Islamic Identity, Postcoloniality, and Educational Policy: Schooling and Ethno-Religious Conflict in the Southern Philippines - Hardcover

by Jeffrey Ayala Milligan (Author)

This book theorizes a philosophical framework for educational policy and practice in the southern Philippines where decades of religious and political conflict between a minority Muslim community and the Philippine state has plagued the educational and economic development of the region. It offers a critical historical and ethnographic analysis of a century of failed attempts under successive U.S. colonial and independent Philippine governments to deploy education as a tool to mitigate the conflict and assimilate the Muslim minority into the mainstream of Philippine society and examines recent efforts to integrate state and Islamic education before proposing a philosophy of prophetic pragmatism as a more promising framework for educational policy and practice that respects the religious identity and fosters the educational development of Muslim Filipinos. It represents a timely contribution to the search for educational policies and practices more responsive to the needs and religious identities of Muslim communities emerging from conflict, not only in the southern Philippines, but in other international contexts as well.

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"Richly layered and evocative, this is one of the finest books ever written on Islamic education in Southeast Asia. It is also a must read for anyone interested in the complex history and contemporary politics of Islam and state in the Philippines."
--Robert W. Hefner, Boston University, USA

"In a world now obsessed with Islam, this book about an Islamic minority in the only Christian nation in the Far East should command your attention. It is well written, engaging, and sure-footed in its account of the historical record."
--Francisco Ramirez, Stanford University, USA

"This book faces the complex nexus of religious identity, history and education, moving the discussion forward through its careful attention to the voices of Muslim Filipinos. It not only presents prophetic pragmatism as a regulative ideal but gives us an idea of what it might look like."
--Abdullah Almutairi, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia

"A brilliant work! It navigates a sensitive issue in human civilization in an objective manner that recognizes the importance of religious identity for people of faith like those in the Southern Philippines. The result is a potential solution relevant to any multi-faith and multi-ethnic society."
--Rosnani Hashim, International Islamic University of Malaysia

This book offers a critical historical analysis of a century of failed attempts to use education to mitigate religious and political conflict between Muslim Filipinos and the Philippine state before theorizing a philosophy of prophetic pragmatism as a more promising framework for educational policy and practice that respects the religious identity and fosters the educational development of Muslim Mindanao. It represents a timely contribution to the search for educational policies more responsive to the needs and religious identities of Muslim communities emerging from conflict.

Jeffrey Ayala Milligan is Director of the Learning Systems Institute and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Florida State University, USA.

Author Biography

Jeffrey Ayala Milligan is Director of the Learning Systems Institute and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, USA.