230128P - RELEVANCE OF INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE IN A MUSLIM MINORITY SECULAR STATE

Presented at a symposium on education and economic development plan for the young Myanmar Muslims on January 28, 2023. By Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Bioethics

THE CONCEPT OF A MINORITY

• A group is numerically inferior to the rest of the population of a State, in a non-dominant position, whose members—being nationals of the State—possess ethnic, religious, or linguistic characteristics differing from those of the rest of the population and show, if only implicitly, a sense of solidarity, directed towards preserving their culture, traditions, religion or language.
• Minorities are not defined numerically only. Some very small groups can be powerful and dominant while other bigger groups can be weak and oppressed.
• Minority as a term carries the connotation of being at a disadvantage.

THE CONCEPT OF SECULARISM

• There are several definitions of secularism
• Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular non-religious considerations.
• Secularism is the separation of religion from the government and public life
• Secularism sometimes is understood to be anti-religion and atheism
• Philosophically secularism interprets the world based on material and not metaphysical considerations.

THE CONCEPT OF SECULARISM

• Implementation of secularism varies from country to country
• Complete rejection of religion through indifference/neutrality
• Varying accommodation of religion in public affairs
• In Europe, secularism started with reformation in the 16th century when the Catholic Church started losing its dominant role in society to the present state when it has no noticeable role.

DEFINITION and TYPES OF INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge integration is the process of synthesizing multiple knowledge models (or representations) into a common model (representation).
• An intradisciplinary approach involves an arrangement of knowledge and skills within one discipline.
• Interdisciplinary integration is the process of creatively combining ideas and knowledge from two or more disciplines
• Transdisciplinary integration is going beyond the narrow confines of the discipline to incorporate knowledge from sources such as religion and cultural traditions.

ISLAMIC INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE (IIOK)

• The Islamic integration of knowledge is the incorporation of values and paradigms from revelation (wahy) into disciplines of knowledge.
• We have moved from the concept of integration of knowledge (IOK) to the concept of integration of teaching (IOT) because we realized that matters are what is taught in the classroom so we publish integrated teaching materials.

MISUNDERSTANDING   OF INTEGRATION   OF   KNOWLEDGE

• IOK has been misunderstood as teaching only Qur’an and sunnat.
• IOK has been misunderstood as creating a new body of knowledge for Muslims only.
• IOK has been misunderstood to mean the mechanical addition of a verse or hadith to an otherwise secular textbook.

UNIVERSALITY OF THE ISLAMIC INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AS VALUE-ADDED EDUCATION

• IOK is about value addition to knowledge. The values are both Islamic and universal.
• Transmitted knowledge (ilm naqli) is from revelation in Qur’an and sunnat.
• Human or rational knowledge (ilm aqli) is based on observation, experimentation, and logical inference by induction or deduction.
• Ilm naqli and ilm aqli are not contradictory they are complementary.
• Three paradigms from ilm naqli that enrich ilm aqli: objectivity (استقامة), balance and equilibrium (توازن), and purposiveness (غائية).
• The 3 Islamic values are universal being found in other Abrahamic religions (Christianity and Judaism) and philosophies (Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism)
• Integration of knowledge can therefore be a shared value in a secular society like that of the Philippines, Myanmar, and Singapore.

SPECIAL IMPACT OF INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE ON MINORITIES

• Muslim minorities have limitations in terms of implementing IOK and IOT because they have no control over the education system and its contents.
• Value addition to education for minorities is either in their own special education institutions or is extra-curricular.
• IOK and IOT have a special impact on minorities because they contextualize knowledge in a wider Islamic perspective which makes them realize that what they study as social or physical sciences is connected to their faith and this is a great motivation.
• IOK and IOT for Muslim minorities mean high motivation to excel.

THE WAY FORWARD IS TO WRITE TEACHING MATERIALS

• Muslim teachers of various disciplines of knowledge must write and publish their teaching materials making sure they include the universal values that were discussed above.
• Two forms of teaching materials are written: main curricular and extra-curricular or supplementary.
• The main curricular teaching materials are used in Muslim-owned institutions and must include everything required by the national curriculum from the Ministry of Education plus the universal Islamic values.
• The extra-curricular teaching material is used to supplement what is taught in the public school and is briefer focusing on value addition.