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Islam and the politics of enchantment

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Starrett, G. (2009). Islam and the politics of enchantment. Journal Of The Royal Anthropological Institute (Online). https://doi.org/doi:10.1111/j.1467-9655.2009.01551.x
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Description

The North American public sphere is suffused with claims and counterclaims about the
relationship between Islam and violence. Schools and publishers have responded with training
programs for teachers and curriculum units for students introducing them to the Middle East
and its dominant religious tradition. Such programs are often accused by local parents and
national intellectuals of pandering to Muslim sensitivities by whitewashing distasteful historical
events and even proselytizing young people. Focusing on a 2002 lawsuit filed against
California’s Byron Union School District, by parents upset by a classroom role-playing exercise
on Islam, this article argues that political fears about terrorist infiltration into U.S. society are
building on powerful emotional and cultural concerns about the nature of ritual and the
spiritual safety of children exposed to information about other religions. By encouraging public
education as a response to political and cultural tensions, educators may in fact be heightening
the public’s concerns about Islam as a comprehensive threat.

Details
Title

Islam and the politics of enchantment

Author(s)

Starrett, Gregory, 1961-

UNC Charlotte Affiliate Type

Faculty

Extent

1 online resource

Date Published

2009-05

Material Type

Journal article

Genre

articles

Resource Type

text

Abstract

The North American public sphere is suffused with claims and counterclaims about the relationship between Islam and violence. Schools and publishers have responded with training programs for teachers and curriculum units for students introducing them to the Middle East and its dominant religious tradition. Such programs are often accused by local parents and national intellectuals of pandering to Muslim sensitivities by whitewashing distasteful historical events and even proselytizing young people. Focusing on a 2002 lawsuit filed against California’s Byron Union School District, by parents upset by a classroom role-playing exercise on Islam, this article argues that political fears about terrorist infiltration into U.S. society are building on powerful emotional and cultural concerns about the nature of ritual and the spiritual safety of children exposed to information about other religions. By encouraging public education as a response to political and cultural tensions, educators may in fact be heightening the public’s concerns about Islam as a comprehensive threat.

Subjects--Topics

Islam
Secularism
Education

Subjects--Geographic

United States

Is Part Of

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute (Online)

Volume

15

ISSN

1467-9655

Beginning Page Number

S222

Ending Page Number

S240

Language

English

Published Version (Please cite this version)

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9655.2009.01551.x

Publisher's Version

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9655.2009.01551.x

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/work:87

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