"Read! For your Lord is most Generous.

(It is He) who taught by means of the pen;

taught man that which he knew not."

The Quran, Chapter 96, Verses 3-5

CAIRThe Council on American-Islamic Relations

is a non-profit, membership organization dedicatedto presenting an Islamic perspective on issues

of importance to the American public.

First Published in 1997@ Copyright 2005

Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Glossary of Muslim Terms

Eid

Halal

Hija b

Jum'ah

Kufi

Qur'an

Ramadan

A holiday.

Permissible by Islamic law.

Clothing Muslim women wearin public. It is generally loose-fitting and includes a head-covering. Also called Khimar.Friday prayer.

A cap worn by some Muslimmen.

Islam's revealed scripture.

The month of fasting.

CAIR Research Center

CAIR Research Center conducts researchon the American Muslim experience. Dr.Mohamed Nimer is the research andauthor of CAIR guides to Islamic religiouspractices.

Demographers say that Islam is oneof the fastest growing religions inthe United States and around the

world. American Muslims are found in allsectors of society. This presence is perhapsmost evident in the public school system,where Muslim students of various racialand ethnic backgrounds make up anincreasing percentage of the school popu-lation.

Recent studies show that most Muslimchildren are enrolled in public schools.This growing demographic segment addsa new dimension to be considered as edu-cators work with issues of diversity. Theinformation contained in this booklet isdesigned to assist teachers, principals andother educators in formulating and imple-menting policies and programs that willhelp to create a culturally-sensitive aca-demic environment. It will also serve as aguide for the accommodation of religious-ly-mandated practices of Muslim students.

U.S. Legal Protection of ReligiousRights

Prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, religiouscelebrations, as well as dietary and cloth-ing requirements are practices of theMuslim faith. Such religious expressionsare protected by the First Amendment tothe Constitution, which protects the free

• • • • •

exercise of religion. Moreover, the EqualAccess Act of 1984 (upheld by theSupreme Court in 1990) affirmed the rightof student-initiated religious activities inpublic schools.

Although Islamic religious practiceshave similarities to elements of other reli-gions, the details of time and procedurethat define what is proper religious prac-tice may differ. The goal of this publicationis to suggest practical steps to assist edu-cators in accommodating the religiousneeds of Muslim students.

Dietary Requirements

The Qur'an (Islam's scripture) prohibitsconsumption of alcohol, pork, and anypork by-products or derivatives. Therefore,practicing Muslims are careful about thefood they consume and how it is pre-pared. Muslims follow certain standards—called Halal (permissible by Islamiclaw)—in slaughter and preparation ofmeat and poultry. Some objectionablefood items include:

• Pepperoni, sausage, and hot dogs con-taining pork.

• Bacon—alone or in soups, quiche, etc.• Animal shortening—in breads, pud-

dings, cookies, cakes, donuts, etc.Vegetable shortening is acceptable.

• Gelatin—in Jello, desserts, candies,marshmallows, chocolates, etc.

• Lard—in any product.

• Food ingredients containing alcohol,such as vanilla extract and Dijon mus-tard.

School lunch items containing ingredi-ents derived from pork must be highlight-ed clearly, especially in elementaryschools. For preschool and elementaryfood programs, many school cafeteriashave been particularly helpful to Muslimparents and students by labeling suchfoods with a prominent visual marker,such as a red dot or a picture of a pig, forbeginning readers.

Expressions of Personal Modesty

Islam prescribes that both men andwomen behave and dress modestly.Muslims believe that an emphasis onmodesty encourages society to value indi-viduals for their wisdom, skills and contri-bution to the community, rather than forphysical attractiveness. There are a num-ber of ways in which Muslims expresssuch teachings.

Men and boys are always to be cov-ered from the navel to the knee. Also,some male Muslim students wear a smallhead covering, called a kufi.

When in public, Muslim women wearloose-fitting, non-revealing clothing,known as hijab, or khimar. This attire,which may vary in style, includes a headcovering.

The wearing of a head covering maylead to teasing by other students. Teachers

should prevent classmates from pulling onor removing a Muslim student's scarf.

Adolescence and Gender Relations

Puberty is a major turning point in thelife of a Muslim. For those who havereached puberty, Islam prescribes certainparameters for relations between thesexes. For example, many Muslims arereluctant to shake hands with the oppositesex, even with teachers or administrators.This should not be taken as an insult, butas a sign of personal modesty.

Also, Muslims may raise religiousobjections to coed physical educationclasses and to school-sponsored dances.Students should not be pressured to par-ticipate or penalized for not taking part insuch activities.

Physical Education

Muslim boys and girls may not takesame-sex communal after-sport showerswithout wearing appropriate covering oftheir bodies. Private showers should bemade available, or gym classes could bescheduled in a late period, allowing thestudent to shower at home.

School administrators may discusswith students alternative clothing in phys-ical education classes. Alternatives couldinclude knee-length shorts for boys andfull track suits for girls.

Muslim students should not be forcedto participate in coed swimming classes.

Schools that require swimming skills haveoffered outside certification as an option.

Muslim Holidays

There are several days in the Muslimcalendar with special religious signifi-cance, but the major celebrations com-mon to all Muslims are the two Eid (holi-day) days. The first Eid day is celebrated onthe day after the month of Ramadan (themonth of fasting). The second is celebrat-ed on the tenth day of the twelfth Islamicmonth.

The festivities include congregationalprayer, gatherings with family and friends,and gifts and entertainment, especially forchildren. A typical greeting on these occa-sions is "Eid Mubarak," or "Blessed Eid." Toaccommodate the needs of students dur-ing these observances, schools should addMuslim holidays to their calendars.

Celebrating Eid requires that Muslimstake at least one day off from school. Thereshould be no penalty for this religiousobligation. Because the occurrence of Eiddepends on the sighting of the new moon,the exact date can only be determinedwith certainty the night before. Muslimcommunities around the country wouldlike to see that Eid receives recognitionsimilar to that given to Christmas andHanukkah, especially in schools whereMuslims constitute a significant segmentof the student population.

Where the number of Muslim studentsis low, schools can demonstrate commit-

ment to diversity by refraining from mark-ing students absent when they do notattend school on Eid. Also, major events(games, exams, plays, etc.) should bescheduled around these holidays.

Fasting

Islamic holy days and festivals followthe lunar calendar. Like the solar calendar,it has twelve months. However, a lunarmonth, which is marked by the appear-ance of a new crescent moon, may lastonly 29 days. As a result, the lunar year isabout 11 days shorter than the solar year.

The month of Ramadan, the ninthmonth of the Islamic lunar calendar, is thetime when Muslims are required to fast.Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five"pillars" of Islam. (The other pillars includea declaration of faith, daily prayer, offeringregular charity, and pilgrimage to Mecca.)

Observing the Ramadan fast meansrefraining from eating and drinking frombreak of dawn to sunset. The dates of thisfast change each year; so the fast willeventually rotate throughout the full solaryear. Ramadan is a period of self-restraintand a time to focus on moral conduct. It isalso a time to empathize with those whoare less fortunate and appreciate what onehas.

Fasting is prescribed when childrenreach the age of puberty. Still, Muslimfamilies allow their young children toexperiment with fasting. Fasting studentsshould be allowed to go to the school

library instead of the cafeteria duringlunch. Also, they should be excused fromstrenuous physical activity during the fast.

To turn the diversity in the classroomto educational advantage, a teacher mayinvite a Muslim student or guest speakerto explain the practices and traditions sur-rounding the Ramadan fast. This will helpthe Muslim student avoid a feeling of awk-wardness about not having lunch with hisor her fellow students during the month.By providing opportunities for students ofvaried religious backgrounds to share theirspecial occasions, the school helps to sup-port parents and communities in theirefforts to teach beneficial values. Suchinformation is also important preparationfor students as future citizens.

Curriculum Issues

Many Muslims feel their faith has beentreated with bias in textbooks and schoolprograms. Although availability of moreaccurate and balanced instructional mate-rial is increasing, the continued use of out-dated material in social studies and worldhistory classes reinforces perceptions ofIslam as a foreign creed and Muslims asenemies.

Such divisiveness has contributed toincidents of harassment and violenceagainst Muslim children by their school-mates. In a number of cases, Muslimchildren have been mocked as "devilworshipers," "sand n-gers," and "cameljockeys."

School boards may want to reviewpolicies and programs in light of theincreasing Muslim population in the pub-lic school system. Textbooks that con-tribute to religious prejudice are not suit-able for educating students. Books thatlack reliable information are usuallyreplete with mistakes about the basicIslamic beliefs. One common error is thedefinition of "Allah" as a particular Muslimgod rather than the same God ofChristianity and Judaism. QualifiedMuslim educators should participate inthe textbook selection process, particular-ly for history, social studies and geographytexts.

Family Life/Sex Education

Family life and sex education materialpresented in schools is another sensitivematter to Muslims. In Islam individualsbecome religiously responsible for theirdeeds when they reach puberty. Islam putsgreat emphasis on modesty, chastity andmorality and there is a specific set ofteachings with regard to human develop-ment and its related issues.

Close contact with local Islamic cen-ters is essential to encourage input fromthe Muslim community. Class materialsshould be available for review and parentsshould have the option to remove theirchildren from all or part of the program.

Daily Prayer

Islam urges "God consciousness" in theindividual's life. To that end, Islam pre-scribes that believers perform prayer fivetimes each day. Two such times, a fewminutes after meridian of the sun andapproximately two hours after that, mayfall within regular school hours. It usuallytakes less than 15 minutes to accomplishthe religious requirements of the prayer.

Washing

Before each prayer, Muslims arerequired to wash their faces, hands andfeet with clean water. This washing is nor-mally performed in a rest room sink orother facility that has running water, andtakes about two minutes.

Prayer Space and Time

During the act of worship, whichinclude specific recitations from theQurlan, the Muslim will stand, bow andtouch the forehead to the ground. Worshipmay be performed in any quiet, cleanroom. During the prayer, the worshiperwill face toward Mecca (generally north-east in America). Total privacy is notrequired. However, others should notwalk in front of or interrupt the worshipperduring the prayer.

When the Muslim prays, he or she isfully engaged. He or she may not respondto a conversation. Students and teachersshould not take offense if the worshipper

does not answer their call during theprayer. However, in case of an emergency,the Muslim will respond to an announce-ment by stopping the prayer immediately.

Organizing Prayers ThroughExtracurricular Clubs

Teachers need not be involved in anyway in student-initiated prayers. Muslimstudents, like their counterparts from otherfaiths, can establish extracurricular clubsto organize prayer activities.

Friday Congregational Prayer

In Islam, Friday is the day for congre-gational worship, called Jum'ah. It is anobligation that must be fulfilled. Jum'ahlasts about one hour and takes place at themosque during midday prayer. Those whoare conscientious about attending thisprayer may request a temporary releasefrom school or an extended lunch period.

In high schools and universities wherethe number of students interested in per-forming the prayer is large, the functioncan be conducted by students on theschool premises.

Pledge of Allegiance

Islam discourages acts of reverence toanyone or anything but God. SomeMuslims may be hesitant to recite thepledge of allegiance. This, however,should not be taken as a sign of disrespectto the symbol of the nation. Many Muslim

parents teach their children to stand upbut not to recite the pledge.

In conclusion, with the recent leaps incommunication technology and thechanging demographics of our communi-ties, American society is coming face toface with new cultures, new beliefs andnew ideas. Giving students the tools tointeract, to understand, and to learn fromother cultures will offer them invaluableinsights into the basic human qualitiesthat we all share.

As the Qur'an says, "0 mankind! Wecreated you from a single (pair) of a maleand a female, and made you into nationsand tribes, that you may know each other(Not that you may despise each other). "

We hope the publication of this guidewill be an important step toward that goal.

Religious AccommodationSuggestions

Pork and pork by-products in lunches

• Mark items with a red dot or a picture of a pig.

Muslim holidays

• Schedule exams and other major events aroundholidays.• Do not mark students absent.

Ramadan fast

• Allow students to study in the library or else-where during lunch.

Physical education

• Discuss clothing requirements with Muslim par-ents.• Reschedule classes for students preferringsamegender exercise environment.

Gender relations

• Do not extend hand first for handshake withopposite sex.• Avoid touching when comforting students andparents of opposite sex.

Family lifelsex education program

• Allow parents reasonable time to review any

material dealing with "sex education."

• Allow children to opt-out from all or part of the

family life program.

Prayer

• Allow Muslim students to pray in unused rooms.

Fairness in classroom and text presentations

• Check textbook for religious bias.

• Invite Muslim speakers to social studies and

world religion classes.

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Civil Rights Reports1996 - The Price of Ignorance

1997 - Unveiling Prejudice

1998 - Patterns of Discrimination

2001 - Accommodating Diversity

2002 - Stereotypes & Civil Liberties

2003 - Guilt by Association

2004 - Unpatriotic Acts

GuidesEmployer's Guide to Islamic Religious Practices

Educator's Guide to...

Health-Care Provider's Guide to...

Correctional Institution's Guide to...

Law Enforcement Official's Guide to...

Know Your Rights Pocket Guide

Voter Registration Guide (groups, orgs, etc.)

Muslim Community Safety Kit

Other PublicationsU.S. Congress Handbook (full color)

American Muslims One Year After 9/11 (special)

Media Relations Handbook

The American Mosque - Mosque Study Project

A Rush to Judgment

The Usual Suspects

A Model for School District Religious Policy

Also availableWelcome to Our Ramadan pamphlet

Welcome to Our Mosque pamphlet

Mosque Open House pamphlet

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