via The Gauntlet – by Salimah Kassamali
Excerpt: The current clashes between various religious groups have been brought about by ignorance and misunderstanding and this can prove dangerous in a world so interconnected by trade and globalization. His Highness the Aga Khan, leader of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslim community, calls this a “clash of ignorance” and it is evident, even here in Calgary, that most people are completely unaware or ignorant about Islam and the history of other countries outside of the Western world.
Canadian high school history classes focus primarily on European history. Classes on religion or cultures apart from western society are not often embedded in the curricula. In university, religion is not a required option for many disciplines, and majoring in religious studies is, for me, unappealing — the department of religious studies at the University of Calgary, for example, is underfunded and job prospects are grim.
The U of C’s department of religious studies, like most publicly funded religious studies across the country, faces major cutbacks in the years to come and class sizes are becoming smaller each year.
Ismailimail 