Round Table on the contribution of Adult Education for dialogue and interaction with people of the Muslim community in Great Britain

30th of April 2003, Birmingham

Participants

1. Dr Adnan Bakhit, Director, Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London
2. Dr Jabal Buaben, Director, Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations (CSIC), Dept. of Theology, University of Birmingham
3. Mr Alistair Duncan, Director, Al-Tajir World of Islam Trust, London
4. Revd Canon Michael Ipgrave, Archbishop's Interfaith Consultants
5. Prof. Jorgen Nielsen, Director, Graduate Institute for Theology and Religion, Dept. of Theology, University of Birmingham,
6. Dr Anthony O'Mahony, Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies, Heythrop College, University of London
7. Dr Abdullah Sahin, School of Education, University of Birmingham
8. Dr Ataullah Siddiqui, Markfield Institute of Higher Education/ Islamic Foundation, Leicester
9. Dr Geoff Teece, Westhil Religious Education Centre, School of Education, University of Birmingham
10. Dr Sigvard von Sicard, Hon. Senior Lecturer, Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations (CSIC)
11. Revd Canon Dr Andrew Wingate, Church of England, Leicester

Discussion

Prof. Nielsen introduced the project and explained his own involvement and circulated the TUM proposal document. He outlined the main research question and subsidiary questions.

Prof. Nielsen pointed out that the purpose of the present session was to pool information and to register considerations to be taken into account based on the experience of those present. He pointed out that adult education in Germany and Scandinavia is better developed, structured nd financed and receives more government funding than in the UK. The nearest UK equivalent is the Workers' Educational Association (WEA), but UK adult education provision is more dispersed and diverse (WEA, local churches, the 'life-long learning' agenda, community groups, university extramural studies departments, etc). In addition, the extent of Muslim participation in civil society is much further advanced in the UK than in Germany. These differences had to be borne in mind when looking at the context and wording of the proposal document.

Everyone present gave a personal response to the main questions.

A. Sahin: His experience was in a university context, particularly Birmingham. He emphasised the need to discover what Muslim institutions were available to address the concerns raised, i.e. to inform the general public about Islam and to give Muslims an opportunity to interact with the wider society. However, he was not optimistic about the acceptability of the level of provision available in Muslim institutions, which he thought were generally not well organised with regard to standards, guidelines and courses. Muslim institutions could therefore be invited to participate in partnerships with educationalists to increase educational awareness. Teaching Islam to Muslim adults is a relevant form of adult education if courses are open to the public. He would like to see well-resourced courses and well-produced resources that showed the diversity of Islam.

A. Wingate: His main experience was in training Christians. There had been greater readiness for this since 9/11. He thought the CSIC summer schools had served this purpose well and encouraged the revival of a similar programme. Clergy training was a key area because they should know more about Islam than the general public and were opinion formers. It was important that there should be input in their training and in the early years of their ministry. However, lay people were often more receptive because they often had more practical experience of interaction with Muslims in everyday life. They wanted basic knowledge, an opportunity for encounter with Muslims, an understanding of the 'Islamic map of Britain' and how this related to the rest of the world, and a chance for Christian reflection on the situation. In areas where there were no local Muslims, input into the programme by 'live' Muslims or at least via video was very important. He emphasised very strongly the importance of encounter and also of leadership training among young people. He pointed out that universities and other educational establishments were willing to make space for almost any course as long as students could be recruited.

G. Teece: He endorsed the previous contributions and referred to his work with Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education (SACREs), statutory bodies established by local government. He suggested that an interesting project would be to work with Muslim communities to produce educational materials. He is involved in setting up young people's faith forums and reported that in Bradford there was a 'young people's SACRE' to discuss religious education. He is involved in teacher training and emphasised the significance of the presence of Muslim teachers of religious studies and other subjects in British schools.

A. Siddiqui: He said that as far as the Muslim community was concerned, the desire was for education to be provided in a way they could access. He said there were many people, especially women, who were educated to degree level and wanted further education, but at their own pace and in a form compatible with their home lives. There would be a demand for live-in crash courses of approx. 10 days. There is always a need to understand why Muslims are as they are, so education was needed not only on the teachings of Islam but on the background to the situation of Muslim communities. Distance learning could be developed so that people could work alone with occasional guidance. It was important to fit their timetables.

A. O'Mahony: His main experience is in university teaching at Heythrop, mostly postgraduate. In his experience, the churches have always had an input into education and have been at the forefront of making a faith-based approach to engagement with the Muslim community, which Muslims appreciate. This faith-based approach was about Christians coming to an understanding that from the point of view of both theology and history (Islam is part of Christian history) and encouraging Christian communities to be open to engagement with the Muslim tradition and sacralise this encounter. It was important to remember that there were more church-based universities in continental Europe than in the UK, so the faith-based approach ought to be more relevant for that context. He emphasised that church-based education had a unique and distinctive contribution to make which would be influential in agenda forming.

J. Nielsen asked whether, if churches had taken initiative in education about Islam 30 years ago, it would have been met with suspicion by most Muslims. Is there now more trust?

A. Siddiqui responded that the situation had changed and there was now more trust among Muslims resident in the UK for more than a generation. But newcomers, e.g. refugees, had the old suspicions. The response to any church-based education programmes would depend on how long established the Muslim community was in the locality. E.g. there would be more suspicion in Italy than in France or the UK.

A. O'Mahony emphasised the importance for churches of trying to really understand the Muslim theological position.

A. Wingate There is also Christian suspicion of Muslims 'wanting to take over'. It is therefore important to work with positive groups on both sides. Both AW and G. Teece emphasised the importance of personal encounter for breaking down prejudice and stereotypes.

A. Siddiqui commented that there were similar patterns of suspicion between Muslims and Hindus.

A. Sahin thought there was a tendency to underestimate the willingness of the receiver and was concerned that dialogue could become simply an exchange of information. He emphasised that unless there was self-awareness and an ability to self-relativise among the participants in dialogue it would not lead to in-depth mutual understanding. Muslims were generally less self-aware and this led to a power imbalance in dialogue.

M. Ipgrave agreed that there had been a huge growth in interest and demand for knowledge of Islam, but the negative side to this had been the emergence of ill-prepared and sometimes wrong education about Islam. He also made the point that Christians had a role not only in relation to Christians but also as mediators and facilitators between faith and secularism because while being, like Muslims, people of faith, they were also 'at home' in Western culture. He emphasised that education could not take place in the abstract - encounter was vital. He said there was a need to target key sectors: professionals, opinion formers, public authorities, community leaders with their communities, and young people. He gave the example of an 'Intercultural Leadership School' for emergent leaders across communities where a few days living together had led to on-going friendships. It was important for adult education not to perpetuate the 'our Muslim neighbours' approach.

S. von Sicard: Education about Islam had to be at different levels for different groups. 'Learning about Muslims' for non-Muslims involved learning about oneself and one's prejudices. It was important to hear what the community's felt needs were. He thought there should be two researchers if it was to be realistic to expect attitudes in the various communities to be picked up.

A. Bakhit: Said he was not happy with the title - Muslims were here to stay. He said it was good to provide educational materials, but if Christians and Muslims were not mutually accepting of each other, materials were irrelevant. Returning to the UK after 35 years away, he found that alienation had increased among 3rd generation Muslims. They speak the vernacular and so could not use the language as an excuse, but they still felt alienated. There was a strong sense of injustice sustained by the media presentation of the international political situation which could not be removed by friendly meetings. Both sides needed to realise that accepting each other as an integral part of one's identity did not at all mean accepting each other's beliefs.

A. Duncan: referred to his experience of quoting the saying of Jesus in the Qur'an 19:33 to Christians and asking them where it came from. The response to discovering it was in the Qur'an was either, 'I didn't know that' or 'Why didn't they tell me?' He was concerned about evangelism taking place (in Iraq) under cover of aid, but thought it was best to get on with the business in hand. There were more shared positives that could be built on that divisive negatives and these should be emphasised.

M. Ipgrave re-emphasised the need for encounter, but said communities are socially and geographically divided so encounter has to be made to happen. People have to be taken out of their comfort zones.

A. O'Mahony: churches have an important contribution to make to the wider society so this is not simply a 'religious' matter. He also emphasised the importance of encounter.

G. Teece said he took very seriously A. Sahin's comments on the need for self-relativising.

A. Wingate: Encounter should be properly and followed up and it could then bring about real change. It was possible and better to build trust before dealing with difficult issues and this would lead to more effective dialogue.

G. Teece pointed out the importance of 'bridge people' who were known and trusted in 'both camps'.

S. von Sicard spoke about the role of the structures we work with. For example, imams and clergy hold positions of respect and influence - what is there about this that could enhance involvement between communities and what could be an impediment.

J. Nielsen: in his experience people only wanted to hear what was comfortable and simply kept circulating within the areas where they were at ease.

A. Bakhit: in his experience in Jordan, Christians and Muslims lived for long periods in a relationship of acceptance but avoided talking about religion. Conflict was introduced by religious debate, so it could be said that discussing religion can have negative effects.

J. Nielsen: but it is because religious issues are swept under the carpet that they cause conflict when they are raised in fragile situations.

A. Sahin: it is not only the geographical, but also the cultural boundaries between communities that are contested. There is a need to create challenging encounters among Muslims living in diverse communities in order to create a mature self-awareness so that they are enabled to make an effective contribution, otherwise the field is left to transnational extremist groups.

A. Wingate agreed that the differences between Muslim contexts and between levels of politicisation need to be acknowledged and said the role of Christians in supporting moderates can be appreciated (e.g. the Archbishop's group of consultants).

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