Rabia Khokhar has an impressive list of accomplishments on her website. She is a teacher, education and equity consultant, and most obviously a lifelong learner. Sound Vision’s Director of Religious Education Zahirah Lynn Eppard sat down with Rabia to talk about her latest project and about work that is on the drawing board. Here is that interview:
ZLE: We first learned about your Reading Challenge: Centering Muslim Characters project soon after the deadly terrorist attack on the Afzaal family in London, Ontario. The list is a beautiful collection of dynamic and diverse Muslim characters. Tell us more about your intentions in putting it forward at this time?
RK: Thank you so much for your kind words regarding the resource and for highlighting it. I really appreciate it! Actually, I was working on this resource for a long time but sort of put it on the back burner since I became busy with some school work. But when these recent Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim attacks happened, I kept thinking about how I wanted to disrupt the stereotypes against the Muslim community. So the urgency of this work and this time period compelled me to finish the last bits of the resource and then share it on my website and social media platforms.
ZLE: What kind of response have you gotten to the project? From Muslims? From Non-Muslims?
RK: The response has been tremendous! It is not something I had expected, but I am so thankful and honoured that so many people in Canada and also around the world are finding meaning and using it as a tangible resource. It is humbling to see the many different places this resource is ending up. It shows me that people of different identities and lived experiences are committed to working together to disrupt and dismantle Islamophobia, Anti-Muslim hate and various other forms of oppression.
ZLE: How does your own love for reading influence this work?
RK: As a child, my parents always took me to the local public library. I remember looking at the books, amazed that we could read them all and take them home! My sister and I were also part of many different reading programs at the local library. Through all of these actions, my parents modelled a love of reading for me and this is something I will carry with me forever. My love of reading has also helped me to think critically about the importance of accessibility and books. I am learning that a strong public library that is the hub of a community is vital to ensure there are all types of books available for all children.
Passion for Social Justice and Equity
ZLE: You have a teaching background and also express a passion for social justice and equity issues. Tell us more about that.
RK: As an elementary teacher, I am very passionate about social justice and equity education. I am really interested in bringing this learning to students as well as other educators. It is very important that we are moving from equity theory to practice in our learning spaces. As educators, we have the responsibility to help our students become critically conscious members of their local and broader communities. Social justice and equity education is fundamental to creating a more just and inclusive world for people of all identities. Through this teaching and learning, students can become critical thinkers by becoming aware and making sense of the issues happening in their local and broader communities. As well, students learn and recognize the role they can play as active citizens to create positive, impactful and sustainable change.
Keeping Children Safe from Islamophobia
ZLE: Islamophobia has many implications for our community, and particularly for our children. In addition to this project, what else should parents do to keep their children mentally healthy and safe?
RK: I agree with you, Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim hate are very real and have devastating effects on everyone especially our children. I would recommend the following for families to help keep their children mentally healthy and safe:
- Families can continue helping their children become confident by talking about their identities and everything that makes them who they are. It’s important to celebrate all parts of who we are because that shows that we matter and are important. By discussing our identities and experiences we can build a strong sense of self which can helps us build respect for ourselves so that we can be empathetic to others.
- Families can continue to build a positive rapport and relationship with their children which will help them continue to have age appropriate conversations. These conversations can be focused on all sorts of topics from simple things like what the child like to eat, hobbies to issues happening in the world. These age appropriate conversations can develop and build over time and children can take the lead by discussing what they see, think and wonder. The adults can provide reassurance, safety and scaffold the language for children.
- Families can also continue to model for children the importance of taking actions that create a positive impact. They can also show examples of how people have fought against injustice in the past as well as those working for change in the present. It is important to show our children solidarities between different religious and cultural groups and how we all have to come together to create an inclusive world.
ZLE: These books are absolutely beautiful and we should purchase as many as we can to support our children and to support Muslim authors. But they are also expensive. Do you have any ideas about how families can participate in the reading challenge if they are financially limited?
RK: I really agree with you; books are very expensive! I believe that there needs to be accessibility so that all children have access to all types of books that affirm and expand their identities and lived experiences. I think the local public library as well as the school library are usually the hub of communities and they need to be spaces where we can see all types of books. I would encourage families to reach out to their local library as well as to the schools to recommend and advocate for the books that they want to see. This reading challenge can be a starting place but I would encourage families to continue seeking out books that are relevant and responsive for themselves and their communities.
ZLE: Q: What other resources do you have to offer Muslim parents?
RK: I would suggest that families check out another resource on my website called, Critical Resource Selection Toolkit. This is a toolkit focused on supporting people finding resources for the children in their lives. It walks one through the different questions and prompts one can ask and engage in as they critically choose resources that are equitable, relevant, responsive and authentic in representation of people of all identities. You can find the toolkit on my website.
ZLE: What’s next on your agenda?
RK: Firstly, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to share, it has been such a privilege and honour to talk about some of my work! This is a great question and what I will say is that InshAllah, there is a lot more to come! I am excited to start a part time PhD program in education and curriculum in September. I am also thinking about creating some more resources for educators and families which will be available on my website. Thank you so much again!
For more information about the Reading Challenge: Center Muslim Characters. The Critical Resource Selection Toolkit, and more, visit http://www.rabiakhokhar.com/.
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