Role of Muslim Women in Interreligious Education: An Islamic Perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18415/2xq67h08Keywords:
Interreligious Education, Muslim Women, Islamic Perspective, Social Cohesion, Gender and ReligiousAbstract
Interreligious learning is becoming more relevant in plural societies, as the case of Bangladesh will illustrate, where religious diversity finds its place alongside resilient cultural and Islamic traditions. Muslim women, as teachers, mothers and members of the community are a meaningful force for promoting dialogue, tolerance and social harmony. Yet, their contribution has been less researched empirically, particularly in an Islamic context. This research is designed to explore the role of Muslim women in interfaith education in Bangladesh. In particular, it aims to examine their background knowledge and understanding; perceived roles and Islamic rationale for participation; the perceived barriers of Muslim women’s involvement; and socio-cultural implications. Quantitative research design was employed with the aid of a structured questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale. Muslim women were drawn from educational institutions, community and organizations. Relationships between awareness, religiosity/religious perspective, participation and perceived impact were evaluated using descriptive statistics and inferential analyses. The results have demonstrated significant consensus in which Islamic knowledge is conducive to tolerance and Muslim women contribute toward fostering respect for religious pluralism. But there were also cultural barriers, institutional constraints and training gaps that hindered active participation. The involvement of women in interreligious education is positively associated with perceived social harmony, youth tolerance, and community cohesion. The research concludes that policy support, education and training for Muslim women could contribute to the enhancement of the understanding among religious communities in Bangladesh consistent with Islamic teachings.
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