[NativeNewYorker]

My son's private NYC school has one day devoted to the study of Islam every year, in a tradition long pre-dating the current obsessions.

The kids go to a local mosque and visit the Metropolitan Museum to see the truly splendid artistic output of Islam's early centuries.

I used the museum trip to teach my son about tesselation, craftsmanship, and the ingenuity of artisans working without modern technology.

I present it as a secular/cultural topic. I also point out to him the historical fact that Islam has accomplished nothing in recent centuries, and that it is critical to know that civilizations wax and wane, and to stay focused on the future.

[joesnuffy]

The dis-passionate studying of Islamic art and architecture is a bit different than simulating an actual religous ceremony as a partaker..imo

[PaxMacian]

RE:to see the truly splendid artistic output of Islam's early centuries.

I hope the teachers are balanced and clear about Islam's destruction of artistic output throughout the world and history.

[expatpat]

A good point. After a visit to Granada, Spain, I gained a strong respect for the artistry of those old-time Moors.