If you think about it, Islamic schools were first established by muslim familes who settled into a region. It started out as an after school program by a group of parents which then turned into a private organization. It became a full-time school that offered parents the opportunity to teach their children secular education as well as Islamic studies, Quran and Arabic. Parents of the 1st and 2nd generation wanted to teach their children to integrate into the western society. The purpose of Islamic schools were created to help kids maintain their identity and be proud of who they were. Like Islamic schools, jewish and christian schools were organized with the same ideas. 

At Annur Islamic School, the goal is to create confidence in the youth today who will be future leaders of tomorrow, by the will of Allah. In a way, they are being taught to keep this world at arms length and religion in their hearts. 

Sharing a bit of my personal experience, I am a first gen american. My parents immigrated from a third world country to seek a better life or what we now refer to as the “American Dream.” Personally, I am grateful for getting the chance to attend an Islamic School. I think that some parents are afraid that their kids will be sheltered in an Islamic environment, but the purpose of Annur is to expose the kids to the world under proper mentorship. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would still choose to go to an Islamic school.