Is Islam taught in your school?

[telos2000]

With Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff
For the story behind the story...

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002
California Pupils Indoctrinated in Islam

Parents in Byron, Calif., are outraged that government schools are forcing their children to learn the tenets of Islam, adopt a Muslim name, wear a robe and even stage their own jihad ("holy war").

Complaints to their taxpayer-supported principal were brushed off, ASSIST News Service reports.


"The public schools in California so stealthily slipped this course into the 7th grade curriculum that even another 7th grade teacher, Elizabeth Christina Lemings, was totally in the dark that this was being taught until her son, Joseph, who is a 7th grader in the same school where she teaches, brought home the handouts," ANS reported.

"We could never teach Christianity like this,” Lemings told ANS. "We can’t even mention the name of Jesus in the public schools, but over there …,” she pointed to the building next to hers, "they teach Islam as the true religion, and students are taught about Islam and how to pray to Allah.”

California's government schools have adopted the textbook used for the Islamic course, "Across The Centuries," published by Houghton-Mifflin (Boston). Islam is shown in a totally positive manner, whereas everything Christian is depicted negatively, says ANS.

In contrast, "There is not one negative to be found about Islam in this one-sided account, such as the wars, massacres, cruelties against Christians and other non-Muslims that Islam has consistently perpetrated over the centuries.

"Nor is any mention made of the way Muslims treat their own people, cutting off hands, feet and heads for even the slightest violations of the Islamic tenets of faith, or the shocking way they treat their women.

"The ‘miraculous’ events leading up to the Koran, the ‘holy’ book of Islam, and other ‘revelations’ are presented as factual. Any reference of the miraculous regarding Christianity is always set next to a disclaimer stating that; 'It was (is) believed by Christians (or an individual such as Martin Luther) that …,' implying an absence of credibility about the stated event," ANS reports.

As Lemings put it: "Can you imagine the barrage of lawsuits and problems we would have from the ACLU if Christianity were taught in the public schools, and if we tried to teach about the contributions of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the Apostle Paul? But when it comes to furthering the Islamic religion in the public schools, there is not one word from the ACLU, People For The American Way or anybody else. This is hypocrisy!”

ANS reported, "Even more disturbing; students are to pretend that they are Muslims, wear Muslim clothing to school, stage their own jihad via a dice game, and pick out a Muslim name (to replace their own) from a list of thirty."

Every pupil questioned by ANS thought the brainwashing course "was fun.” Some described Islam as "a pretty culture.”

Lemings told ANS: "This is not just a history class examining culture. This course is entirely too specific. It is more about indoctrination.”

"And government educrats keep wondering why more and more parents want school choice."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[devlina2u]

Wow! I had no idea they were teching islam in school.

[ihvfaith]

I am so thankful I homeschool.

[buckeyemomma]

Originally posted by ihvfaith
I am so thankful I homeschool.

me too !

[telos2000]

I would have thought more people would have an opinion on this subject. I guess that is why they can do it.

[mayor]

Originally posted by telos2000
I would have thought more people would have an opinion on this subject. I guess that is why they can do it.

The huddled masses are asleep by and large. The kettle is boiling and the frog is in it, oblivious to his fate...

Mayor

[telos2000]

Originally posted by mayor


The huddled masses are asleep by and large. The kettle is boiling and the frog is in it, oblivious to his fate...

Mayor

They don't call you Mayor for nothing, do they?
I think the frog analogy is appropriate.

[crazytimes]

Oh man, that is ridiculous.

I didn't even LEARN that stuff in 7th grade!

In my world studies class in 9th grade we learned equally about Islam/Judaism/Christianity. Although they do often associate negative things - like the Crusades - with Christianity. And they simplify Christianity too much. Everyone, Catholics/Protestants are always lumped together. And they always equate Catholic and Christian, in actuality they are different. I am a Christian but don't believe a LOT of the Catholic stuff.

I don't mind kids learning the BASICS about Islam, but that is ridiclous.

In MN it was the same though. They ALWYAS taught Hannukah and Kwanza, but NEVER said anything more than Santa Clause for Christmas.

And the thing is, it IS an issue when it relates to Christians.

-Matt

[jen6889]

That is so totally outrageous! You'd better believe if my daughter's school EVER did anything like that I'd pull her out of there. I think learning about different cultures and religions are good for us all, but THAT is just going way overboard.

[telos2000]

Originally posted by jen6889
That is so totally outrageous! You'd better believe if my daughter's school EVER did anything like that I'd pull her out of there. I think learning about different cultures and religions are good for us all, but THAT is just going way overboard.

I think I am now "Ackmud"

[doglover22]

Interesting. One would think that with the "seperation of church and state" issue (which many people don't even understand properly) that people use to outlaw Christianity from schools would appply to ANY religion. I have no problem with kids learning about other cultuers and religions. This class is clearly more than an overview of Islam. You can certianly bet that if a class this in depth about Christianity were being taught in a public school that lawyers would not be able to file the lawsuites fast enough. I would also bet that it would make nation wide news (as I am assuming this has not since I have not heard of it and live in Texas).

[Mouse7088]

I have to agree with everyone else pretty much..it's one thing to touch base on Islamic culture..this is well beyond that.

When I had Sociology in HIGH SCHOOL we were partnered off and a big part of our grade was to do an oral report and presentation on a different cultures marriage ceremony. We used barbie dolls and made the "attire" plus what ever items meaning something symbolic. This was a class I chose to take tho to learn of all different social aspects, it wasn't forced on me and my parents clearly knew what I was doing.

I agree...the "guidelines" should pertain to ALL religions. I won't mind my own children being taught other cultural backgrounds either, but I think this is overboard and the fact alone that another teacher in the school system hadn't a clue to what was going on beforehand just makes ya wonder how many parents were thrown for a loop on this one.

[millervt]

Interestingly, ANS is a Christian sponsored news agency. Going to their home page, we find an article about how the Harry Potter movie is threatening our children spiritually, and an editorial about how baseball has been going downhill ever since the home run has been popular. I'd want a second view of this story before I'd give it quite as much credance as might appear here.

Of course, I have to agree with most people here that religions in school should be treated evenly - no preference to islam, for example -- if that is what is really happening here in any kind of systematic way. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere, sometime at least once class in the whole country had this happen, but statistically that isn't a big surprise. I can certainly state with convinction that nothing like this has happened in any school district I'm aware of (admittedly only a small precent of all those in the whole country).

PS - interesting journalistic style on this article...children were "forced" to adopt a muslin name, and they were "indoctrinated" in Islam by this "brainwashing" course. Do you think the "reporters" came into this with an open mind when they wrote this story?

[dlabrie708]

Originally posted by telos2000
Parents in Byron, Calif., are outraged that government schools are forcing their children to learn the tenets of Islam, adopt a Muslim name, wear a robe and even stage their own jihad ("holy war").

Mayor posted that he was surprised there wasn't much discussion on this topic. Although I did not respond earlier, it was not because I was indifferent to it, I was just merely speechless! Just reading the above seems so unreal to me, but then again there are so many stories that I shake my head at. You better believe I would have a fit if this was happening in my child's school. Being tolerant of other cultures and this do not even come close! What was the teacher thinking? Having kids stage their own Jihad! Not only is it not appropriate to be taught in school, but it is extremely insensitive to what we just suffered as a nation.

Ridiculous!

Lori

[dlabrie708]

Originally posted by millervt
Interestingly, ANS is a Christian sponsored news agency. Going to their home page, we find an article about how the Harry Potter movie is threatening our children spiritually, and an editorial about how baseball has been going downhill ever since the home run has been popular. I'd want a second view of this story before I'd give it quite as much credance as might appear here.

PS - interesting journalistic style on this article...children were "forced" to adopt a muslin name, and they were "indoctrinated" in Islam by this "brainwashing" course. Do you think the "reporters" came into this with an open mind when they wrote this story?

Millervt -- thank you for bringing this information forward. I didn't even realize where the report had come from. It did seem strange to me that this was the only place I had heard of this happening. One would think it would be national news. Thank you once again for showing me that this story might be exaggerated or have a skewed viewpoint.

Lori