The role of educational institutions in confronting intellectual extremism: A field study in the city of Baghdad

Abstract

This study focuses on analyzing the role of educational institutions in combating intellectual extremism, with emphasis on several key dimensions. The study demonstrates that educational curricula incorporating the values of tolerance, acceptance, and critical thinking are considered effective tools in limiting the spread of extremist ideologies. Educational approaches that integrate concepts of tolerance not only provide academic knowledge, but also contribute to building students’ personalities and enhancing their awareness of the importance of respecting others. The field study was conducted at the Ministry of Education, where a questionnaire was administered to a purposive sample of (200) teaching staff members from various schools affiliated with the Directorate of Education / Al-Rusafa Second. The findings revealed that ignorance of Islamic religious legislations ranked first, with a percentage of (42.2%), reflecting that weak religious awareness and misunderstanding of Islamic teaching