Among a number of infamous comments that Belfast-based Pastor, James McConnell, made about Muslims in a sermon at his Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle last month, was the statement: 'People say there may be some good Muslims in Britain - that may be so - but I don't trust them!' Subsequently, the Pastor was given support by the First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson, who said he wouldn't trust Muslims who fully supported Sharia law; neither would he trust them for spiritual guidance, but he would 'trust them to go down to the shops' for him.
Following wide-spread condemnation of his comments as inflammatory and irresponsible, the First Minister has apologised to local Muslim representatives, but across social media a good deal of others have sprung to the defence of Peter Robinson and Pastor McConnell trumpeting their right of free speech and the right of individuals to make religious truth-claims in public fora. Certainly, there is a need to maintain the right to both, but both men's efforts at voicing religious difference, characterised by superiority and insult, have resulted in remarks that are deeply offensive to Muslims. Arguably, the low level of religious literacy among local community leaders in respect of global religious traditions is a significant part of the problem - a point that should be of concern to religious educators, but it should also serve as a reminder of the important role RE teachers have in providing young people with a broad, open-minded and plural education in religion. Indeed, in my view, the episode has highlighted the duty of a religious educator in two important areas: religious knowledge and religious dialogue.
In this regard, it is worth reminding ourselves of one simple principle arising from the work of Professor Robert Jackson on teaching about World Religions - avoid stereotype and ensure young people understand there is diversity within each religion by representing its beliefs, practices and traditions in a tri-fold way that shows religions have:
The Face to Faith project offers young people a chance to engage in sustained dialogue through online forums and video conferencing. It also prepares pupils for these encounters by providing teachers with some excellent curriculum materials that they can use in RE lessons to get them ready for inter-cultural dialogue. There have already been some successes in linking schools in Northern Ireland with others around the world (as reported in this blog) and the organisation is very keen for more schools to be involved. If you are interested you can register on their website.
In a response to a call from the Council of Europe for more educational resources to address issues of intolerance and racism and to promote tolerance and social cohesion across Europe the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounter was developed. This resource is available in two formats - suitable for younger and older children. While the materials are likely to require a bit of adaptation, they will reward those teachers who invest some effort in doing so.
The Charter for Compassion is a statement of values based upon the Golden Rule that is found in many of the world's religions. As well as asking individuals to sign the charter, the organisation encourages groups, schools, businesses and even cities to commit to acting compassionately, developing compassionate policies and setting goals that increase compassionate living. Voices is the education wing of the organisation which provides curriculum materials and news updates about the work of Charter for Compassion of relevance to schools. The guidelines on how to become a compassionate school could provide a great starting point for a project that actively engages young people in changing their world for the better by focusing upon how they treat others.
Following wide-spread condemnation of his comments as inflammatory and irresponsible, the First Minister has apologised to local Muslim representatives, but across social media a good deal of others have sprung to the defence of Peter Robinson and Pastor McConnell trumpeting their right of free speech and the right of individuals to make religious truth-claims in public fora. Certainly, there is a need to maintain the right to both, but both men's efforts at voicing religious difference, characterised by superiority and insult, have resulted in remarks that are deeply offensive to Muslims. Arguably, the low level of religious literacy among local community leaders in respect of global religious traditions is a significant part of the problem - a point that should be of concern to religious educators, but it should also serve as a reminder of the important role RE teachers have in providing young people with a broad, open-minded and plural education in religion. Indeed, in my view, the episode has highlighted the duty of a religious educator in two important areas: religious knowledge and religious dialogue.
Religious Knowledge
Most obviously there is a duty to provide balanced and reliable religious knowledge about Islam, as well as other global religions which are represented locally. |
| Representing diversity within religions |
- universal or globally shared aspects of the wider religious tradition;
- regional, denominational or group perspectives which individuals
belong to;
belong to;
- a multitude of personal interpretations and individual lived expressions.
This is a simple but important response to the monolithic image of Islam presented by Pastor McConnell that so easily falls prey to stereotyping and prejudice.
Religious Dialogue
Secondly, there is a duty to give pupils real opportunities to engage in religious dialogue. There is no better way to prepare young people for life in a religiously plural society than to give them practice in speaking with those who hold different views. Young people need clear guidance on how to engage in religious debate intelligently and how to voice religious difference respectfully and they need to be given real opportunities where they can actually participate in intercultural dialogue or, at the very least, practise the skills with their peers. Thankfully there are a large number of resources on hand to help the RE teacher prioritise this work in their classroom. Here are my top five:1. Come face-to-face with difference (Face to Faith)
The Face to Faith project offers young people a chance to engage in sustained dialogue through online forums and video conferencing. It also prepares pupils for these encounters by providing teachers with some excellent curriculum materials that they can use in RE lessons to get them ready for inter-cultural dialogue. There have already been some successes in linking schools in Northern Ireland with others around the world (as reported in this blog) and the organisation is very keen for more schools to be involved. If you are interested you can register on their website.2. Be philosophical (Sapere)
Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a movement that has been around for some time and is well-known for its worthwhile methods, such as the Community of Enquiry, which develop thinking skills in young people from Primary ages up. The UK-based version is SAPERE and in recent years it has also developed a strong tradition of training young people in the skills of debate and dialogue. One practitioner, Jason Buckley (aka The Philosophy Man) is especially good in this field and he maintains an email list to which he sends regular tips and ideas for turning your classroom into a forum for debate and dialogue. You can sign-up at The Philosophy Man.
3. Reflect on encounters with difference (Autobiography of Intercultural Encounter )
In a response to a call from the Council of Europe for more educational resources to address issues of intolerance and racism and to promote tolerance and social cohesion across Europe the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounter was developed. This resource is available in two formats - suitable for younger and older children. While the materials are likely to require a bit of adaptation, they will reward those teachers who invest some effort in doing so.4. Reach out to local faith networks (Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum)
The Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum is now in its twenty-first year and has served as an important meeting point for people of different faiths across the region who share a commitment to interfaith dialogue. During this time it has also been a valuable, if underused, 'living resource' for RE teachers seeking to introduce their pupils to a diversity of people and places of faith. The website provides contact details for a range of local faith communities who regularly accommodate educational visits.
5. Commit to compassion (Charter for Compassion)
The Charter for Compassion is a statement of values based upon the Golden Rule that is found in many of the world's religions. As well as asking individuals to sign the charter, the organisation encourages groups, schools, businesses and even cities to commit to acting compassionately, developing compassionate policies and setting goals that increase compassionate living. Voices is the education wing of the organisation which provides curriculum materials and news updates about the work of Charter for Compassion of relevance to schools. The guidelines on how to become a compassionate school could provide a great starting point for a project that actively engages young people in changing their world for the better by focusing upon how they treat others.