The Relationship between Islamic Religious Education and Citizenship Education in Liberal Democracies

Abstract

This article discusses how Islamic religious education (IRE) can complement citizenship education by nurturing shared values and norms. The article first discusses the ideal of transformative citizenship in the context of Western liberal democracies as the dynamic interplay of four core dimensions: identity, legal status, participation, and rights. Next, these dimensions of citizenship are linked to Islamic key concepts that can be interpreted as being in line with transformative citizenship. To show how IRE may simultaneously serve the civic formation of pupils, Islamic key concepts are operationalized as educational goals to pursue in IRE classes.