Exercise 3: Understanding the terrorist stereotype in the Western world
Time: 50 min
Goal: The two different texts highlight different discourses about Islam and Muslims. The student learns to see the differences and ask how to change the discourse to reduce prejudice against Muslims.
Methods: Think-pair-share – give students a problem they need to address, have them think first themself, then discuss it with their neighbour, and finally share it with the whole group.
Instruction:
Students read two articles. It takes 20 minutes. When reading the text, they have to highlight three main problems from the text and ask what kind of stereotypical image of Muslims is presented in both texts and how these images differ. In addition, the students must ask how to change these images presented in the articles so that they would not be full of prejudice. The discussion then takes place in pairs for 10 minutes, followed by sharing observations with the whole audience for 10 minutes. Finally, the teacher summarises the views presented in 10 minutes and reflects back on the image of Muslims and Islam in these articles and their suggestions for change.
- Text 1: Zekri, S. (2021, September 16). The West and Islam 20 years after 9/11 – Paranoia, now. Qantara.
- Text 2: Jones, D. M. & Smith, M. L. R. (2021, September 19). Terror in the Western Mind. European Conservative.
Conclusion video
Project in Toronto 2015 “I am a Muslim”
In response to bullying against Muslims in Toronto 2015, young Canadian Muslims were looking for reactions to the questions: “What it means to be Muslim” and “What are they?” They prepared a page “I’m a Muslim, it makes me ….” and added some keywords like “#terrorist”. Many who passed by were offended and apologised and wrote “#coexistence”.
If the teacher uses some of the tasks from the e-module, they can show this video at the end of the topic or task and ask each student to think of five keywords, that they would write on such a page if someone in their country said “I’m a Muslim, that makes me ….”