Islamic history
Noor Inayat Khan was the daughter of a spiritual teacher from India, Hazrat Inayat Khan, and his American wife, Ora Ray Baker. After Noor’s birth in Moscow in 1914, the family moved first to England and then to Paris, where she was raised. In 1940, the Nazis invaded France and twenty-five year old Noor fled with her family to England. She joined Britain’s Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and trained as a wireless operator. In early 1943, she began her assignment as a covert agent, joining Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). The SOE worked with the French resistance fighters to sabotage industry and railroads in preparation for the D-Day invasions, after which they would co-ordinate attacks on the German army behind enemy lines, tying down troops and diverting the Germans from the invading Allied troops. From Paris, Noor Inayat Khan secretly transmitted critical information back to Britain. In the next four months she was often the only link between the U.K. and the French Resistance. She was pursued by the Gestapo and finally betrayed by French collaborators. The Nazis arrested her and imprisoned her in Paris, where she fought back against her captors and escaped twice. Finally, she was sent to the infamous Dachau concentration camp in Germany where she was executed shortly before the end of WWII. Lesson plans are available at https://www.upf.tv/noorteachers/
A virtual walking tour of the Dome of the Rock and the third most important mosque in Islam, in Jerusalem. It features 360 degree views and detailed explanations of the architectural and decorative features, and their significance. (Since Adobe Flash is no longer supported, an alterative is to download Ruffles Flash emulator at http://ruffles.rs and install it as a browser extension)
Discover Islamic Art Museum With No Frontiers/DiscoverIslamicArt, a collection of art by period, dynasty, region and themes, bringing together works in many museums with their full information. The site also features interactive games exploring artworks and objects. A great way to see how Islamic art is organized and how it changed over time and across Muslim cultures. A project of the EuroMed with European Union funding.
Islam: An American Faith, Set of 6 documentary films on aspects of Islam, descriptive of the faith, its beliefs and practices. $9.95 ea or $49.95 for the set.
For many these two ideas: Islam and America are not compatible, many on both sides feel that there is a great divide and that America can never reconcile with Islam and Muslims cannot live in peace with America. This film aims to dispel that myth. Starting from a historical perspective highlighting the fact that Muslims were already present in the New World prior to the arrival of the first European settlers and coming to the present post 9-11 America where some are questioning their identity, whereas others are defining their American Muslim identity.
An excellent and beautifully illustrated picture book biography of Islam’s Prophet.
Critical Thinking on Terminology about Islam and Muslims Critical Thinking about Terminology Related to Islam and Muslims: This lesson helps students critically evaluate some of the phrases and concepts used to describe Islam and Muslims. Students learn about the distinctions between using terms such as “Islamic” and “Muslim” to describe different behaviors or cultural products, and gain awareness of journalistic categories such as “Muslim world.” For use with: Video documentary FRONTLINE: MUSLIMS or as standalone lesson.
A collection of stories from authentic Islamic literary and religious sources such as Hadith and Qur’an, which illuminates Islamic morals, ethics and values in an accessible way.
Winner of the 2004 Aesop Prize, Ayat Jamilah/Beautiful Signs: a Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents is the second book in Eastern Washington University Press’ This Little Light of Mine series. A young adult/adult crossover anthology, it draws from not only the core of Islamic spirituality and ethics, the Qur’an, and the traditions (hadiths), but also from the mystical verse, folk tales, and exemplary figures of the Islamic narrative. Unlike any other collection of Islamic stories, Beautiful Signs gathers traditional stories from the farthest reaches of the Muslim world, which stretches from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the east, and from China in the north to Tanzania in the south. This unique anthology, with its rich and thorough explanatory notes, will be invaluable to anyone wishing to understand, or to teach, geography, world history, or world religions. It will also be treasured by Muslim families and by all parents committed to broadening the lives and values of their children and themselves.
Categories of teaching resources published by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University. Teaching Units include: Islam and Politics; The Incense Routes: Frankincense and Myrrh: As Good As Gold by Joan Brodsky Schur (2013); Geography of the Arabian Peninsula by Joan Brodsky Schur (2013); The Illustrator’s Notebook: Parts 1-3 by Mohieddin Ellabbad (2009) and numerous others
Rich resource for cross-over lessons on science, technology and culture