| dc.description.abstract | The institutionalization of Islam in the Netherlands late eighties, resulted in the establishment of two
Islamic schools in Rotterdam and Eindhoven. That the establishment of Islamic schools in the process
of institutionalizing was a relative latecomer, has had its causes in limiting factors such as
unfamiliarity, increasing dissatisfaction among Islamic parents, divisions in the Muslim community,
increased migration in the Netherlands in that period and the social and political opposition by
establishing Islamic schools. In August 2011 there are 43 Islamic primary schools in the Netherlands
and one Islamic secondary school. Upon the establishment of the schools is chosen for education
from an Islamic basis. How the Islamic principles takes shape in the schools, will be discussed further
in this study.
The identity of Islamic schools is based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. From this basis, Muslims find
inspiration to get a good education. The acquisition of a religious practice in school is the third
feature of the Islamic identity. Internal and external factors bring the identity of the schools on the
move, which creates a dynamic identity.
The self-image of Islamic schools is generally much more positive than the image of these schools
exist in the Dutch society. This discrepancy brings the image problem of Islamic education to
light. The image problem has its roots in the history of Islamic education itself, where major abuses
at Islamic schools, poor or very poor educational performance and strict Islamic intolerance occur on
a single Islamic school, has occurred several times. On the other hand the image problem created by
the very explicit focus on the extremes of Islamic education, in the media and in national politics. The
emphasis on Islamic education may have to do with fear of Islamization of the Netherlands or fear of
new religious fundamentalism in a secular society. To overcome the problem of unilateral imaging,
Islamic schools will clearly have to strengths their profile. At the present media attention can be
given a positive spin by issuing positive reports on the education quality through the Islamic Schools
Organization (ISBO) or as individual schools, to the media.
Whether the identity of modern Islamic schools fit scientific knowledge can only be answered when
first is examined how such scientific findings relates to Islam and the foundation of Islamic education.
The Qur’an is not a scientific book, but according to many Muslims, science has everything to do with
the Qur’an. By some Muslims are modern scientific insights literally found in certain verses in the
Qur’an. For other Muslims, the Qur'an is not so much the book as scientific knowledge, but it has
certain Qur’anic verses inspired them to create new scientific knowledge.
The history of Islam teaches us that science and religion go together really well. Sciences as
astronomy, physics, mathematics, medicine and philosophy were on hand for religious reasons and
from insights that emerged from Greek work translated. In response to these scientific developments
came in 'the time of renewal in Islamic philosophy and science' two currents: the rationalists gave
much space to the Greek ideas and integrated their concepts into the existing theological and
philosophical beliefs of the time. The traditionalists contested such modern ideas, because they
consider them contrary to traditional views of Islam. At various Islamic schools there are found
names of rationalists such as Ibni-Sin in the name of the school. But to know where the schools
actually are when it comes to new scientific insights, we have to look at the position occupied by
them today in treating a scientific theory at the school.
At a second acquaintance with Western thought, at the time of the rise of colonialism, there seems
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again to be reacted in two ways. Firstly Islamic reformers are open to Western thought, secondly, it
reacted negatively because it is feared that the Islamic tradition and with it the identity of many
Muslims, will be diluted.
In contemporary Islam there are many different views on a relationship of science and Islam. Some
scientists argue that Islam and science do not go together at all, because the Islamic religion limited
the scope for independent science: In several Muslim countries, according to them these
examples. Other scientists find in the Qur’an a religious motivation to legitimize modern ideas (like
feminism).
To gain more insight into the different ways in which Islamic schools deal with the theory of
evolution, there will be a need to look at the history and tradition of Islam. The positions held by
Muslims in the taken past, about scientific knowledge, can be a determining factor for the views of
Islamic schools today with the theory of evolution. The analysis of the various Islamic positions in the
present can contribute to a better understanding of how schools deal with such theories.
There is not much known about science in the earliest period of Islam in the Middle East. There is the
systematization of the words revealed to Muhammad and also the compilation of Hadith concerning
the life of the prophet, but there is also in this period a strong interest in science. From Al-Jahiz (781-
869) is known that he wrote dozens of books about nature, including the famous book about the
animals. This 'book of animals "(Kitab al-Hayawan) will later in the Islamic history get an important
role in appreciation the evolution theory by Muslims. Interest in science in the history of Islam seems
to have its peak at the ‘time of renewal in Islamic philosophy and science’ (9th-13th centuries).
During this period several Islamic scholars will do strikingly 'modern' statements about the evolution
of life on earth (Al-Jahiz, Ibn Arabi, Ibn Sina, Ibn Ghaldoun, etc.). They seem to see a gradual
development of life on earth as very likely to consider.
This plausibility is nowadays in Islam not very obvious. Many Muslims experience a discrepancy
between the sources of religion and scientific theories. Although the theory of evolution is evolving,
the Qur’anic verses on the origin of life, won’t come closer to this theory.
In contemporary Islam there are some relevant positions, given by more or less known Muslim
writers, that indicates the relationship of creation verses evolution. By example, Zakir Naik and
Maurice Bucaille see different sciences in the Qur’an verses. According to them the Qur’an contains
the entire contents of all sciences from the past to the future. A writer like Harun Yahya turns his way
on to the (for him) underlying pernicious materialistic philosophy of the evolutionary theory and tries
to falsify the theory in his books and DVDs. David Solomon Jalajel takes position in the discussion of
science and religion, by looking at religious beliefs and scientific insights as two different
disciplines. Thus Adam is created (religious belief) into an evolved world (scientific knowledge).
According to Jalajel, we know only what we understand (the Seen) and what we do not understand,
we do not know (the Unseen). Muslims have to accept that. Still another view is given by
T.O. Shanavas. He says that the doctrine of a gradual development of life on earth, is entirely in line
with prominent Muslim scientists in the history of Islam. The theory of evolution therefore may (for
him) have a place in the religious beliefs of the Islam. The absence of God in the evolution theory
battles Shanavas, by describing how accidence can be seen as God's act of creation.
Finally, from the 19th century there were given various fatwas about the evolutionary theory. These
range from negative fatwas to fatwas where the evolutionary theory is fully accepted. This facts
confirm once again the complexity of views within Islam on this subject.
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After have shown several Muslim positions regarding the development of life on Earth, there can
now be investigated which of these positions can be found in Islamic education in the
Netherlands. Therefore was set up the temporary ISBO committee ‘Identity and research’ with a
number of experts in the field of ‘Islam and identity’ have taken place. To gain insight into the way in
which Islamic schools are handling the theory of evolution, there was created a digital questionnaire,
tested and sent to the schools. The digital questionnaire includes general, inventory and substantive
questions about the position of the theory of evolution at the Islamic schools. In this study is chosen
for a quantitative research, because it gives a good overview of the place of evolution in the whole of
Islamic education in the Netherlands. The survey was taken over among the Islamic schools during
the period beginning February 2011 until early April 2011.
The survey is inventoried in mid-April and completed by 33 of the 44 Islamic schools. This represents
76.7% of the total Islamic education in the Netherlands. This percentage gives a good idea of the
situation regarding the place of evolution in Islamic education. The whole survey results are
definitely interesting, but in this summary we restrict ourselves to a few essential results. First, we
notice that two-thirds (67%) of the surveyed Islamic schools says that the evolutionary theory
primarily belongs to the Islamic religion lessons at the school and not primarily in biology or history
lessons. This shows that the subject is an important part of the Islamic identity of the schools. It
presumes that the Islamic religion teacher can give a better reflection on the theory (given his/her
Islamic background) and can explain the theory better (read more Islamic) than any other teacher at
the Islamic school. The situation on Dutch Islamic schools is that there are also much non-Islamic
teachers working.
The assumption in most Islamic schools (% 68) that treating the theory of evolution in school is not
compulsory, is correct. The core objectives Primary Education and Secondary Education does not
indicate that the treatment of the theory is compulsory in schools. However, knowledge of
evolutionary theory for Islamic students is for them required as part of the exam in biology
secondary education.
Approximately on one third of the Islamic schools in the Netherlands, the theory of evolution is not
treated. Students at these schools will first be confronted with the theory of evolution on non-Islamic
secondary schools. Since there is given no Islamic reflection on the theory, it is questionable whether
it is wise that the evolutionary theory is not treated in Primary Education.
A majority of Islamic schools sees evolutionary theory as contrary to Islamic thought (especially
intended the contradiction of Qur’anic verses about creation of life on Earth with evolutionary
theory). It considers the theory in most Islamic schools therefore not as a plausible theory. Still sees a
majority of the surveyed Islamic schools evolution as a challenge (61%) and not as a threat
(11%). This attitude reflects a professional perspective on very sensitive, identity issues at the Islamic
schools. In a majority of the schools (58%) there are debates or discussions on the subject. The talks
about the development of life have, according to the respondents, an open and respectful mind for
different positions.
For the ISBO is mainly the lack of a policy on the Islamic schools related to the place of evolution in
the schools, an important issue. Only 22% of the schools do have such a plan. The ISBO has spoken
their intention to give an impulse to establishing policy for the place of evolution at the Islamic
schools.
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To prepare the students of an Islamic school for life in a modern society (where the evolution theory
is mostly accepted), there should be given an Islamic perspective on modern scientific knowledge, as
the theory of evolution (regardless which kind of perspective that is). A serious deepening of the
theory can have place by biology and a Islamic reflection on the theory by religion class at the Islamic
school.
Nowadays there is insufficient material available about reflecting evolution theory from different
Islamic perspectives. The result is that Islamic religious teachers (only) display the view that they like
most. The choice of a particular perspective on the theory of evolution has to do with the way the
Qur’an is interpreted. In a literal interpretation of the Qur’an, there is given an interpretation based
on a literal reading of the Qur’an verses. In most Islamic schools they have an literal reading of the
Qur’an verses. Another interpretation possibility is that the verses in the Qur’an are read in the
context in which it has been revealed (such as time, language or culture). Such an interpretation is in
Islam today not an usual interpretation and is therefore not usual in the Islamic schools in the
Netherlands.
For some Muslims, the acceptance of the evolutionary theory feels like a little loss of their Islamic
identity. Yet were there in history of Islam examples of scientists (and they are still there today),
which managed to innovate scientific insights into Islam, without a loss of the Islamic identity
thereby in any way.
In short, within the identity of Islamic education there would in principle be space possible for
different Islamic traditions (traditional and rational) and various Qur'anic Interpretations (literally
and principle). | |
