Curriculum of Resistance

In Iraq, an ancient system of education has existed since the Islamic Golden Age, founded specifically to counter ideological state control. This system, known as Hawza, is the intellectual backbone of resistance to Western imperialism in the region today. Tracing its roots to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, who refused to capitulate in the face of tyranny during the early days of Islam, the Hawza system has grown into the center of a profoundly resilient culture of resistance -- in...
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In Iraq, an ancient system of education has existed since the Islamic Golden Age, founded specifically to counter ideological state control. This system, known as Hawza, is the intellectual backbone of resistance to Western imperialism in the region today. Tracing its roots to the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, who refused to capitulate in the face of tyranny during the early days of Islam, the Hawza system has grown into the center of a profoundly resilient culture of resistance -- in Iraq and beyond. This book tells its story, from the earliest stirrings of Islamic thought to the present-day struggles of Iraqi students for a relevant and meaningful education. Along the way, the Hawza philosophy of education is compared with various Western alternatives in order to highlight its unique potential as a model for global resistance to intellectual subjugation and cultural invasion.