Episode #3: Media Literacy & the Middle East Hussein Rashid of Barnard College and Columbia University discusses the importance of thinking critically about news, information, and stories relating to the Middle East. We also highlight five activities you can do to promote media literacy in your classrooms. Guest Bio Hussein Rashid is a contingent faculty member at Barnard College and Columbia University, where he teaches about the intersection of media and Islam. He is also the founder of Islamicate, L3C, a consultancy that promotes religious literacy and cultural competency. He holds a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia, a Masters in Theological Studies focusing on Islam, and a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from Harvard. Free Resources for Episode #3 Learn more about teaching media literacy as it pertains to the Middle East with these free online resources: Media Constructions of the Middle East, a free digital teaching kit developed by Project LookSharp that includes a teaching guide, lesson plans, and relevant online media examples ready for classroom use. “Exploring Stereotypes with Aladdin,” a free lesson plan developed and distributed by Barbara Petzen of Middle East Connections. This lesson plan features longer, more involved activities related to the film than those we discuss in the episode. This short film by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNHCR), in which notable celebrities help explain that the words we use to describe refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons, and others really do matter in how we think about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the eastern Mediterranean.This short film by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNHCR), in which notable celebrities help explain that the words we use to describe refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons, and others really do matter in how we think about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the eastern Mediterranean. Books Featured Be sure to also check out these books mentioned in the episode: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. This book is great for helping students of any age understand that there are two sides to every story. Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People by Jack Shaheen, which highlights the ways that Arabs have been negatively depicted in movies since before the first “talkies.” (A classroom-friendly documentary version of the book exists, too!) Episode Acknowledgements Thanks to Dr. Hussein Rashid for his time, knowledge, and enthusiasm in promoting media literacy as it relates to the Middle East. Featured Music • “Kim Arar,” by Wind of Anatolia, from the album Live at the 2014 Golden Festival, used with permission from Wind of Anatolia. The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative.• “Sueur” by Monplaisir, used under Creative Commons License 1.0 Universal (public domain). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative.• “Waterbourne” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Algea Fields, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative.• “Thread of Clouds,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Migration, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative. • “Tower of Mirrors,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Tiny Tiny Trio, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative. • “Spins and Never Falls,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Tiny Tiny Trio, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative.• “Filing Away,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Crab Shack, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative. • “Thannoid,” by Blue Dot Sessions, from the album Body Tonic, used under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative. • “-Yesilim,” by Turku, from the album Alleys of Istanbul, used Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). The track has been excerpted and mixed with narrative. Image Credits • Image of Hussein Rashid courtesy of Mr. Rashid, taken by Ali Ansary and featured on www.husseinrashid.com.