Abstract:
Much has been written by Muslim and non-Muslim scholars relating to the question of Islam and modernity. In his work The Arab Predicament, Fouad Ajami notes that, “the revolt of Islam becomes a revolt against modernity,” which helps to explain the growing tide of Islamic radicalism and insularism that departed from the Islamic Golden Age. Faced with the horrors of the October 7th attack and its aftermath, on top of the frequent waves of violence, death, and abysmal misery in the region we must ask again, “what went wrong?” Focusing on curricula, we will demonstrate that the educational curricula and message in the region have largely failed to offer a convincing vision of peace and prosperity, allowing hate, incitement, and narrow-mindedness to spread. Unfortunately, Palestinian education has been at the forefront of this challenge. However, the few cases of educational success serve as a positive foundation to build upon. We will argue that education drawing on the Abrahamic discourse – one we will call “pan-Abrahamism” – remains our best hope for meaningful change, peace, and prosperity in the region.
*This article is part of Regional Cooperation in the Midst of Regional Conflagration: Examining the Partnership Agenda in the Shadow of October 7th.
**This is a short version of the article. For a full version of this article that includes full text and source citations, please see the original publication file.