Islam, Education, and Freedom (by MELANIE C. BROOKS AND MIRIAM D. EZZANI)

Abstract

Over the past several decades, Islamic schools have grown steadily across the United States, becoming important institutions for Muslim families seeking to nurture their children’s religious identity while navigating the contemporary social, cultural, and political realities of American life. As Muslim communities have grown and diversified, Islamic schools have also become spaces where questions of identity, belonging, leadership, and community expectations are explored. As a result, scholarly attention to the internal dynamics of Islamic schooling, such as leadership practices, educational philosophy, and how the Muslim identity is fostered, has become increasingly important. Islam, Education, and Freedom contributes to this growing body of scholarship by examining a particular model of Islamic schooling and the leadership philosophy that shapes it.