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Islam in California public schools 1/30/2002 Islam in California public schools “We could never teach Christianity like this. We can’t even mention the name of Jesus in the public schools.” California public schools — the nation’s largest public school system — have introduced an intermediate school curriculum that gives a special and preferential status to Islam while relegating Christianity to a position among — if not below — Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. Historical revisionists have long misinterpreted the religious freedom clause of the First Amendment to keep Christian values out of public institutions. Apparently, these successes have emboldened some academicians to go beyond teaching humanism and to promote other alternative religious faiths. Memorizing the Koran Rev. Miles wrote, “As children return to school this week, following the Christmas break, 7th graders in a growing number of [California] public schools, who are not permitted to wear a cross or speak the name of Jesus, will be required to attend an intensive, three-week course on Islam; a course in which students are mandated to learn the tenets of Islam, study the important figures of the faith, wear a robe, adopt a Muslim name and stage their own Jihad.” Rev. Miles reported, “Parents were outraged when students came home with their handouts and were told what was being taught. Their complaints to the school principal not only were ignored, but officials of this public school, funded by tax dollars, essentially fluffed them off.” A 7th grade teacher, Elizabeth Lemings, said she was “totally in the dark” about the new curriculum until her son, Joseph, who is a 7th grader in the same school where she teaches, brought home the handouts. In an on-site interview with ANS, Lemings said, “We could never teach Christianity like this. We can’t even mention the name of Jesus in the public schools, but over there [pointing 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.“ The handouts used in this course were obtained by ANS and were reported to include a history of Islam and the life of its founder, Muhammad. Rev. Miles said the handouts require students to memorize 25 Islamic terms and six Islamic phrases. Students are also asked to learn 20 Islamic Proverbs, the Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith, and to be familiar with 10 key Islamic prophets and disciples. Mrs. Lemings told ACN, “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!” In role-playing the Muslim faith, students were asked to 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 30. When Mrs. Lemings reportedly asked the principal of Intermediate-Excelsior School of Byron, Nancy Castro, if she could teach Christianity in the manner that Islam is taught and for the same length of time, Lemings was advised it would have to be after hours as a Christian club — and voluntary. Castro informed her that to do otherwise would be a violation of the separation of church and state. State Officials Deny Pushing Islam “The law allows districts to teach about religion as long as they don't advocate or indoctrinate it or teach students how to pray. That is a provision of the law,” Wolfertz said. Tom Adams, administrator for curriculum framework at the California Education Department, told The Contra Costa Times that the Islam curriculum “should not be construed as an endorsement” of Islam. “State guidelines [for 7th grade] do include a unit on Islamic civilization in the medieval world,” Adams said. “However, it should be an academic approach on the historical significance of the religion,” adding that individual teachers and school districts can create their own lesson plans based on the state guidelines. According to the Times, Adams said “there is nothing in the state curriculum that would call for” an assignment such as memorizing Islamic proverbs. Principal Shrugs Off Complaints “We're teaching the California standard, which is written out in detail on the state education department's Web site. Every school in California is teaching this curriculum; if people have a problem they need to take it up with the state. … Students learn about Hinduism, Christianity and other religions. They're learning about ancient cultures and what their beliefs were.” [emphasis added] In response to an earlier question, Castro told ANS that Christianity is already taught in the History and Culture class, which she said starts in the 6th grade. However, ANS reviewed the 6th grade materials and reported a disturbing bias. “Islam is presented broadly in a totally positive manner, whereas the restricted references to Christianity are centered on The Reformation, Martin Luther and The Catholic Church. Everything Christian is shown in a negative light, with events such as the Inquisition, the Salem witch-hunts, etc., highlighted in bold, black type.” In contrast, the textbooks duck discussions of the cruelties and intolerance exhibited by Islam over the centuries such as forced conversions, massacres, persecution of Christians and Jews, denial of religious freedom, draconian criminal penalties, and the oppression of women. There is no discussion of the absence of liberty — and harassment of non-Muslim religions — in most Muslim-dominated countries today. Whitewashing Islam’s History Although it is not feasible to include major portions of the resource material in this article, readers can visit the Houghton Mifflin Web site to examine course summaries, outlines and lesson plans. You can find the 6th grade materials (A Message of Ancient Days) at http://www.eduplace.com/ss/hmss/6/index.html and 7th grade materials (Across the Centuries) at http://www.eduplace.com/ss/hmss/7/index.html. Across the Centuries (7th grade) is made up of 18 chapters covering historical events from the dawn of the Roman Empire to the American Revolution. There are no chapter lessons devoted to Christianity, but Islam is comprehensively and favorably covered in two chapters, five lessons, and one unit activity. The unit activity covers the “Growth of Islam” and includes a lesson on the Crusades, which has a distinct Muslim bias. A Message of Ancient Days (6th grade), which includes the Christian material alluded to by Miss Castro, is made up of 15 chapters covering the ancient Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures up to the fall of Rome. There are no chapters dealing exclusively with Christianity, but lessons in Chapters 10 and 15 include certain Christian perspectives that lightly outline the faith. At best, they are incomplete and misleading. Unlike the coverage of Islam, there are no unit activities devoted to Christianity. The teachings of Jesus are covered in little more than a footnote, yet lessons on Buddhism and Confucianism comparatively lavish praise on the faith of their founders. Muslims Pleased The deconstruction of Christian influence in America’s public institutions has been going on for some time, but has greatly accelerated in recent years. Christmas has become “winter holiday,” Easter is now “spring break,” and any mention of “Christ” or “Jesus” (unless expressed as a curse word) is enough to bring charges of a violation of church and state. Negative, if not blasphemous, representations of Christianity in art and media are commonplace. The overt promotion of Islam in California public schools, utilizing a biased series of textbooks, is clear evidence that social revolutionaries are pressing their war against Christianity and family values to a new level. |
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