​The Origins of Islam

​Watch the video. Think about the following questions.

• ​How was Islam founded?

• ​What are the basic principles of Islam?

• ​What are the two main sects of Islam?

• ​How are they different?

Mohammed unveiled a new faith to the people of Mecca in 610. Known as Islam, or submission to God, the monotheistic religion incorporated some Jewish and Christian traditions and expanded with a set of laws that governed most aspects of life, including political authority. By the time of his death in 632, Mohammed had consolidated power in Arabia. His followers subsequently built an empire that would stretch from Central Asia to Spain less than a century after his death.

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​“The Sunni-Shia Divide.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/sunni-shia-divide.

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​The Spread of Islam

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​After Mohammed's death, a debate over succession split the community, with some arguing that leadership should be awarded to qualified individuals and others insisting that the only legitimate ruler must come through Mohammed’s bloodline.​

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​“The Sunni-Shia Divide.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/sunni-shia-divide.

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​Succession

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​A group of prominent early followers of Islam elected Abu Bakr, a companion of Mohammed, to be the first caliph, or leader of the Islamic community, over the objections of those who favored Ali ibn Abi Talib, Mohammed’s cousin and son-in-law. The opposing camps in the succession debate eventually evolved into Islam’s two main sects. Shias, a term that stems from shi’atu Ali, Arabic for “partisans of Ali,” believe that Ali and his descendants are part of a divine order. Sunnis, meaning followers of the sunna, or “way” in Arabic, of Mohammed, are opposed to political succession based on Mohammed’s bloodline.

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​“The Sunni-Shia Divide.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/sunni-shia-divide.

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​Review

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​Sunnis and Shias agree on the basic tenets of Islam: declaring faith in a monotheistic God and Mohammed as his messenger, conducting daily prayers, giving money to the poor, fasting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.

​“The Sunni-Shia Divide.” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/sunni-shia-divide.

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​Review

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​Islam Today

How did attitudes toward Muslim-Americans, or those percieved to be Muslim, change after 9/11, 2001?

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This is one of the questions we will explore in this project.​

We will now watch two short videos.

Pay attention to what is happening in each video, and how each makes you feel.​

​Video #1

​What can we learn from the video?

​Video #2

​What can we learn from the video?

​Entry Event Review

• ​We have completed Part 1 of our Entry Event.

• ​In this project, we will focus on:

  • The rise and spread of Islam

  • Stereotypes and misconceptions​ surrounding the religion

  • The First Ammendment and religious freedom

• Part 2: We will now read Primary Source Letters from Muslim American teenagers about their experiences following 9/11/2001.

• We will then read and discuss the project Entry Letter.