1 What is Citizenship?

Suggested Duration: 60 minutes

Key Stage 3

Learning Objectives

To understand the nature of the Islam and Citizenship Education (ICE) project and the pupils' role within it
To discuss what pupils know about citizenship
To begin to explore citizenship from an Islamic perspective

Key Words

Citizenship, responsibility, participation

Islamic Values

Islam encourages us to know and understand each other's communities and to look after each other, regardless of our faith, as a shepherd would look after their sheep, and to serve the common good.

Citizenship Values

Citizenship encourages: active participation to help everybody; knowledge of one's rights and responsibilities; service to the community; and respect for all.

Resources

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0101: Aims of the ICE Project Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0102: Lesson Objectives Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0103: What is Citizenship? Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0104: ICE Definition of Citizenship Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0105: Islamic Guidance

Activities

Welcome pupils to the Islam and Citizenship Education (ICE) project. Using Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0101, explain the aims of the ICE project. Share the lesson objectives.

A Starter Activity

Ask pupils what they think citizenship is all about. Use the following statements to initiate discussion. Is citizenship about:

what we eat in the UK?
learning about the geography of a city?
being a good person?
learning about the rights of others?
learning about one's responsibilities?
taking part in politics?

Take feedback, and emphasise that citizenship is about all aspects of life.

B Development

Activity 1: What is Citizenship?

Ask pupils to work in groups and list five things they think citizenship is about. Ask them to use Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0103.

Take feedback.

Activity 2: ICE Definition of Citizenship

Introduce the ICE definition of 'citizenship'.

Read through the definition of citizenship, and introduce the term BIRR (B=Belonging, I=Interacting, R=Rights, R=Responsibilities). Each of these terms is discussed in this lesson.

Note that the word BIRR in the Qur`an refers to goodness and the common good.

Explain that, as the course goes on, they will unpick all these ideas and examine them from an Islamic point of view.

Also refer them to Maurice Irfan Coles' article Islam, Citizenship and Education: When Hope and History Rhyme. This article gives more detailed arguments about Islam and citizenship and is available on the ICE website: www.theiceproject.com.

Belonging to our country, city, town, community, religion; sharing our country's values in things like respect, tolerance, freedom and equality.

Interacting taking part in the life of our country and communities and interacting with others so that we can help each other to make it a better place for all to live in.

Rights your right to live and worship in the country freely, give your views on political issues, take part in democratic elections; the right to justice and to democracy; government rights over you - for example, making sure you obey the law and pay your taxes.

Responsibilities responsibilities towards each other, caring for the environment, caring for other people, not interfering with the rights of others, obeying the law, going to school; government responsibilities – for example, spending your taxes in an appropriate way on such things as health care, schools and security; and protecting the rights of citizens – for example, ensuring you can live and speak freely and worship peacefully.

Ask pupils the following questions and encourage them to refer back to the BIRR definition for answers:

Where do you belong?
What do you do to make your school/home/neighbourhood a better place?
What are your rights?
What are your responsibilities?

Activity 3: Islamic Guidance

Ask a pupil to recite the following verses. Explain the meaning.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى جَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

'O mankind! We created you from a male and a female and we made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other; the most noble of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous. Indeed God is All-knowing, All-aware.' (Surat al-Hujurat 49:13)

Explain that it is God's wish that we are different and have different backgrounds. It is His wish for us to make an effort to know and understand different communities. The best of all our communities are those that remember God the most.

Question: Why do you think God says that the best of us are the most righteous, rather than the best of us are Arabs or English people?

Suggested answer: God is telling us that all mankind is equal, regardless of their ethnicity, but those who are righteous and God-conscious are best in the sight of God.

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبَرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

...And help each other in good and righteousness, and do not help each other in sin and aggression...' (Surat al-Ma'idah 5:2)

Question: What does the Qur`an mean by this?

Suggested answer: The Qur`an guides us to help each other in good deeds. Citizenship is about helping each other, and respecting people's right to hold different views and freedom.

Every one of you is a shepherd and each of you will be asked about the people you are responsible for.' (Bukhari)

Question: Why did Prophet Muhammad, compare each of us with a shepherd? Are you therefore a shepherd? Who are you responsible for?

Suggested answer: By 'shepherd', Prophet Muhammad meant that each of us takes on the role of a carer, whether this is within our home, community or country.

Imam Hassan Ibn Ali said: 'Treat others similar to the way you would like them to treat you.' (Bihar al-Anwar)

C Plenary

Sum up the key points of the lesson. Refer them to the Key Stage 3 Programme of Study and share the lesson titles with the pupils. Ask which lessons they are most looking forward to and why. Ask pupils how they feel about taking part in the project and what they are hoping to learn. Tell pupils that there are 22 lessons in total. Take feedback using Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0106.

Suggested Follow-up Work

Give instructions for follow-up work: Make a list of things you are responsible for at home, at school, at your madrasah, in the playground and within your community. Use Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0107 to report back.

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0101

Key Stage 3

Aims of the Islam and Citizenship Education (ICE) Project

The ICE project aims to:

educate children and young people about their roles and responsibilities as Muslims within British society
encourage children and young people to link and share experiences they have in their madrasahs and schools
make children and young people aware that to be a good Muslim you need to be a good citizen and vice versa
take on board any comments, suggestions and recommendations made by children and young people about the ICE materials.

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0102

Key Stage 3

Lesson Objectives

To understand the nature of the Islam and Citizenship Education (ICE) project and the pupils' role within it
To discuss what pupils know about citizenship
To begin to explore citizenship from an Islamic perspective

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0103

Key Stage 3

What is Citizenship?

Citizenship is ...
Citizenship is ...
Citizenship is ...
Citizenship is ...
Citizenship is ...

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0104

Key Stage 3

ICE Definition of Citizenship

Belonging to our country, city, town, community, religion; sharing our country's values in things like respect, tolerance, freedom and equality.

Interacting taking part in the life of our country and communities and interacting with others so that we can help each other to make it a better place for all to live in.

Rights your right to live and worship in the country freely, give your views on political issues, take part in democratic elections; the right to justice and to democracy; government rights over you – for example, making sure you obey the law and pay your taxes.

Responsibilities responsibilities towards each other, caring for the environment, caring for other people, not interfering with the rights of others, obeying the law, going to school; government responsibilities – for example, spending your taxes in an appropriate way on such things as healthcare, schools and security; and protecting the rights of citizens – for example, ensuring you can live and speak freely and worship peacefully.

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0105

Key Stage 3

Islamic Guidance

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى جَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

'O mankind! We created you from a male and a female and We made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other; the most noble of you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous. Indeed God is All-knowing, All-aware.' (Surat al-Hujurat 49:13)

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبَرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

'...And help each other in good and righteousness, and do not help each other in sin and aggression...' (Surat al-Ma'idah 5:2)

Every one of you is a shepherd and each of you will be asked about the people you are responsible for.' (Bukhari)

Imam Hassan Ibn Ali said: 'Treat others similar to the way you would like them to treat you. (Bihar al-Anwar)

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0106

Key Stage 3

Feedback

Lesson Title: What is Citizenship?

Name:

Madrasah/Organisation:

Today I have learnt about:

As a result of this lesson I have learnt that a good Muslim should:

I am going to follow up this topic in my home/school/community by:

1 What is Citizenship?

Pupils' Activity Sheet 3.0107

Key Stage 3

Follow-up Worksheet

Lesson Title: What is Citizenship?

Name:

Madrasah/Organisation:

Tasks: List the things you are responsible for at home, at school, at your madrasah, in the playground and within your community.

Answer:

At home

At school

At your madrasah

In the playground

Within your community