Abstract

The religion of Islam is often portrayed with false and negative stereotypes. If we expect our students to understand and participate in the global world and to be informed and engaged citizens in a democratic America, then it is essential that they develop a basic and sound understanding of Islam. Furthermore, learning about Islam can facilitate the development of students’ critical thinking. I describe how I engaged my students with Islam in a general education course with four hundred students and provide examples of critical thinking from students’ papers. Given the importance of Islam at this point in history, America’s colleges and universities should strengthen their general education programs by requiring that all students become more familiar with and knowledgeable about the religion of Islam.

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