A great deal of focus in writing and research through the years, has been directed toward an examination of our proclivity for naming people, places, things, ideas, etc. and the implications, or repercussions, as the case may be, attendant to the practice. Discussion and debate generally center on the concept of power and its transference through labeling: how power may be invested or divested, based on a host of factors surrounding the attachment of a name/label, including one’s relative position in the process, i.e., “the namer” vs. “the named.” As rhetorical as the question may be, there remains a persistent and widely-held belief that words, and names in particular, have not only the power to influence, but in fact, the profound capacity to shape material outcomes over time.
The material outcome, if you will, that guides the work of the American Islamic Montessori Association (AIMA®) is the expansion of peace: first and foremost, by facilitating an atmosphere of cohesion in the United States, in particular, while preserving and promoting Islamic values. Historically, the U.S. has exerted profound influence across the globe. As our influence in the world waxes and wanes in concert with the variable appetites of each successive political administration, we face a pestilence in our midst – and it isn’t Islam. The pestilence is ignorance. And it is rampant. Ignorance is a scourge that afflicts people of every race, faith, gender and socio-economic status. It undermines and divides our nation. Compounding this problem is the brazen appropriation of religion by a strident and brutal few, who propagandize through horrific acts of violence. The terror they inflict is intended to undermine world order, to incite fear and to foster turmoil. It feeds on ignorance. And it’s working.
Our mission at the AIMA is to squarely confront ignorance by serving as a steadfast advocate for unity and peace through education. Inspired and launched from the nation’s heartland, the AIMA clearly identifies as American; and the naming of the American Islamic Montessori Association reflects precisely the material outcome intended:
A peaceful nation unified by its commitment to the principles of freedom, plurality and mutual respect.
This is the very essence of what it is to be an American – an American Muslim, an American Mormon, an American Christian, an American Jew, an American Atheist – and an American Montessorian. Whereas Americans of every faith, ethnicity, color and race, share a common belief in the equality of all people and a resolute commitment to the defense and preservation of certain inalienable rights, expressly among them are the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech. As Americans, we staunchly rally around these beliefs, which are part of an ideology so deeply instilled in our collective psyche, that it is inseparable from our national identity. For this reason, and because the United States is endowed with massive global influence, it is a strategic imperative to affirm and to safeguard our identity as American Muslims to insure success in advancing our powerful and inexorable agenda: to wage world peace.
Dr. Jaime Dodd specializes in the research and application of Montessori theory and practice in early childhood educational settings. She is a member of the executive leadership team for a nonprofit, educational and research institution in St. Louis, Missouri where she has invested the greater part of her professional career. Dr. Dodd serves on the board of various St. Louis area non-profit entities, focused primarily on educational, humanitarian and/or healthcare concerns. Dr. Dodd’s passion is manifest in her work with the American Islamic Montessori Association (AIMA), a professional membership organization to advance Islamic Montessori Education (IME) as a bridge to foster understanding, promote education and expand peace across the U.S. and around the globe.