In Britain today we are living in a 'global village' that comprises people from different linguistic, religious and ethnic backgrounds; understanding and empathising with these diverse cultures is playing an increasingly important rôle in producing happy and stable societies. Islam has become one the largest faith groups in Britain and globally; for those teaching others about Islam and those working with Muslim communities, understanding Islamic culture is paramount.
Many people are familiar with media stereotypes but few can actually distinguish between fact and fiction. This course will facilitate dialogue, help clarify potential misunderstandings and provide answers to many common questions including;
- How can I work better with Muslims in my community?
- Why do some Muslim women wear a headscarf?
- What actually happens inside a Mosque?
- Why do Muslims pray five times a day?
- What is Sharia Law?
- What is the meaning of "Jihad”?
For Whom
This workshop is designed and developed for all those who need to better understand the Islamic culture. It is especially suited to those who work with Muslims, those who have Muslims as customers or clients and those who teach others about Islamic Culture.
This may include for example, representatives and practitioners from:
- Local authority workers, including Senior Managers, Policy-makers & Councillors
- Healthcare, Social, Community and childcare workers.
- Representatives from the Police, Fire and Ambulance Services,
- Hospital and Prison Chaplaincy Services.
- Schools, Colleges and Universities
- any organisation that employs, works with or does business with Muslims
Workshop Aims and Objectives
By the end of this one day workshop, participants will understand or understand better:
- The Background to Islam in Britain
- Basic Islamic beliefs & practices
- Typical misconceptions on Islam
- What takes place in a Mosque and Madrassa
- Ways of improving service provision for minority ethnic communities who come from a Muslim faith
- The difference between Islam and Culture
Workshop Content
Session 1 – Islamic Knowledge Quiz
Working in pairs, this quiz is an excellent ice-breaker where the current knowledge of Islam is tested to see how much delegates know of this topic thorough their work, community and the media. The quiz is reviewed towards the end of the workshop.
Session 2 – Background to Muslims in Britain
Muslims who migrated mainly from the Indian-subcontinent, contributed immensely to reviving the British economy after the Second World War. They arrived to work despite the poor conditions in certain industries, taking up the low paid jobs that were shunned by indigenous communities.
This presentation will discuss the opportunities and barriers faced by this first generation of Muslims who came in the fifties and sixties and their efforts to establish the first Mosques in British towns and cities.
Session 3 – Basic Beliefs and Practices and Sharia Law
This session provides a greater understanding of the fundamentals of Islam; explaining the 5 pillars of Islam, the fundamentals of faith and what motivates a Muslim. It will explain Sharia Law and the key bases of its sources. The session includes a demonstration of prayer; one of the main aspects of Islamic faith. The concept of Jihad is explained - what this means to a Muslim in practice and explores the Islamic position on extremist actions.
Session 4 - Women in Islam
The much misunderstood subject of "women in Islam" will be tackled by way of providing true and false statements and participants, in groups, will discuss whether each statement is true or false. The trainer will then provide a full explanation of each statement and what it means in practice. Topics such as the veil, polygamy, divorce etc. will be looked at.
Session 5 -Virtual Tour of a typical Mosque
For some people who have never been inside a Mosque this computer tour will show the main features of a Mosque and their purpose. Participants will learn the main activities of a Mosque, the timings of the prayers etc.
Session 6 Improving Integration of Muslims into the Workplace and Classroom
Session 6 considers some of the relatively simple actions that School, Colleges and Employers could take to make their organisations more welcoming to Muslims; actions that would also help improve recruitment, retention and achievement of Muslim learners and staff.
Session 7 – Questions and Answers
The final session will enable participants to ask any questions which were not covered in the earlier sessions.
Delivery and learning styles applied
- Small group/pair work
- Discussion
- Presentation and Multi-media
- Question and Answer session
- Information receiving and sharing
Internal Staff Training and Development
This workshop, as with most of our good practice workshops, can be delivered on your premises. This approach is favoured by many of our clients as it provides a quality, value-for-money and highly effective route for staff development.
Running workshops internally, allows participants explore how key issues will impact on them and their organization and as a team begin to agree development action and priorities.
Typical costs for a one day good practice workshop, excluding VAT, are just £1290 + £30/person. Even with groups as small as 6 costs per person costs for internal workshops are lower than attending our open events and savings increase further when delegate travel-time costs and convenience are factored in.
More information at:
http://www.excellence-in-learning.co.uk/index.php?page=internal
Related Equality and Diversity Workshops
- E&D in Education: Narrowing Gaps in Student Achievement - Core & ClassroomTechniques
- E&D Legislation: Understanding Latest Legislation 2013
Certificates of Professional Development.
Formal Certificates of Development will be issued, by post, to participants who complete this workshop. These certificates will detail the key learning aims and the face-to-face learning hours undertaken, enabling participants to update their CPD records and logs accordingly. The workshop also allows time, during the day, for participants to reflect on and record their personal learning development and consider how best to apply the knowledge gained on return to work. This element of the programme is designed to maximise the benefits from attending and enable participants to make better review judgments when recording their CPD activities.