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Texas board considers resolution limiting references to Islam
By APRIL CASTRO - Sep 24, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas: Social conservatives are seeking to curtail references to Islam in Texas textbooks, warning of what they describe as a creeping Middle Eastern influence in the US publishing industry.
The State Board of Education plans to vote Friday on a one-page resolution calling on textbook publishers to limit what they print about Islam in world history books.
Critics say it's another example of the ideological board trying to politicize the state's public education.
"It's just more of the same Islamaphobic, xenophobic attitude we've been seeing around the country," said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations of Texas. "It's not like Muslims are not part of the country. This kind of attitude is not healthy, it's not even American." Future boards that will choose the state's next generation of social studies texts would not be bound by the resolution.
The resolution cites world history books no longer used in Texas schools that it says devoted more lines of text to Islamic beliefs and practices than Christian beliefs and practices.
"Diverse reviewers have repeatedly documented gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions in social studies texts," reads a preliminary draft of the resolution.
The resolution also claims "more such discriminatory treatment of religion may occur as Middle Easterners buy into the US public school textbook oligopoly, as they are doing now."
The measure was suggested to the board this summer by Odessa businessman Randy Rives, who lost his Republican primary bid for a seat on the panel earlier this year.
Members of a social conservative bloc of the board then asked chairwoman Gail Lowe to put the resolution on this week's agenda.
"The board seems to be running with it without taking a critical look at what's in these textbooks to see if there actually is a bias," said Jose Madinah, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. "We don't see what the point of this resolution is. There are so many other pressing issues the SBOE could be taking up right now.
"This is not going to have any practical effect." The resolution concludes by warning publishers the "State Board of Education will look to reject future prejudicial social studies submissions that continue to offend Texas law with respect to treatment of the world's major religious groups by significant inequalities of coverage space-wise and by demonizing or lionizing one or more of them over others."
Social conservatives control the 15-member board for now, although the landscape is certain to change after the general election in November. The board in recent years has become a battleground for social conservatives and liberal watchdogs, each accusing the other of imposing ideological agendas into what about 4.8 million public school students learn in Texas classrooms.
comment:
It's pretty obvious that this dummy lost his election seat, so like all the other incompetent fools he too wants to get some attention by attacking Islam in hopes winning votes.
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Texas School Board Adopts Resolution Limiting Islam
The Texas State School Board passed a resolution on Friday asking textbook publishers to limit references to Islam in a 7 to 5 vote.
Social conservatives on the 15-member board warned of a creeping Muslim influence in the nation's educational publishing industry.
The one-page non-binding resolution cited world history books which the board claimed to have devoted more space to Islamic beliefs than Christian beliefs.
The books are no longer used in Texas schools.
Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, which advocates for religious freedom, questioned the timing of the resolution. She pointed out that " anti-Muslim rhetoric in this country has reached fever pitch."
"This to me is a cosmetic procedure," she added. "And I think there are more important issues, like getting our textbooks paid for. This is an unnecessary distraction at this time."
Critics say the board's resolution discriminates against Islam.
" It's just more of the same Islamaphobic, xenophobic attitude we've been seeing around the country," said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations of Texas.
" It's not like Muslims are not part of the country," he added. "This kind of attitude is not healthy - it's not even American."
Opponents of the resolution noted that social conservatives are not expected to control the board after the November 2 election.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/S...imiting-Islam/
By APRIL CASTRO - Sep 24, 2010
AUSTIN, Texas: Social conservatives are seeking to curtail references to Islam in Texas textbooks, warning of what they describe as a creeping Middle Eastern influence in the US publishing industry.
The State Board of Education plans to vote Friday on a one-page resolution calling on textbook publishers to limit what they print about Islam in world history books.
Critics say it's another example of the ideological board trying to politicize the state's public education.
"It's just more of the same Islamaphobic, xenophobic attitude we've been seeing around the country," said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations of Texas. "It's not like Muslims are not part of the country. This kind of attitude is not healthy, it's not even American." Future boards that will choose the state's next generation of social studies texts would not be bound by the resolution.
The resolution cites world history books no longer used in Texas schools that it says devoted more lines of text to Islamic beliefs and practices than Christian beliefs and practices.
"Diverse reviewers have repeatedly documented gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions in social studies texts," reads a preliminary draft of the resolution.
The resolution also claims "more such discriminatory treatment of religion may occur as Middle Easterners buy into the US public school textbook oligopoly, as they are doing now."
The measure was suggested to the board this summer by Odessa businessman Randy Rives, who lost his Republican primary bid for a seat on the panel earlier this year.
Members of a social conservative bloc of the board then asked chairwoman Gail Lowe to put the resolution on this week's agenda.
"The board seems to be running with it without taking a critical look at what's in these textbooks to see if there actually is a bias," said Jose Madinah, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas. "We don't see what the point of this resolution is. There are so many other pressing issues the SBOE could be taking up right now.
"This is not going to have any practical effect." The resolution concludes by warning publishers the "State Board of Education will look to reject future prejudicial social studies submissions that continue to offend Texas law with respect to treatment of the world's major religious groups by significant inequalities of coverage space-wise and by demonizing or lionizing one or more of them over others."
Social conservatives control the 15-member board for now, although the landscape is certain to change after the general election in November. The board in recent years has become a battleground for social conservatives and liberal watchdogs, each accusing the other of imposing ideological agendas into what about 4.8 million public school students learn in Texas classrooms.
It's pretty obvious that this dummy lost his election seat, so like all the other incompetent fools he too wants to get some attention by attacking Islam in hopes winning votes.
----------------------------------
Texas School Board Adopts Resolution Limiting Islam
The Texas State School Board passed a resolution on Friday asking textbook publishers to limit references to Islam in a 7 to 5 vote.
Social conservatives on the 15-member board warned of a creeping Muslim influence in the nation's educational publishing industry.
The one-page non-binding resolution cited world history books which the board claimed to have devoted more space to Islamic beliefs than Christian beliefs.
The books are no longer used in Texas schools.
Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, which advocates for religious freedom, questioned the timing of the resolution. She pointed out that " anti-Muslim rhetoric in this country has reached fever pitch."
"This to me is a cosmetic procedure," she added. "And I think there are more important issues, like getting our textbooks paid for. This is an unnecessary distraction at this time."
Critics say the board's resolution discriminates against Islam.
" It's just more of the same Islamaphobic, xenophobic attitude we've been seeing around the country," said Mustafaa Carroll, executive director of the Council of American Islamic Relations of Texas.
" It's not like Muslims are not part of the country," he added. "This kind of attitude is not healthy - it's not even American."
Opponents of the resolution noted that social conservatives are not expected to control the board after the November 2 election.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/S...imiting-Islam/