JEDi: Supporting Muslim Students During and After the Pandemic
For 826 MSP’s most recent Justice and Equity Dialogue (JEDi), we learned from and were in dialogue with an incredible panel on what it means to support Muslim students during and after the pandemic. Conducted via Zoom, the discussion was led by student moderators Faaya and Ismail, who posed a series of questions to our panelists Zaynab, Jowhara, Ayat, and Hanan. Together, this amazing group shed light on common misconceptions about Muslim students and shared their thoughts about the challenges and changes of distance-learning, what accommodations for students have looked like before and during the pandemic, and what we can do to ensure that Muslim students feel supported and respected in educational spaces.
We’re grateful to everyone who took part in this discussion for offering your insight, wisdom, and experiences. Read on to see key learnings and some major takeaways from the conversation!
What is something you want people to know about Muslim students?
Islam is a religion, not a race. People of many racial backgrounds identify as Muslim.
Knowledge and the pursuit of it is a really important part of Islam. Islam, like other major religions, and academia are not mutually exclusive.
Muslim students are just like any other students.
Representation matters. It would be helpful if teachers already had the resources or knowledge to meet students’ curiosity and to see a more diverse representation of people in different fields. I.e. use examples of Muslim people in your curriculum.
Intersectionality matters. Because of racism, Islamophobia, and misogyny, being a Black Muslim woman in the U.S. can lead to compounded discrimination and challenges. In particular, the visibility of the veil can make hijabi Muslim women targets of these forms of oppression.
What have accommodations been looking like during distance-learning? Have you seen any changes from before the pandemic to now?
It can be intimidating for Muslim students to ask for breaks for prayer. Distance-learning has actually made it easier for students to take breaks when they need them. Normalizing prayer breaks and making it a part of the syllabus would show that teachers acknowledge the accommodation and help Muslim students feel more comfortable asking for it.
There should be designated spaces for prayer in school settings and students should not have to miss academic content to pray.
Communicating about, providing, and asking for accommodations is okay. Normalizing this will help all students. Particular attention should be paid to this during religious holidays like Ramadan.
While students are learning from home during distance-learning, be mindful of how much on-camera time is required. Typically, the hijab is not worn at home, but being on camera would require it to be.
Be mindful that not all students have the ability to separate their home space and their work/school space.
What can other students do? What accommodations could be made that haven’t been made?
Beginning in the youngest grades, normalize that not everyone celebrates Western holidays, educate students about different holidays, and strive for more diverse representation in children’s books. This will make the classroom a more comfortable, inclusive space for all young students.
Inclusion is an active process. For adults and peer allies alike, notice if Muslim students aren’t present. Ask teachers, coaches, leaders, and each other, “Why is this group missing from our club or team? What can we do to change this?”