Video- ‘European schoolbooks misrepresent Islam’

How are Muslims perceived and described in European schoolbooks? A study from the Georg Eckert Institute presented its findings: the content shows that Islam is often reduced to an antiquated religion which doesn’t integrate well within modern Europe.

The Institute specializing in schoolbook analysis took a sample across history, geography and political textbooks from five large European countries. Schoolbooks are an important state authorized media.

The most propagated images of Muslims disregarded the regional and cultural diversity of Muslims, halted the development of the religion to the middle ages and simplified the culture to a heterogeneous group of religious non-European other. We asked a Muslim whether she was surprised at the findings.

These findings, in the context of rising Islamophobia in Germany, are also representative for a general climate in the West. The representative for inter-cultural dialogue acknowledges this widespread problem.

Schoolbooks in European countries are biased in their teachings about the Muslim religion, despite 16 million Muslims living in Europe and 900 000 Muslim school children in German schools alone. Observers say, Changes will have to be implemented to foster integration.