by Editor | Mar 30, 2023 | Opinion, Opinions
Remarks By Frank F. Islam To Washington DC Aligarh Alumni Association On the Occasion of Aligarh Scholarships Fundraiser
Thank you for that kind introduction.
Let me begin by thanking the members of the Washington, DC Aligarh Alumni Scholarship Committee for inviting me to speak at your annual fundraiser. It is a privilege to be invited back to be with you in this Zoom Room – although I must admit I would rather be with all of you in person.
I also have to admit that when I first got the invitation to speak to you on April 1 – which is referred to as April Fool’s Day – for a brief moment I thought it might be a joke. Then, I realized quickly that it was neither a joke nor a day to celebrate fools.
Instead, because of who you are and what you are doing this in this season of Ramadan, a month of deeply spiritual time of reflection and recommitment and a special time for giving. It will be a day to celebrate adding new branches to our Aligarh family tree through the Association’s scholarships.
Adding those branches is always important. But, for two primary reasons, it is more important now than ever. Those reasons are:
- the need for higher education for Muslims in India has never been greater
- higher education is becoming increasingly pivotal for ensuring both the success of the individual and society.
A report from the All-India Survey on Higher Education reveals that the enrollment of Muslim students enrolled in higher education decreased by 4.6% compared to the prior year.
Those numbers tell the statistical story on why our being here today for this fundraiser is so important but they do not tell the human story of so many of our Muslim brothers and sisters in India. The human story of those in need there is even more compelling.
The human story is one of those living in adverse conditions and poverty. Poverty limits opportunity. Poverty fuels frustration. Poverty crushes hope.
That is difficult for anyone in any place. It is even more difficult because, as we know and have witnessed from afar. Indian Muslims continue to experience persistent inequality, hostility, and prejudice. This significantly inhibits their access to education and employment.
Add to this condition, the fact that these times world-wide have become more trying and autocratic. They have become more confrontational and contentious. They have become more divisive and difficult.
All of these factors make the need for a quality higher education more essential and relevant than ever. Higher education is a powerful equalizer opening doors for those in poverty. It empowers the mind and uplifts the soul. It is the best investment that can be made to build the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers.
A quality higher education provides the avenues for participation in the 21st century workforce and careers, the competencies to compete in a global economy, and the capacity to contribute to lifting fellow Muslims and those in the weaker sections out of poverty.
An Aligarh education does this and more. I can say that without hesitation because the evidence supports it.
Each of you in this zoom room fundraiser today are difference makers. And, you are here to help make more of a difference back in India, by contributing to the support of scholarships for students at Aligarh.
The Aligarh Alumni Association of Washington, DC has given out more than several hundred AMU scholarships since 1976 when it began making awards. Among others, those awards have helped educate the future generations of: doctors, dentists, nurses, computer scientists, IT specialists, lawyers, and teachers. The list could go on and on. You have also supported feeder programs and applications for thousands of students to go college at other institutions of higher education in India.
You have done all of this because like me, you have experienced and benefited from the Aligarh difference. That difference was not only learning but developing the core values that would carry you through your life.
In a phrase, Aligarh gave all of us a “purpose driven education.” Our paths have been different but the common and transcendent bond that unites us has been a belief in and a commitment to equal justice and a shared humanity.
This combination of technical expertise and moral rectitude has empowered us to make our marks in the world and to serve as positive role models for others. We have come together at this fundraising event to provide the dollars for scholarships to help future students gain the advantage that we had in order to make their own marks.
I look at this, and I ask you to do the same, not as an act of charity or generosity but as an investment. The return on that investment will be exponential.
In closing, let me leave you with this thought. In my opening remarks, I said we are here to “add new branches to the Aligarh family tree”.
At the founding of Aligarh in 1875, Sir Syed said “
…from the seed which we sow today may spring up a mighty tree whose branches, like those of banyan of the soil shall in their turn strike firm roots into the earth, and themselves send forth new and vigorous saplings…
Years ago, those of us here today were those saplings. We are now branches of the mighty Aligarh family tree.
The scholarships we supported in the past have added to spread of that tree. This year’s scholarships will do the same.
Sir Syed would be pleased – as should we be. We should be pleased but not completely satisfied.
We should remember that near the end of life, Sir Syed said “I built this institution for you and I am sure you will carry the light of this institution far and wide, darkness will disappear from all around.”
There is still much darkness all around and that is why we are gathered at this fundraiser to keep Aligarh’s light shining brightly against the darkness for generations and generations of students to come.
t has been my pleasure and privilege to share my thoughts with you. Thanks for listening to me and for your generous contributions to keep the Aligarh light shining and the family tree growing.
May God bless each and everyone of you.
by Editor | Mar 25, 2023 | News, Opinion, Opinions
Asad Mirza
The manner in which China has brokered a peace deal between two arch foes: Saudi Arabia and Iran may help China to emerge as a global peacemaker, eclipsing the USA.
Last week a major diplomatic coup was staged by China, when it announced the results of its successfully mediated efforts, of bringing two old foes at the negotiating table and signing a friendship deal.
The Chinese-brokered Saudi-Iran rapprochement comes as a major diplomatic breakthrough between two regional neighbours after years of mutual animosity, suspected attacks and tales of rivalry between the two countries.
The move also represents Beijing’s first foray into Middle Eastern politics, an area that has always been regarded as a prerogative of the US, since when most of these nations become a free and independent entity, after the end of the colonial era.
On 10 March, both Riyadh and Tehran announced that after seven years of severed ties they would reopen embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation agreements signed more than 20 years ago.
Much of the world was stunned when the two arch-rivals announced they were restoring diplomatic relations, this was not only because of the breakthrough after years of mutual animosity, but because of the mediator, who played a key role in bringing the foes to the negotiating table, i.e. the Chinese government.
By this move China has ostensibly taken up a role that the U.S. could not have fulfilled, or it never tried to perform that role. In addition this also comes as Beijing’s first major diplomatic foray into the Middle East mediation, an area where often rivalries are built around nuances and subtleties, which are hard to fathom for an outsider, though in the recent times they have up the shape of hardnosed economic and strategic interests.
Apparently, the Saudis had been engaged in talks with Iran from around the same time as Al Ula Summit held in Saudi in 2021, which ended the blockade of Qatar and mended the internal rifts of the Gulf Cooperation Council. In the two years since, the United Arab Emirates has restored its diplomatic relations with Iran and even replaced China as Iran’s top import partner; Kuwait, too, has returned its ambassador to Tehran.
The negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia since 2021 largely took place in Iraq and Oman. Other regional countries, including Kuwait and Pakistan, had attempted to arrange for talks between Tehran and Riyadh on numerous occasions in the past seven years, which were largely unsuccessful.
As tensions simmer between the world’s two largest economies: the U.S. and China, the U.S. policymakers had sounded an the alarm over competition and security concerns with China, but what does Beijing’s ascendance in the region mean for the Middle East – and for the larger U.S. interests?
In recent times, China has been pushing for reconfiguring the regional security architecture in the Persian Gulf since 2020. In a U.N. Security Council meeting arranged by Russia in October of that year, China presented its proposal for security and stability in the Gulf region, arguing that with a multilateral effort, the region can become “an Oasis of Security.”
Apparently the edifice of this Chinese plan to transform into a global peacemaker seems to be the Global Security Initiative – GSI, which was unveiled by Chinese President Xi Jinping in February 2023. It is portrayed as a banner for China to reform the current international security order, especially at a time when the U.S. is prioritising alignment with countries that share the same political system and ideology, through its Democracy Summit.
Mainly, with growing power and influence China’s to have a fair say in international peace and security architecture building. The GSI Concept Paper released by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2023 identified “bringing about security changes through political dialogue and peaceful negotiation” as core concepts and principles.
China’s successful brokering of the peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran has given it the confidence that this track could work. The aspiration is that China can fill the gap in regions the U.S. has failed to lead or ignore.
According to the Chinese understanding of the region, Iran and Saudi Arabia are “pivot countries” whose political, economic, and military power make them indispensable partners for Beijing, making balance between the two the most consequential strategy.
For both countries, China is the largest trading partner. Beijing has granted Tehran and Riyadh the status of comprehensive strategic partners – the highest in China’s partnership diplomacy in the Middle East.
But China’s balancing act is more articulated than just signing similar partnership agreements with both partners. While economic relations are unequivocally unbalanced in Saudi Arabia’s favour, China guarantees Iran political support and a financial lifeline in the face of U.S. pressure. Yet, offering different goods to equal partners often shakes the balancing act. In December, the joint China-GCC communiqué that followed Chinese President Xi Jingpin’s trip to Saudi Arabia generated anger in Iran, exposing the limits of China’s diplomacy from the sidelines.
The GSI Concept Paper also emphasises the need to support political settlements of hotspot issues such as the war in Ukraine. Therefore, President Xi’s efforts to promote a political settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict would be essential to watch. If another success is achieved after his Russia visit, it may lend more credence to the GSI.
by Editor | Mar 24, 2023 | Opinion, Opinions
Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood
President, Zakat Foundation of India
A new term ‘Pasmaanda Musalman’ has been floated in recent times. However, it does not yet have a legislatively created nor judicially accepted definition. So far, at the most, it is a talking point without committing any restoration of justice to any section of the community.
We can well recall that the term ‘scheduled caste’ owes its genesis in theology. And, its etymological development spanned many millennia. Still the term consumed decades, approaching a century, to be understood with consensus and to be recognized as a well defined entity attracting constitutional provision, subsequent legislation and sinking (though not fully as yet) into the national psyche.
Contrarily, the term ‘Pasmaanda Musalman’ has neither scriptural support nor a recorded historical background. One can imagine the colossal timeframe required for this budding term for taking shape, formalizing its contours and for it to transcend the societal constraints.
Yes, ‘Pasmaanda’ is an Urdu word meaning a person who is deprived of the social and financial status enjoyed by many others in the polity. Nobody would disagree that such category of citizens deserves special consideration.
A remedy has been provided through Article 15(4) of the Constitution of India empowering the legislature to enact law for the advancement of any socially or educationally backward classes of citizens.
Likewise article 16(4) authorizes reservation of appointment or posts in favor of any backward class of citizens which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State.
Article 342A authorizes the President to specify such socially and educationally backward classes and the Parliament to make variation in such list. Persons in these lists enjoy 27% reservation quota with respect to the seats in government jobs & institutes (including IIMs and IITs) and relaxation in cut off age & merit required for participating in the competitive process.
Article 46 requires the State to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and to protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation.
From out of the Muslim community, the central and state lists of ‘other backward classes’ (OBCs) currently include Mehtar, Noorbash, Dhobi, Hajjam, Siddi, Jolaha, Dhunia, Kasab, Gaddi, Halalkhor, Bhangi, Teli, Rangrez, Darzi, Chik, Kunjra, Ghasiara, Ghosi, Kasai, Khatik, Kumhar, Lohar, Memar, Raj, Mirasi, Nai, Bhishti, Saqqa, Faqir, Kumhar, Mochi, Ghanchi, Pinjara, Baghban, Bharbhunja, Madari, Bhand, Bhatiara, Manihar, Kamboh, Laskar, Majhi, Piyada, Mali, Khalasi, etc. The actual lists of such classes recognized as ‘Backward’ for purposes of receiving special dispensation are much longer.
In addition, through the 103rd constitutional amendment of 2019 the economically weaker sections (EWS) have been given additional reservation in educational institutions and employment.
Both of these categories (OBC & EWS) are religion-neutral.
Thus, along with the people of other faiths, the backward (also known as Pasmaanda) Muslims too are eligible for special privileges that are available to the backward classes of citizens under the categories of OBC and EWS.
What is required is social activism to make sure that all Pasmaanda Muslims are included in and do receive the statutory benefits under the OBC and EWS categories.
There is a third related factor. Under Part XVI of the Constitution, reservation (earmarking of certain seats) in legislature, executive, judiciary and in the educational institutions has been provided for what is known by the term ‘Scheduled Castes’ (SC). Parts IX & IXA provide for SC reservation in rural & urban local bodies. Article 341 of the Constitution authorizes the President of India to “specify the castes, races or tribes or parts of or groups within castes, races or tribes which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Castes”.
However, the presidential Order of 1950, issued in compliance of Article 341, exceeded its constitutional mandate. In addition to specifying ‘the castes, races or tribes’ to be treated as ‘Scheduled Castes’, this Order also said (para 3) that “no person who professes a religion different from the Hindu religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste”. Later, through parliamentary resolutions of 1956 and 1990 the Sikh and Buddhist religions were added to such category of privileged faiths in India.
Thus, followers of Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism were excluded from the benefit of reservations meant for ‘Scheduled Castes’.
For proper appreciation of this unconstitutional discrimination one needs to go deeper into the related historical record. Details are available in “Constitutional definition of Scheduled Castes was fudged by the executive order of 1950” by Shyam Sundar Singh and Nagesh C Rana. There is every ground for the Hon’ble Supreme Court to take cognizance of this abomination and restore constitutional justice to the people of India.
Meanwhile, there is ground to rethink if the new term ‘Pasmaanda Musalman’ would really be of any help to the backward sections among Muslims of India ……….. or we need to re-supplicate:
Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem (O Lord ! Show us the straight path).
by Editor | Mar 19, 2023 | News, Opinion
Asad Mirza
@AsadMirzaND
The Israeli Parliament has given initial approval to several pieces of legislation, including a Bill protecting the prime minister from being declared unfit for office, or incapacitated, and another to allow settlements in the northern West Bank.
Israel’s Parliament, The Knesset, on 14 March advanced a Parliamentary Bill that would let lawmakers pass laws that the Supreme Court cannot overturn – a key piece of legislation in Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies’ proposed judicial overhaul that has divided the country.
The new Bill aimed at weakening the Supreme Court passed first reading, alongside a bill that would protect PM from removal, and another that would allow more settlements in northern Israel. These laws have been passed despite months of protests against the first law.
The Knesset worked till the early hours of 14 March morning to pass the first reading of the bill, which has been one of the main priorities of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his governing coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox religious parties.
Controversial Bills
Earlier, on Monday night, in another win for Netanyahu, the parliament also advanced a bill that would make it harder to remove the prime minister over the corruption charges that still hang over him.
The bill would allow the parliament to declare a prime minister unfit to rule only due to physical or mental reasons and would replace a current law that allows the court or the parliament to remove a leader under other circumstances.
The new bill would require approval by three-quarters of the government, and could be overridden by the prime minister.
The proposed change to the rules overseeing the removal of a prime minister is of personal importance to Netanyahu, who returned to power late last year after Israel’s fifth election in less than four years.
He is on trial on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes, and denies the allegations. The proceedings have dragged on for nearly three years.
Another bill that passed the first reading would allow more settlements in the northern occupied West Bank, which would lead to the legalisation of settlement outposts considered illegal even under Israeli law.
The vote comes only weeks after Israeli settlers rampaged through a Palestinian town last month, killing one man and setting fire to dozens of homes and cars. Settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are already considered illegal under international law.
Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up some 20 percent of the population, have been largely absent from the protests, in part because they suffer from discrimination in Israel and because of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and blockaded Gaza Strip.
Israelis have killed at least 70 Palestinians this year under Israel’s new government, many of them during Israeli military raids. It brings up the total of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank over the past year to more than 220.
Criticism of the Bills
The steps were the latest in a series of moves by Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition to overhaul Israel’s legal system. The Prime Minister and his allies say the effort is aimed at reining in an activist court. Critics say the drive would upend the country’s democratic checks and balances, defang the Supreme Court, and concentrate power in the hands of Mr. Netanyahu and his parliamentary majority.
Speaking to members of his Likud party on Monday, Netanyahu lashed out at the Israeli media, saying they are broadcasting a “never-ending tsunami of fake news” against him. He reiterated his claim that the legal changes will strengthen Israeli democracy. We can find echoes of these sentiments elsewhere, too.
Netanyahu and his ultranationalist and religious coalition allies have pledged to plough ahead with the legal changes despite demonstrations by tens of thousands of Israeli protesters over the past two months.
Business leaders, legal experts and retired military leaders have joined the protests against the judicial overhaul, and Israeli reservists have threatened to stop reporting for duty if the overhaul passes.
Opposition lawmaker Orna Barbivai said the bill was “a disgrace, which says the prime minister is above the law”.
Natan Sachs, Director, Centre for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute described this legislating as the most far-reaching revolution ever in the state’s constitutional makeup. According to him this proposal would all but abolish the role of the Supreme Court as the sole check on executive and legislative power in Israel. In short, he says, in Netanyahu’s new Israel, the slimmest of majorities could decide anything, and it is pure, unbridled majoritarianism.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has raised a range of concerns, which may pose a serious risk to the effectiveness of the judiciary to defend the rule of law, human rights, and judicial independence. He described these as changes going to the heart of a country’s long-standing constitutional structure.
Israeli Opposition too is up in arms against the Bills, opposition leader Yair Lapid said that we are fighting for our children’s future, for our country’s future. We don’t intend to give up. Leaders in the booming tech sector have warned that weakening the judiciary could drive away investors.
The overhaul has also prompted otherwise indifferent former security chiefs to speak out, and even warn of civil war. The plan has even sparked rare warnings from the U.S., Israel’s chief international ally.
U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides at a podcast said that Israel should “pump the brakes” on the legislation and seek a consensus on reform that would protect Israel’s democratic institutions.
As the critics both with and outside Israel say, these steps are in rune with the majoritarian policies of the ultra-right wing political elements in Israel and apart from providing a recluse to the prime minister from corruption cases they are also aimed at denying the right of self-determination to the Palestinians in the occupied territories.
by Editor | Mar 16, 2023 | Opinion, Opinions
By Latheef Farook
In one of the most dramatic developments in the chaotic Middle East political scene Saudi Arabia- ally of United States and Israel, and their sworn enemy, Iran, announced on Friday March 10 to restore diplomatic ties and reopen their missions within two months.
The deal was brokered by China seven years after relations were severed.
However suspicion and hatred between the two powerful neighbors were too deep and complicated .Therefore one needs to wait and see for the outcome.
Saudi Arabia is the land of Islam while Iran remains the head of Shiite sect. This difference has been there for centuries and it did not affect their relations as they were both allies of US.
The situation changed overnight following the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran which fiercely criticized US, Europe and Israel for supporting ousted Iranian dictator Shah Pahlavi known for widespread corruption, oppression and allowing US to plunder the country’s resources.
Israel and its US-European supporters will never allow the rise of Islam as a force as they remember during the creation of Israel in Palestine in 1948, it was the Muslim Brotherhood forces which virtually defeated Jewish forces who were saved by ousted Egyptian dictator King Farouk when he stopped the Brotherhood from fighting.
In the wake of Islamic revolution in Iran, US led west and Israel got Saudi Arabia to persuade Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein to invade Iran. This caused the eight year Iraq-Iran war which destroyed the two countries, killed more than a million soldiers at a cost of 800 billion dollars while US-Europe and Israel flourished in selling weapons .
Since then tension continued between Saudi led oil rich Gulf States backed by US led Europe and Israel, and Iran. Repeated US sanctions had crippling effect on Iran’s economy causing immense hardships to its people.
The hostility between Saudi and Iran made Saudi depend on US-Europe and Israel for its survival. So much so former US President Donald Trump once said that Saudi regime cannot last more than two weeks without US support.
In the process Saudi and Gulf Sheiks became integral part of US led western Israeli conspiracies and wars against the region. For example during the 2011 Arab Spring Egyptians overthrew president Hosni Mubarak. In the subsequent first ever free and fair presidential elections, held for the first time in 60 years , pro Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Morsy was elected.
There was alarm bells in the western capitals and Israel. Once again US led west and Israel got Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates to spend eleven billion dollars to create food and fuel shortage in Egypt to cause popular unrest. This led to the coup which ousted elected President Mohamed Morsy and installed in his place yet another tyrant Abdel Fattah El Sisi who turned this ancient country into an open prison.
Those who protested were slaughtered and that too inside mosques. Al Sisi was received with red carpet in the western capitals claiming to be championing human rights ,democracy and freedom.
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates fought a proxy war with Iran in Yemen turning this poverty stricken country into a killing field and caused the worst ever humanitarian disaster.
Oppressed .brutalized, helpless and voiceless people in the region watched all these developments with great dismay. They have seen how US –Europe and Israel destroyed oil rich countries like Iraq, Libya and Syria killing millions and turning many millions who lived in peace and harmony into refugee camps to suffer in abject poverty.
They have also seen with great dismay the role played by Saudi Arabia and Gulf states in these destructions. This is the reason why many consider the region as once again a volcano about to erupt as it happened during Arab Spring.
However the signing of the peace treaty with Iran and Saudi Arabia has changed the entire Middle East. For example China entered Middle East in a big way and US is no more the sole player while Israel remains the biggest loser.
The pact also indicates that Saudi Arabia is to follow a foreign policy independent of the west. However to what extent US led European and Israeli war mongers will allow Saudi rulers, without popular base, to do so is yet to be seen.
Abdel Aziz Ibn Al Saud .a minor tribal ruler ,established his rue in Riyadh ,called Najd, in 1744. In the aftermath of the World War 1, British imperial power and the Zionist Jews who were plotting to establish Israel in Palestine, supplied weapons and huge money to Al Saud to attack Sheriff Hussein, ruler of Hejaz which included Makka and Madina who fiercely opposed the creation of Israel and defeated him.
Ibn Saud captured Jeddah in December 1925. This brought an end to over 1400 years of rule by the Prophet Muhammad’s descendants. The British officially recognized Ibn Saud as the new King of Hijaz in February 1926. Other European powers followed suit within weeks. The British Empire rebranded the new unified Wahhabi state in 1932 as the “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”
Meanwhile Saudi ties with the United States go back to the Valentine’s Day in 1945 when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt met with Saudi King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud on an American cruiser, the USS Quincy, in the Suez Canal and the two agreed that Saudi ensure uninterrupted supply of oil in return for US guarantee on Saudi security.
Thus the US-Saudi ties have been too deep and very complicated for Saudi’s to follow an independent foreign policy. The question is whether US led war mongers will allow such an independent foreign policy.
Most Gulf countries welcoming the pact is yet another sign of tension easing in the region. However lot remains in the implementation of this agreement as both Saudi and Iran have their proxy wars in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon and beyond.
by Editor | Mar 13, 2023 | News, Opinion, Opinions
Frank F Islam
In 2023, the polar ice caps are melting. The political polarization in the U.S. is hardening.
That’s proof that climate change is not just limited to the environment. The political, social and emotional climate in our nation is changing as well.
Much of the environmental climate change can be attributed to things that we humans are doing. In contrast, much of the political, social and emotional climate change can be attributed to what we humans are not doing.
We are failing to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for good citizenship. There has been a downward trajectory in this regard during the 21st century. We and many others have been calling attention to this decline for some time.
Richard Haass, President of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, has written a new book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens, which brings this citizenship dilemma front and center at the outset of 2023. We discuss three of the obligations Haas identifies: be informed, get involved, and stay open to compromise in our blog preceding this one.
In this blog we address Haass’ obligation to Support the Teaching of Civics. This is a critical obligation that provides the foundation for a vital and vibrant democracy.
Haass stresses the pivotal importance of the obligation in his chapter on teaching civics, stating, “What worries me and what in no small part gave rise to this book is that we are failing to fulfill the obligation to pass down the essentials of what it means to be an American and a citizen of the United States.” Haass’ assessment is absolutely correct.
Because of the emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, English and Math) since the beginning of this 21st century, there has been a decreased emphasis on civics education in grades K-12. This was first called to the public’s attention in the CIRCLE publication, The Civic Mission of Schools. CIRCLE, in conjunction with other partners, followed this 2003 publication with a 2011 report, Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools.
This second report was “an urgent call to action to restore the historic civic mission of schools.” The need for restoring the civic mission of schools remains urgent today. A poll released by iCivics and More Perfect in late October 2022 revealed that nearly 80 percent of likely voters of all political persuasions felt that civic education is important, with almost 70% of those voters agreeing that civic education is more important now than it was five years ago.
Haass’ prescription to address the civics education deficit is to focus on the high school and college levels. He writes, “A basic idea is that no one should be able to graduate from high school or college or university without a meaningful exposure to civics.” Later, he notes, “This could and should be fixed by simply introducing a required civics course for all students in high schools and universities.”
We agree with the need for civic education in the high school and college years. But if that is the first meaningful exposure to civics, it will be too little and too late.
In our blog posted in 2018, we observed “our American democracy is in decline” and a solution to address that decline is the introduction of a comprehensive civic education intervention beginning in middle school.
As we note in that blog:
The provision of civic learning and engagement opportunities is important at all points along the educational continuum from middle school through high school to college. For three primary reasons, however, middle school is the essential place to begin the process of nurturing the nation’s future citizens.
First, educational research suggests that formation of a positive orientation toward an area early in a student’s career increases the potential for sustained interest and participation. In spite of this, a 1999 educational article reports, “….the middle school years are an important time in the development of civic roles and responsibilities. Yet, there is a general lack of institutionalized civic education aimed at promoting democratic citizenship during middle school years.”
Second, middle school represents a critical window in time in which to shape and engage responsible lifelong citizens. Middle school students have the cognitive ability to grasp complex concepts, develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and to become peer and civic engagement leaders.
Third, middle school is where the civic learning gap is currently the largest and most problematic. This is so because the No Child Left Behind legislation and the Common Core Standards, with the emphasis placed on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), have left civics and citizenship far behind — for the most part, not in the curricula at all.
The consequence of the absence of middle school civics can be seen in results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which has been testing students’ performance nationally in a variety of areas since 1998. The 2014 results for 8th graders showed that a mere 23% of those students were at or above “proficient” in civics as compared to 31% in 1998. In 2015, the NAEP tests showed 34% of the students scored at or above proficient in science and 33% in mathematics.
The COVID pandemic, which kept students out of classrooms, and other factors had a drastic negative effect on math scores, with 8th grade students falling from 34% at or above proficient in 2019 to 26% in 2022. The NAEP civics scores for 2022 have not been released as of this posting. Given past performances in civics, however, it is likely there will be a precipitous decline in this area as well.
This is discouraging. But there have been encouraging developments in the civics arena over the past decade. There are many resources that can be drawn upon for those involved with middle schools in order to develop and implement robust civics offerings.
In terms of the focus of civic education, in 2018 the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) put out a position statement on civic education, and the Brown Center for Education Policy provided recommendations for a high quality civic education.
The NCSS position statement declares:
At its core, civic education should provide students with the ability to take informed action to address problems relevant to life in a democratic republic. It should target the knowledge,skills and dispositions to ensure that young people are truly capable of becoming active and engaged participants in civic life.
The Brown Center for Education Policy at the Brookings Institution puts forward the following three components and 10 proven practices:
Components
1. Civic knowledge: an understanding of government structure, government processes,and relevant social studies knowledge and concepts
2. Civic skills: abilities that enable students to participate in a democracy as responsible citizens
3. Civic dispositions: attitudes important in a democracy such as a sense of civic duty and concern for the welfare of others
Proven Practices
1. Classroom instruction in civics, government, history, law, economics and geography
2. Discussion of current events
3. Service learning
4. Extracurricular activities
5. Student participation in school governance
6. Simulations of democratic processes and procedures
7. News media literacy
8. Action civics
9. Social-emotional learning (SEL)
10. School climate reform
In terms of the content for middle school civic education, The Citizen U® TPS Civics Resource Center, operated through a grant from the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Program, provides a wide variety of resources. The Center features a Lesson Library, Civics Interactives, and the Our American Voice ® Civics Curriculum.
The Lesson Library contains more than 200 inquiry-based lessons developed by TPS consortium partners and teachers from across the country. Over 100 of these lessons, covering a range of disciplines — including math, science, and English language arts — are appropriate for middle school.
The Civics Interactives section highlights offerings that organizations have developed using grants from the Library of Congress TPS program. The interactives promote student learning about Congress and civic participation using online primary resources. The middle school programs include: Case Maker, which features 20 premade civic challenges; DBQuest, which introduces students to major questions in civics and history; and Journalism in Action, which covers 10 key moments in U.S. history through a journalist’s lens.
The Our American Voice ® Civics Curriculum (OAV) is a comprehensive and integrated program in which students learn four core principles of democracy. It addresses 10 topics and has a basic, intermediate, and advanced lesson for each topic, which allows for customization of the curriculum.
There could be significant resources introduced in the future to supplement the civics resources that are already available. In June of 2022, the Civics Secures Democracy Act, which would provide a $1 billion investment to expand civic education across K-12 and higher education, was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. What will happen to this Act, given the results of the 2022 midterm elections, is hard to determine.
What is easy to determine is the fate of our democracy if civics education is not revitalized. Richard Haass, in concluding his chapter on the obligation to support the teaching of civics, opines:
But the time is right to have a debate over making civics required and to determine what might constitute a curriculum that would be both useful and broadly acceptable. It is difficult to imagine a more urgent and critical need if American democracy is to survive.
And, as we indicated in the title and throughout this blog, civics in the middle should be a pivotal element and the starting point for addressing that “urgent and critical need.”
