Florida- The Arab and Muslim immigrant carries a bright dream in his heart as he leaves his homeland heading to the United States. In the “Land of Opportunity,” a wide horizon of possibilities unfolds before his eyes: advanced education, unlimited economic opportunities, and the ability to reshape his life with his own hands. He is filled with hopes of achieving dreams he has always had: opportunities for advanced education, living in a society that values efficiency and innovation.
But in the heart of this country that embraces diversity and pluralism, immigrants find themselves facing the challenge of reconciling their Islamic values and established customs with a new lifestyle that may seem strange and unfamiliar. Here, the real test begins: Can they hold on to their identity? Or does the journey to the “land of dreams” require them to redefine their concepts of integration, without compromising their authentic roots?
When it comes to children, the choices are complicated and the challenges insist on the need to consolidate the original culture and integrate with their new homeland. Here, private schools become a means to fortify children and help them adapt to their society.
The establishment of private religious schools is guaranteed by the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and private education. Islamic schools are allowed to teach academic curricula approved by the state, provided that they meet the required academic standards.
The beginning of Islamic schools
The emergence of Islamic schools in the United States, in the late 1960s and 1970s, coincided with the increase in immigration from Islamic countries and the growth of Muslim communities, especially after the passage of the immigration law known as “Hart-Seller” in 1965, which abolished many restrictions imposed on immigration from non-European countries and allowed Settlement of immigrants from Asian and African countries.
With the increasing numbers of immigrants in the middle of the last century, a group of Islamic schools was established, the oldest of which was the Sister Clara Muhammad Schools series in New York and began in the 1960s. It was one of the first Islamic schools in the United States that provided an integrated Islamic education in addition to academic curricula.
Then, Islamic schools were established in a number of American states that included large numbers of Muslim families.
But, why does an immigrant decide to enroll his children in a private Islamic school? How is it different from public schools?
Al Jazeera Net met a group of parents who talked about the reasons for enrolling their children in Islamic schools. Although preserving identity and learning Islamic values are among the most prominent reasons, some of them have stories and positions that prompted them to make this decision.
The decision to attend an Islamic school was planned in Nahla Muhammad’s family. The young mother did not hesitate to transfer her daughter from an American public school to an Islamic school in the state of Michigan, where the number of Muslims is estimated at about 300,000 people, half of whom are of Arab origin.
The mother considered Saturday and Sunday schools not sufficient to raise her daughter, as they are the schools allocated by mosques and Islamic centers to teach the Qur’an and the basics of the Islamic faith and the Arabic language, so she chose to surround her daughter in an environment that preserved her identity while paying attention to developing her daughter’s academic skills.
Nahla says that she decided to enroll her daughter in an Islamic school when she noticed that some students were being bullied because of their Muslim backgrounds. One of the girls asked her mother to lower the volume of the morning remembrance in the car for fear of being bullied by her classmates at school, and another girl became ashamed of her mother’s hijab after the students mocked her.
She explained to Al Jazeera Net that children may be exposed to these matters on many occasions and circumstances, but they must be surrounded by a safe environment that enhances their values before being exposed to a society whose customs they are not yet familiar with, so that they can confront any racist stance, so that their principles are not shaken in the face of any ridicule or hostile stance. “So before pushing our children into a society that includes different cultures, their identity must be established within them first.”
While Tariq A.’s family moved from California to Florida at the end of the summer of 2023 due to concerns related to the state’s laws that allow the child (if he is over 12 years old) to make the decision to change his gender, even if the parents refuse to do so, as the state law stipulates that schools must respect privacy of transgender students and not to disclose sensitive personal information without their consent. This includes not requiring teachers to notify families of their child’s gender identity changes without the student’s consent.
Although California has the largest Muslim communities in the United States, Tariq stressed his desire to raise his children in an environment that helps them preserve their Islamic identity and integrate them into the society of which they have become a part.
California has about 30 Islamic schools serving a community estimated at one million people. According to reports, 69% of teenagers and young people aged (11-18 years) feel safe in schools, while 53% of Muslim students in California are exposed to bullying.
On Monday, July 15 of last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the first law in the country preventing schools from notifying parents if their children ask to change their gender identity.
As for Iman, she is a member of the second generation of immigrants, as her father immigrated from Lebanon to America in the late 1970s, but she supports raising children in an Islamic environment, and stresses that preserving identity does not mean isolation from American society.
The Lebanese citizen – who spent her years of life and education in American public schools – believes that Islamic schools are necessary in the middle and high school levels, especially with the unlimited openness of American society in the past two decades.
Road to Florida
Florida does not have the largest number of Islamic schools nor the majority population of Muslims in the United States, but it is a preferred destination for immigrants coming from Arab and Islamic countries.
This state has witnessed massive internal migration since 2020, estimated at more than 500,000 people, for various reasons such as economic opportunities, warm climate, and tax policies. However, many Arab immigrants consider Florida suitable for their aspirations, as it, in addition to the previous reasons, constitutes a conservative environment that suits their values to a great extent.
The “Aya” school, or “American Youth Academy” (AYA), is well known among the residents of Tampa, as it is one of the oldest Islamic schools in the United States. It was established in 1992 to provide American academic curricula and teach Arabic and religious sciences to members of the Muslim community.
Aya School began decades ago with a limited number of students, and today it includes 1,200 students in various educational stages, starting from kindergarten to secondary school.
This school, which was built in a modern style with an area of 120,000 square meters, is the only Islamic school in the state of Florida accredited by the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.
Al Jazeera Net met with the Director of Aya Schools, Dr. Dalal Qahouq, who confirmed that their goal is not only education, but also building the student’s personality and developing his skills through integrated activities linked to Islamic values and belief.
Dr. Dalal pointed out that the school provides community services both locally and across the United States, as well as internationally. In addition to organizing cultural exchange activities, the school offers STEM programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The administration is also keen to hold debates and discussions in the Student Council, in addition to field trips.
She added, “We pay special attention to sports competitions, as Islamic philosophy includes knowledge, in addition to maintaining the health of the body through sports, and we are keen to hold an exhibition of artistic activities.”
Regarding the balance between providing the American and Islamic curricula, Dr. Dalal says, “We are committed to the American academic curricula in addition to the standards of the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the Islamic curricula.”
She happily talks about her students, saying, “I was worried after the students graduated that they might be shocked and fascinated by the university’s open society without supervision, but I was happy to see them continuing in the same way. They are very proud of being Muslim Americans.” She added, “At the end of secondary school, the 12th grade students participated in an Umrah trip before graduating from school and joining university. Their last relationship with school was an Umrah trip that brought them together with their classmates.”
Dr. Dalal added, “The truth is that our children do not end their relationship with us after graduation. We have generations of graduates who have begun enrolling their children in our school.”
The director of “Aya” confirmed her educational institution’s keenness to hold an exhibition of artistic activities, through which students will present digital artwork using computers and three-dimensional works, in addition to the arts of drawing and Arabic calligraphy.
On a tour inside the school, Dr. Maan Al-Saleh (Head of the Department of the Qur’an, Islam and Islamic Studies) explained the vision that was set for the Islamic curricula, starting from the preparatory stage until the secondary stage.
He says, “We called the curriculum (QAIS), which is an abbreviation for (Qur’an, Arabic Language, and Islamic Studies). With regard to Arabic, it is assumed that it is the second language for all students, as evaluation is done according to the level and extent of knowledge of Arabic, from (Advanced – Intermediate – Beginner).” Therefore, we offer lessons to strengthen the students in Arabic for a period of 3 months, because some of them may not have been established in the language since the beginning of their school years, while Islamic studies are taught in English.”
Al-Saleh added to Al Jazeera Net, “Students in the 11th and 12th grades study the theory of knowledge from a religious and philosophical perspective. Our students understand how to understand these theories and what is compatible with their religious values.”
Regarding fears of students being exposed to extremist ideas, Dr. Maan pointed out, “We are always keen to engage in dialogue with students and their families, and even discuss with them their personal understanding of Islam, and the necessity of clarifying to them the moderate values of Islam.”
During Al Jazeera Net’s tour of “Aya” School, Razan Muhammad, Director of the Administration Office, said, “Here at the school we are a large family that represents a model of diversity, as the teaching and administration staff includes individuals from different cultures, some of whom are children of the second and third generation of immigrants, and some of the teachers are Americans.” Non-Muslims too, and we both respect our differences.”
Thorny issues
If educational content related to sexual identity is the reason for some families moving from one state to another to enroll their children in Islamic schools, this issue had to be raised before the school administration to learn how to accommodate such issues in a way that is consistent with religious controls, the challenges of an open society, and the enormous content on the Internet. At the same time.
Dr. Maan points out that the Islamic studies curriculum in the preparatory and secondary levels addresses the controls of a man’s relationship with a woman from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, and the legal view of these sensitive issues in a manner that is appropriate to the teenager’s thinking and the openness he faces in American society.
Little dreams
From within the school’s classrooms, student Youssef Al-Hamzawi, who has attended the Islamic School since his first academic year, confirmed that he does not feel different from his peers in American public schools nor isolated in his community. He receives academic education consistent with American educational standards, and at the same time studies religious curricula. It enhances his identity.
Youssef, who is preparing to enter university in two years, dreams of becoming a software engineer, and he began to achieve this by studying programming years ago and also teaching it to younger children. He participates in science fairs in the district, and has succeeded in obtaining advanced positions in science competitions within the state. He also plays basketball on the school team, and participates in official competitions within the state against Islamic and non-Islamic American schools, according to his description.
The young man, who speaks English and classical Arabic fluently, tells of his school day, which begins with academic classes and includes noon prayer in congregation at the mosque, where the students lead one of their colleagues, as they read a verse from the Holy Qur’an before prayer and a short thought, after which they return to their classrooms.
Youssef continued, “By continuing to read the Qur’an every day, we will complete it completely at the end of the year.” He shares the same hobbies with his younger brother Qusay, who plays on the school football team and also plays basketball, and is looking forward to joining medical school in the future.
As for Layan Al-Rousan, in the tenth grade, she joined “Aya” School 7 years ago in the pre-primary grade. She spoke proudly that her hijab did not prevent her from practicing many activities, as she is a member of the school basketball team.
This American-born girl aspires to become a dentist, and she tells Al Jazeera Net, “I trust my hijab, so that when I join university, I will be proud of my values, and respect the diversity in my society.”
Despite her few years of age, student Rawan Sorour spoke proudly about the hijab, and told Al Jazeera Net, “I am not veiled yet, but soon I will wear the hijab. I am never afraid to wear it at the university or in the street in front of my non-veiled classmates, as this is part of our identity.”
Before leaving school, I saw a queue of children in the preparatory stage moving from the classroom to the school canteen to eat lunch, and in a collective childish voice chanting a prayer to thank God for the blessing of food in Arabic.
The number of Islamic schools in the United States is estimated at approximately 270-300 schools that offer educational programs that include the usual academic subjects in addition to Islamic values and religious studies. They vary between education levels from kindergarten to high school, and form an important part of the growing Islamic community in the United States.