Decolonizing Education Research and Practice: Introducing the Islamic Philosophical Perspective of Wasatiyyah

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Decolonizing Research Methodology In Education

Abstract

Wasatiyyah is a philosophy of balance and moderation that centers on justice (“adl”) . Unlike frameworks that position justice as disruption of an oppressive status quo, Wasatiyyah reconceptualizes justice as the natural center state toward which all systems should move. This paper begins by outlines the key reasons for incorporating Islamic perspectives, then provides a theoretical foundation for Wasatiyyah philosophy in education. By grounding the work in an Islamic philosophical perspective, this study challenges the dehumanization perpetuated by Islamophobic and orientalist narratives, and advances epistemic plurality in our shared understandings of justice. Wasatiyyah allows educators to pursue justice without relying on oppositional binaries, instead emphasizing the restoration of balance by aligning all aspects of the educational system with their rightful roles.

Authors

• Zahra Hazari, Florida International University

• Nushrat Hoque, Florida International University

• Amal Ibourk, Florida State University

• Shakhnoza Kayumova, University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth