More public school establishment clause follies. Only one religion violates the establishment clause, evidently. By Bob Unruh in WorldNetDaily, with thanks to Doug:
Another school has been “teaching” Islam by having students study and learn Muslim prayers and dress as Muslims, and a lawyer who argued a previous dispute over this issue to the U.S. Supreme Court said such methodologies wouldn’t “last 10 seconds” if it were Christianity being taught.
“Would it have been ‘just cultural education’ if students were in simulated baptisms, wearing a crucifix, having taken the name of St. John and with praise banners saying ‘Praise be to Jesus Christ’ on classroom walls?” asked Edward White III, of the Thomas More Law Center.
His comments came after a new protest arose in Nyssa, Ore., where one parent raised objections when the Islamic teachings came to light. The district there, according to Supt. Don Grotting, is teaching a chapter in a history textbook “Journey Across Time” that talks about “how civilization has developed and some of the particular aspects of Islam.”
“We teach out of the book, and there are some supplemental class activities,” he told WND. “The kids do some skits, they could bring a food from the region, you could build a prop that would have depicted (something) maybe during that time period.
“If you wanted to you could dress up (as a Muslim) for extra credit,” he said.
He said students also learned about the climate of the Middle East, the food and everyday activities of Islam, and the geography and the lay of the land.
Still another assignment was to learn the “five pillars” of Islam, study Ramadan and listen to guest speakers including an American Muslim who arrived dressed in her religious costume to talk to the kids about her Quran.
“She relayed to the kids, if you’re a Christian you have your Bible, this is our Quran,” Grotting said.
Parent Kendalee Garner, however, objected to having her son being taught Islam and also to the time the public school system spends on the subject.
She told WND that her 13-year-old son is being “indoctrinated that Islam is a religion of peace, and being dressed up as a Muslim, being taught prayers, and scriptures out of the Quran.”
“I just don’t understand the ban on Christianity but Islam has free rein,” she said.