Discussing Yasmina Khadra’s novel The Sirens of Baghdad in the upper secondary classroom to promote intercultural learning

Based on interviews with four teachers who engaged in discussions about Yasmina Khadra\u27s novel The Sirens of Baghdad with a total of 92 students, this article explores the potential of using fictional narratives to achieve Global Citizenship-related goals in upper secondary education. The novel, which portrays the journey of a young aspiring Al Qaeda terrorist in Iraq, emerged as a response to the increasing need in the Western world to mitigate intercultural tensions following the September 11 attacks. The article addresses the novel\u27s capacity to promote intercultural understanding while acknowledging practical challenges such as intense emotions in the classroom, potential trauma exposure, and the risk of radicalization. Despite these dilemmas, the article argues that fictional narratives of this nature can be a valuable tool in upper secondary education, especially when teachers collaborate across disciplinary boundaries. However, further research is necessary to develop and evaluate teaching models which remain effective in varying contexts