A Virginia county closed all of its schools Friday because of intense backlash over a class assignment about Islam, with some parents alleging that their children were being subjected to Muslim indoctrination and educators emphasizing the importance of exposing U.S. students to the world’s fastest-growing religion.
A high school geography teacher in rural Augusta County asked students to try their hand at writing the shahada, an Islamic declaration of faith, in Arabic calligraphy. The task, community reaction to it, and a sudden influx of outrage from around the country — including angry emails, phone calls and threats to put the teacher’s head on a stake — led the school district to close rather than risk disruption or violence.
Augusta County Sheriff Randy Fisher said the superintendent and the school board decided to close the 10,000-student school system after district officials and the Riverheads High School teacher who gave the assignment received emails that seemed to increase in volume and vitriol as the week wore on. Most emails and messages assailed the school and the teacher for “indoctrinating” students in Islam, and some referenced violence generally.
Fisher said he saw messages that called for firing the teacher and putting “her head on a stake.” Photos of beheaded bodies also were sent to the Riverheads principal. In a news release, the superintendent also said people indicated that they were planning protests at school buildings and that “some communications posed a risk of harm to school officials.”
That's right the parents were so afraid that their children were being indoctrinated into a religion associated with terrorism in this country, that they terrorized the superintendent, school officials, and teacher.
But remember, these are most likely Christians so it doesn't count.
Welcome to Donald Trump's America folks.
Ignorance is a terrible thing to waste.
ReplyDeleteSchool should of called in the FBI and give them every threat letter they received! These people are unhinged and clearly a danger to others. I haven't seen or felt so much hate since... well 2008!! Imagine that?
Delete7:28 And we have the person who strong-armed John McCain to thank for $arah the Hatinator.
DeleteI grew up in that area, and am NEVER going back... not everyone there is a knuckle dragging idiot, but those folks are, sadly, in the minority.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope this doesn't break out in a war here. History has proven time and again that the MOST dangerous, viscous and total war is a religious one.
ReplyDeleteTrump should be brought up on charges of incitement.
The level of hate being directed towards Muslims and, by extension, anyone who isn't white and Christian, is truly frightening.
ReplyDeleteI was born in late 1960 and so I don't remember the Civil Rights movement myself, but it seems to me from hearing and reading about that period, that the levels of hate and division were comparable. We DID survive that time, which gives me hope that we will survive this ugly period in history as well.
I shouldn't have read the comments in the WaPo link. So many hateful and stupid people in this country :(
ReplyDeleteAnother 11 (or 11 days) months of Trump's incitement and Americans vs. U.S. Muslims will be a bonfire of horror. Can't these so-called Christians hear themselves? Apparently not.
ReplyDeleteSad, sad times are ahead for your country.
I was born there, but just found myself writing "your"...
I shouldn't have read the comments in the WaPo link. So many hateful and stupid people in this country :(
ReplyDeleteI am going to disagree with you. I don't disagree that the reaction to the teacher was hateful and bigoted. But to chose a "declaration of faith" as the assignment was also inappropriate for the teacher to chose. She could have exposed the students to Islam by teaching them about the faith as an objective lesson plan instead of having them "declare their faith. As an atheist, I took a full semester of Islam in college. And I have read the bible multiple times. There are many ways to expose your students to other cultures. This was just dumb, considering where she lives.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! Thank you!
DeleteVery well said.
DeleteI wouldnt complete that assignment no matter what the religion.
The nerve of the teacher to teach them about world relgion during a section on world relgions. This reaction is exactly why our schools are so far behind the rest of the developed world.
ReplyDeleteYou reap what you teach, or don't teach.
DeleteMaybe should have picked an piece of poetry (Arabic is full of poetry)instead of the shahada. Something that would not cause redneck hairs to catch fire. However, it is a very interesting lesson in separation of church and state. Makes me wonder if there was an ulterior motive to using the shahada.
ReplyDeleteDo you honestly think that a different passage would have made a bit of difference? These ignorant fools will seize on anything. This even made the Canadian national TV news last evening. Trump and his GOP cronies have a LOT to answer for, and when are the media going to start calling him out on his reckless, juvenile ramblings?
DeleteMaple8:12 AM,
DeleteYou don't know that it wouldn't have. It makes a difference to me and I am not a christian
A Muslim is simply one who bears witness and testifies that "nothing deserves worship except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." One becomes a Muslim by making this simple declaration.
Deletehttp://www.islamreligion.com/articles/193/first-pillar-of-islam/
Did the teacher understand what she was doing? To be fair though, those parents would be freaking if the kids were writing taught to spell Falafel.
Because what's the point of being a Christian if not to convince, or failing that, to kill, infidels?
ReplyDeleteNot America, but plain's 'Murka. Not Christian, but christianist Dominionists.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just bought my 5 month old grandson a children's book titled The Five Pillars Of Islam and my crazy fundie sister-in-law is having a meltdown. Knowledge breeds tolerance and that's why the slobbering, mouth breathing, fundamental christians have fits anytime this happens.
ReplyDeleteOne of my kids is a high school teacher in Georgia and he tells me the future of education in America will be computer modules, e.g. Everfi.com.
ReplyDeleteHe explained the 'teacher' role will be relegated to Proctor and Security Officer.
In my humble opinion, it can't happen soon enough. Can you imagine a country where education really IS the same high standard, everywhere?
Children are not transmissions that can be rolled off the assembly line and built to exacting standards, each one identical to the next. They learn through different methods and at different paces. They bring a world of physical and emotional baggage to school with them which affects everything they do. They respond best when they know the adults in the room care for them and want them to succeed.
DeleteYour description of education sounds like a horror movie that should never be translated to real life.
I thought the lesson was on different types of calligraphy, but still feel it was wrong to use this particular declaration as an example. I agree with those who think it was wrong, using a religious declaration instead of some other form of the same calligraphy that's secular.
ReplyDelete