Holistic Islamic Educational Initiatives in the United States, United Kingdom, and Netherlands: A Triple-Site Autoethnography

• In Event: Centering Holism in Islamic Educational Practices in "Western" Contexts as Integrated Educational Responsibilities

Abstract

Objectives
Many people wonder what happens within an Islamic school day—Muslims and non-Muslims alike. One key concept is tawhid, as divine unity, holism, or oneness, which is at the heart of traditional Islamic education. Yet, many contemporary sites are disciplinarily fragmented (Nasr, 2012; Colleague & Author, 2011; Shamma, 1999) and holism remains an unrealized objective. This paper presents an autoethnography of my lived experiences as a holistic Muslim educator over thirty-five years, in three sites of Islamic education in the US, UK, and Netherlands, to shed light on characteristics of holism and attempts to realize this approach.
Framework
Holistic education constitutes the conceptual frame, with both culturally-Western and -Islamic facets that overlap, to a degree, and are characterized by student transformation on all levels: “physical, cognitive, psychological, social, emotional and spiritual” (Mayes, 2003). Holism in the diverse educational philosophies of educators including Montessori, Steiner, Dewey, and Neill cohere in the concept of total growth (Mayes, 2003). Amongst Muslim educators, there has been broad agreement that holism infuses education with a sense of social justice for humanity and creation, with emphasis on personal transformation (Erfan & Valie, 1995; Iqbal, 2005; Nasr, 1990; Colleague & Author, 2011). Specifically,: “being related to holiness, hence wholeness, Islamic education had to be concerned with the whole being of the men and women whom it sought to educate” (Nasr, 1990, p. 123).
Methods and Data Sources
Autoethnography was an appropriate methodology given complexities of Islamic education in secular Western cultures, and my own identity as a bilingual (English/Dutch) Muslim convert of mixed ethnic background. It offered a means of understanding cross-cultural experiences through personal ones (Ellis & Bochner, 2000). My experiences establishing alternative educational initiatives, which constitute the data sources, offer insights into contemporary practices towards realizing a holistic Islamic educational philosophy:
1. Khaled Islamic School, Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA, private alternative elementary school, 1st-6th grades (1983-1990);
2. Ibn Battuta Scouting Group, part of Muslim Scouting of the Netherlands, formed to support Muslim children integrate with the national Dutch Scouting program (1992¬-1995);
3. Manara Academy, a Montessori-inspired Islamic flexi-school in England with a holistic, integrated curriculum emphasizing global citizenship and Islamic environmentalism (2011-2016).
I also engaged in interviews with former students and teachers at the three sites and drew on my private archives which included notes on curricula/program development, minutes of meetings, website materials, and correspondence.
Findings and Significance
Autoethnographic reflections reveal intentional emphasis by teachers on educating “head, heart and hands,” education unfolding in nature, whole-school halaqat (learning circles), engagement with neighboring schools, and challenges of a secular prevailing culture. Existing literature on holistic Islamic education is primarily theoretical, with sporadic references to holism. Few scholars have engaged in autoethnography in Islamic educational settings. In making holistic Islamic pedagogy visible in practices across a range of cultural contexts, dialoguing with educators in holistic education, and providing a shared vocabulary across cultures, this paper illustrates educational responsibility in practice.

Author

• Fatima D'Oyen Waley, Al-Maqasid