Big Ideas addressed in this lesson:

• The political and religious aspects of life in Islamic society, up to and including the modern period, have been intertwined. 
• Muslims, in the modern period in particular, struggle with the notion of authority: who decides what can and cannot be done in the name of Islam and who deserves to authority to interpret Islam’s sacred texts.

Questions addressed in this lesson:

• Why do some Muslims choose to serve Allah through violence? 
• What similarities exist between Islam and Judaism?
• What is the relationship between Muslims and Jews (and people of other religions) according to Muslim thought?
• Where does Islam see itself in relationship to Judaism and other religions?
• How do the political roots of Islam affect the religious practice of Islam?
• How do Muslims in countries that separate “religion” and “state” understand themselves as Muslims? (Or: What is their relationship to the country in which they live?)

Knowledge:

Umma: people (as in the Hebrew Am)

Sunni

Shi’a

Sufi

Wahabiism

Distribution of Muslims among world populations

Texts to be used:

Stories/poems by Jalalu’ddin Rumi

Two Web sites: map of Muslim populations:

• btw.imb.org/news_map.asp
• www.islam101.com/dawah/muslim_world_map.html

Web Article: A Brief History of Islam by Ami Isseroff:

• www.mideastweb.org/islamhistory.htm

Special Materials:

• An LCD projector and computer to display the map of the Islamic World

Overview of Session:

I. Introduction and response to questions remaining from the previous session

II. The World of Islam: Where are Muslims found today?

III. Perspectives of the Umma: Sunni, Shi’a, Sufi, Wahabi

IV. Wrap-Up