The NEU has produced this classroom resource in collaboration with Educate Against Islamophobia (EAI) to help teachers educate against islamophobia. ‘Magnifying Magnificent Muslims’ presents a range of creative lesson ideas for KS1 and 2 to teach about Muslims who have changed the world.
From sharing stories with Muslim protagonists, such as Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet by Z. Mian (KS2) and Malala’s Magic Pencil by Malala Yousafzai (KS1), to exploring Islamic Art, the Golden Age of Islam 900AD, and comparing the Hindu-Arabic numerical system to Roman numerals; this resource offers lessons for across the Primary curriculum.
Islamophobia
Misconceptions about Islam and Muslims are rife. Professor Ian Law et al. have identified 10 Islamophobic narratives which are pervasive across European nations. These narratives pose Islam and Muslims as a moral and cultural threat to European societies and thereby render them as incompatible with the Western way of life.
In similar vein, a 2015 Show Racism the Red Card survey found that negative attitudes and misconceptions about Islam and Muslims were widespread amongst English schools; with almost a 1/3 of school pupils believing that “Muslims are taking over the country.”
Not only are these narratives and misconceptions internalised, but they manifest on an interpersonal and structural level and are perpetuated by mainstream media. Indeed, such narratives have a detrimental impact on those who are Muslim and those who are perceived to be Muslim.
This is evident in the fact that there was a 73% increase in Islamophobic hate crimes in 2024 compared to the previous year (Home Office). Furthermore, the normalisation of Islamophobic narratives poses a grave threat to social and community cohesion, as witnessed in the race riots which swept the streets of Britain in the summer of 2024, with children as young as 12 being convicted of violent disorder.
“The role of education at all social levels and in particular of young generations, remains one of the best ways to stop the proliferation of racist and discriminatory discourses and to foster intercultural exchanges.”
UNESCO, 2018
Anti-islamophobia pedagogy
Education is widely recognised as a fundamental tool through which societies can tackle prejudice and racism. Schools and educators must therefore actively seek to combat harmful Islamophobic narratives from developing and permeating within their school communities.
Raising an awareness of Islamophobia and the positive contributions of Muslims is one key avenue through which educators can counter harmful narratives and prevent Islamophobia from spreading. There is a plethora of literature highlighting the urgency of adopting such pedagogical approaches (Driel, 2004; Zine, 2004; Hossain, 2017; Saleh, 2021) and its potential to foster understanding, cohesion and solidarity.
This toolkit, rooted in the aforementioned literature, serves to support educators in countering harmful narratives against Islam and Muslims, which in turn, enable schools to foster a climate of harmony, respect and mutual understanding.
Dominant Islamophobic narratives as identified by Professor Ian Law et al. include:
- Islam and Muslims represent a threat to security.
- Islam and Muslims are essentially and inherently different to the national norm.
- Islam and Muslims are inherently violent.
What is Islamophobia?
“Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims
Why has Islamophobia been conceptualised as a form of racism?
Islamophobia is not merely a hate crime. Islamophobia manifests in many ways and permeates various spheres of public life including education, media, politics, policing and healthcare. By conceptualising Islamophobia as a form of racism, we are also taking into account the discrimination, prejudice, tropes, exclusions and marginalisation experienced by victims of Islamophobia.
Encourage pupils to think about:
- Who experiences Islamophobia?
- Where does Islamophobia take place?
- Is Islamophobia a recent phenomenon?
- What does Islamophobia look like?
- What are the causes of Islamophobia?
- What must we do if we witness or experience Islamophobia?
- Why is Islamophobia wrong?
Case studies
Explore the following case studies and encourage pupils to empathise with the experiences of the victims:
“I was spat at for being Muslim. That’s just how it was” – Jason Mohammad
“We prayed they wouldn’t get inside” – Terrifying account from inside Southport Mosque as it was under attack
“A man refused to sit next to me on the train today ‘I ain’t sitting near a Muslim’ he said. His ignorance is his own ruin” – Nadiya Jamir Hussain
Suggested activities
The activities suggested in this publication aim to challenge Islamophobic narratives and are based on an anti-Islamophobia pedagogy. They include activities across various subjects such as Mathematics, English, Science, History, Religious Education, Geography, Expressive Arts, and Design Technology.
Practitioners are strongly advised to use this toolkit in conjunction with the NEU’s Framework for Developing an Anti-racist Approach and to incorporate the toolkit as part of a wider whole-school approach to tackling racism and its varying forms.