Berlin, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, NRW, Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia and Saarland; Institute of Social History, University of Vienna (A. Ecker); Teacher Training College of Central Switzerland (G. Estermann); INKA; Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations (London); The Institute for Ismaeli Studies (London); The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (Warsaw). 

Duration: 2005-2011

Funded by: Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)