Raising Awareness about the World of Islam

If you attended CLAS on December 12th, you heard the 7th-graders share facts they learned from their World of Islam unit in Humanities. Today, more than 1.9 billion people follow the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, and Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion. Yet despite its global reach, the origins, beliefs, and faith-based practices of Muslims are often misunderstood in Western societies.

As students prepared for their CLAS presentations, Humanities teacher Jennifer asked them to reflect on a deeper question:

Is there anything you have learned that might help people be more tolerant of Muslims today? If yes, please explain it.

The students’ responses demonstrated thoughtfulness, empathy, and a growing awareness of the power of education and understanding. Here are a few of their responses:

“People can educate themselves and others on the religion of Islam and challenge negative stereotypes.” – Amelia

“They are a very kind community helping the homeless and other things.” – Jason

“I think that the world isn’t perfect, and some people won’t listen to people who won’t be inclusive to others who don’t look the same as them or who are of another nationality. But if people really try to show those kinds of people that others are still human, this world could be a bit better.” – Caleb

“Yes, from reading the book Once Upon an Eid, I have learned that many Muslims, refugees or not, have faced lots of unfair discrimination because of their clothing and what their school textbooks say. However, when I learned about Muslim culture and wondrous celebrations, I realized that people who discriminate against Muslims don’t know how full of life Muslim culture is. Also, they clearly haven’t met a Muslim, because Muslims are normal people just like you and me.” – Willow

These reflections highlight the heart of Saklan’s Humanities program: encouraging students to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and develop empathy through learning.

The 7th graders will share their comprehensive research and learning with the community at the World of Islam Symposium on Monday, January 12, 2026, from 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. in the Humanities Room and Library. All Saklan families are warmly invited to attend and engage with this thoughtful and important work.