Don’t use it until you prove it!

In fact, the issues of religion, diversity and social justice are of extreme interest to me. When I was preparing for my case study of Islamic education system in Egypt, it was a very exciting exploration journey. I found out that it is not recent and that it goes back to the time of Prophet Muhamad (PBUH). Actually, I was impressed by Dr Joyanne's answer to my question "When do you think the first form of Islamic schools started?" She said that most religions started with the sending or the existence of their holy books which is related to reading and writing.


Allah (SWT) commanded His Messenger, in the first verse to be revealed to prophet Muhamad, to ‘Read! In the Name of thy Lord Who Created’ (Quran, 96:1). The word ‘Iqra’ literally means to ‘read’, or ‘recite’. And Prophet Muhamad didn’t know how to read. I think this gives a powerful message about the importance of education in Islam. Education is held up high. It is the passage to enlightened minds that could embrace diverse ideas and perspectives to evaluate without prejudice.

As much as the search journey was such an eye-opener, it ended with disappointment. I found out that the "NAME" of the system has nothing to do with its "VALUES". I saw carelessness, corruption, and indifference. What struck me the most is that Al Azhar was basically built as a mosque then a university that aims at graduating individuals who are callers for Islam, its values and become useful and productive citizens, yet; that wasn’t reality, not even close. This may not be the case in other departments but that is how it is in EDUCATION which is basically the base of everything else!  

When I was talking about my interview with the principal of the Islamic private school, I mentioned that the vision of the school is to prevail a "Moderate" Islamic way of life. That is when Mrerriam asked "How can you know it is moderate Islamic view? How can you be sure?". I have been thinking about an answer to this question and it turned to be very simple. "Moderate" way of life is the way of living where our actions don’t infringe on the freedom of others, respect our diversities, and keep the balance of coexistence. I should say that our concern about "Moderate" should not be exclusive to Islam or religions; it should be our pursuit in life.

Going back to the title of my entry, I would like to urge any government, authority or person not to give "tags" to their "products" without really applying them. Accordingly, don’t use it until you prove it!

In 5 words "Sensitively Embracing All Learners' Differences"

For a person who likes to convey the meaning of her words to others in details to ensure that people got the message she wants to deliver clearly and with no confusion, it was CHALLENGING that I conclude my presentation on Diversity in ONLY 5 words!

That made me think about an old program that used to be broadcast across the national radio station, presented by the famous comedy actor Foad El Mohandes, called "In only two words". This program used to critique the bad behaviors and negatives in the Egyptian society in brief.  He used to choose his words carefully and with wisdom. So, they can leave the influence he wants in people's hearts and mind.

The week before our first seminars, we asked Dr Joyanne "Do you want us to send you the presentation?" and her answer came "No, you don’t need to do that. Yes, these seminars are to show your knowledge about the content but more important is what will make this presentation alive; namely, your performance and presentation skills". Which gain made me think about the saying that goes "Actions speak louder than words".

I can conclude from the above that, the less you talk, the more you act, the more influencer you will become. It is a very interesting equation and how intriguing it is that we, most of the times, realize this fact. Yet, we find it easier to keep talking, yelling at each other, shutting our ears to what others say and close our eyes to what they are trying hard to make us see. We were basically created to cooperate and live in peace and understanding. And to be able understand and STAND each other, we need to improve our "Listening" skills. We need to open our mouths to say the wise words and complement all that with our ACTIONS.

In five words I say "Listen, talk wisely, understand, COEXIST"

The Missing Puzzle PIECE

After listening to all our presentations about teacher capacity for many approaches in education, I came up with another theory that builds up on my "Fit to Survive" theory and that is "Teacher Capacity for HUMANITY". I know that it is the name of my country and I like this paradox. I believe that all the various disciplines we tackled in our seminars should all be an integral part of any teacher preparation degree or professional development. All educators mindsets should meet on the same wave length and receive the same frequency that no matter who they are or where they come from, they are dealing with HUMAN BEINGS who are Exactly the SAME but at the same time Contrasting.

We may adopt a method of teaching for a long time, yet, the people who receive it are different and that means their way they absorb the information vary. You can undertake the same action; yet, receive various responses. In winter, we blow in our palms to feel warm and at the same time we blow in the tea to make it colder. Then, it is not only about how an excellent educator you can turn out to be; but, how an extraordinary sensitive transmitter you can become.

Variety is not only seen in the ethnicity, skin color, religious beliefs or affiliations. It is also vivid in one's attitudes and I think that is what really matters. Our actions and reflexes define who we are and how we seek to live. Excluding a certain group of people from your life means that you are cutting off part of your affiliation to Humanity. I am well aware that it is not that easy like pushing a button and TA DAAA…here we are all living in harmony and embracing each other's differences.

No, it is not like that, not even close. It takes a lot of time, effort practice and understanding. Sometimes you feel like "Why would I care?" or "Whatever…it is taking much energy". Yet, it is worth fighting for. The globe is nothing but a number of puzzle pieces put together to form the final shape of the world we live in. Having a "missing puzzle piece" means that this world will never be complete and eventually will fall apart taking down with it every single goodness humans could have. This world is congested with wars, destruction and plights and if we zoomed in to touch on the reason why…the answer simply is "Because I am not willing to ACCEPT your Difference!"

The Process of Processing

Every day, you gain knowledge through different channels. Either through the people you meet at work place, at the university, your families or you even can gain knowledge from some casual situations. You can walk in a store to buy anything and still have some information about something you have never known before. You can hear 2 people having a conversation and you catch some words by chance. It is wonderful the amount of knowledge we receive; but, most importantly it should be PROCESSED. This is the most important step in the knowledge gain process is to filter, process and absorb it. "The ability to perceive or think differently is more important than the knowledge gained", David Bohm.

 

Last time, we had three distinct presenters, Michael, Philip and Merriam. They talked about teacher preparation for reflective practice, teacher preparation for social justice. I had that comment and when I was about to speak it out, Dr Joyanne looked at me and said "I know what you want to say", and I went like "Really, then tell me". She said "You feel that all the disciplines we are talking about in all seminars are interconnected". I looked back at her and said "You literary read my mind". I felt at many points in these presentations that they are talking about the same thing I will be taking about next week. Actually, this is very positive because that means that they all serve the same end. And if we are able to prepare teachers who can encompass all these qualities, we will have a cohort of mind enlighteners!

 

What really grabbed my attention in the Reflection process is that you should question the "norms of your life". We should be inquisitive about what we regard as NORMAL. Also, Michael's photo of the teacher who is hitting the boy with a stick was provocative and received different views. Personally, I am a total believer that injustice breeds injustice and you can NEVER teach someone about justice while you are holding a stick in the other hand. It is no body's right to practice violence upon anyone else; especially when you are en educator (a role model for your students).