18 October 2001

Requests for Materials on Islam, Arabic Programs on Rise

As Americans try to make sense of the September 11 terrorist attacks, public interest in Islam and the Middle East appears to be growing. Several nonprofit organizations that manage student exchanges and cultural programs with the Arab world have witnessed sharp increases in requests for materials and information.

Mott Hall School, a public magnet school for grades four through eight in New York City, has reorganized its curriculum in recent weeks to address the religious and cultural issues behind the terrorist attacks and their aftermath.

"On day one we were assembling teachers and counselors to help the children verbalize what was happening and help them," Principal Marc Briller said. "Now we've reached a point where the children, and even our teachers and staff, need to know and discuss the deeper issues. And the questions that are coming up are very complicated."

AMIDEAST -- America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Washington -- has stepped up efforts to provide teaching resources and background materials on Islam and the Middle East. The efforts are in part a response to calls from teachers nationwide who are struggling to explain the terrorist attacks, the war on terrorism and the domestic implications for a multi-cultural society.

Bill Rugh, president of AMIDEAST, said there is "huge interest" from teachers and principals in the organization's book, "Islam: A Primer," for grades eight and up, as well as other resources on Arab culture and history. "Even in the few weeks since September 11, it's evident that the interest is growing," he said.

The organization has added to its Web site to provide timely and free resources for teachers. The additions include downloadable lesson plans about the history and culture of the Arab world, and an online "Meet Sa'ud" resource introducing a Kuwaiti teenager. Users can learn about Sa'ud's country, language and religion, meet his extended family, and find out what he does in school, what he eats, and what he does for fun.

Schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, have used the AMIDEAST Web resources to help provide answers to their ethnically diverse student body of 165,000. "We're in multicultural classrooms, and there's an understanding of world religions and cultures, but these resources certainly complement our curriculum," said Russ Phipps, social studies specialist for Fairfax County high schools. "We think it's important to open a dialogue on who the players are, where they come from, what the geopolitical realities are, and what it all means for us."

Calls from students and university administrators asking about study-abroad programs in Arab countries have also increased sharply in recent weeks. The Council on International Educational Exchange, a New York-based nonprofit organization that facilitates study-abroad programs for universities nationwide, has received twice as many inquiries as usual since September 11 about its yearlong Arabic language program in Jordan, said Jill Phelps, who heads the Middle East programs.

Given the historically low number of U.S. students who choose to study abroad in Arab countries, this is an encouraging sign, Rugh at AMIDEAST said. He said that typically students choose destinations such as Latin America, Europe and East Asia, not Arab countries where the language may be more difficult to learn and perceived cultural differences greater.

Leslie Nucho, who oversees many of AMIDEAST's outreach programs, commented on the sudden rise in interest in the Middle East, saying, "It is a shame that it has taken a national tragedy and the loss of so many lives to move Americans to the realization that we do indeed need to know about this part of the world."

"The ignorance works both ways, of course," she continued. "Did you know that many Arab families are afraid to send their children to study in the United States because all they hear about our country is of its crime and violence? It's time for all of us to move beyond the headlines and get to know each other."