Note that this egregiously unfair and biased article portrays all opposition to this indoctrination as “Islamophobia” and “xenophobia.” In reality, parents objected to Islam being taught as “the true faith.” There is nothing wrong with students learning about Islam in school, if what they’re taught is accurate. But it isn’t. Because of the overpowering influence of the multiculturalist ethos and fears of charges of “Islamophobia” and “racism,” public school materials on Islam and other religions are for the most part heavily biased, with scarcely a critical word about Islam, Muhammad depicted as a cross between Gandhi and Sheriff Andy Taylor, no mention of jihad or dhimmitude, and harsh criticism of Christianity.
“Schools teach about Islam – and are accused of indoctrination,” by Deena Mousa, Christian Science Monitor, February 19, 2021 (thanks to Darcy):
…Debates about values education have gone on for decades – often with considerable tension. Recently, much of the conflict has centered around how educators teach their students about Islam and Islamic values.
Students in Chatham Middle School in New Jersey undertake a World Cultures and Geography class in the seventh grade, including a unit on the Islamic faith in the context of the Middle East and North Africa. In January 2017, Libby Hilsenrath was reviewing her son’s schoolwork when she learned about the Islam-related unit.
Ms. Hilsenrath complained to the school district and appeared on Fox News to discuss her concerns. Following her television appearance, viewers threatened school officials and Board members. “The threats were serious enough to have police at the middle school and the district administration building,” says Melissa Cavallo, whose children attend Chatham Middle School.
A year after her initial complaint, Ms. Hilsenrath filed a law suit against several Chatham school officials, the board of education, and the school district. The Thomas More Law Center represented her pro bono, as part of their mission to defend and promote “America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and moral values.” One of their key goals is “confronting the threat of radical Islam,” which, they say, has already “infiltrated” many sectors of society, including the schools.
The suit alleged that the school was promoting the Islamic faith. At the center of the complaint was a five-minute video introduction to Islam that included statements like “Allah is the one God,” The Quran is a “Perfect guide for Humanity,” and “May God help us all find the true faith, Islam.”
Ms. Hilsenrath argued that the school proselytized on behalf of Islam by exposing middle school students to a video that “seeks to convert viewers to Islam and is filled with the religious teachings of Islam.” The suit also complained about a worksheet with a link to a webpage that explains “the ease with which they could convert to become Muslim.”
In November 2020, Ms. Hilsenrath’s case was dismissed with prejudice. “There is, to be sure, a line to be drawn between teaching about religion and teaching religion,” Judge Kevin McNulty wrote in the decision. “On this record, I must conclude that the school did not cross that line.”
Who loses in these clashes?
Conflict over teaching about Islam is not limited to Chatham. Similar complaints have arisen from coast to coast. These conflicts are not victimless.On the one hand, when education about different belief systems is stunted, students lack an adequate understanding of other cultures. For those living in homogenous areas, this may be their only opportunity for a different perspective.
“I remember there not being any religious diversity in the town to speak of,” says Guy Citron, an alumnus of Chatham Middle School. “I was one of only a few Jewish kids.” In this case, he says, “The school district was legitimately trying to raise awareness about what other people in other countries have as far as religious tradition goes … because they weren’t going to learn about Islam from their fellow students.”…
DavidR says
After googling this topic it seems the issue is that instruction about Islam in NJ middle schools failed to paint the whole picture, i.e. they left out the violence. And then there is also some dispute as to whether Islam is actually a religion instead of a political ideology. This does not rise to the level of teaching that Islam is the true faith. Perhaps I missed something in the 15 minutes of internet time I spent on the subject.
However, I wouldn’t put it past a rogue teacher to engage in such behavior given the broad level of job security members of teacher’s unions enjoy. For instance, a test full of softball rhetorical questions like, “Which religion was the first to allow women to inherit property?” Or, “What religion is most fond of the mother of Jesus?” Or, “Why do people with extreme right wing views criticize Islam?”.
If this were to really happen it would probably be in San Francisco or Minneapolis. Maybe the new U.S. administration will defund non religious charter schools and fully fund new age madrassas just to prove they’re not I-Phobes.
Terry Gain says
DavidR
Violence is not necessary when the targeted country is surrendering. As I am sure you know, even if you leave out the violence you’re still left with the supremacism and the opposition to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, gender equality and equality of citizenship and the separation of church and state as well as the antipathy to all other religious ideologies and the belief that homosexuality should be treated as a crime and the absurd notion that an objectively evil man is a role model.
I do not think that Islam should be taught in school. Firstly teachers are not going to teach the ugly truth about Islam and secondly children are not mature enough to deal with that ugly truth.
Infidel says
Terry
I agree w/ you here. The most uncontroversial way to deal w/ this would be to leave out islam altogether, and teach nothing about it. Let kids find out when they grow up either from this site or others, if they are interested
william carr says
I thought religion was not supposed to be taught in USA schools. So why is this happening? To avoid bias no religion should be taught, this is clearly an attempt to combat so called islamofauxbia (sic). Muslim are estimated variously as between 4 and 5 million or a bit over 1.0% of the population. Real ‘islamofauxbic’ events are so rare they have to invent them, Whereas anti-semitism is frequently exhibited even in Congress!
It is quite real.
somehistory says
In recent years, an atheist group has reared its head every time some student said anything about Jesus or God…before football games, when graduating, etc…and the Courts have said these things, such as prayer before the game, or mentioning that God or Jesus helped the student, or just the student thanking God/Jesus, is forbidden.
When mad murray o’hare raised such trouble all those years ago, it was then the law that the students could speak about their faith to other students and even the teachers, but the teachers couldn’t say anything about their own belief.
Other than that, the only time God/Jesus could be mentioned was during courses on religion.
Now, the students aren’t allowed to say anything about their belief…unless they are moslum. And this should be illegal as it shows a promotion of a religion by government officials.
It shows the power that satan has in the world of mankind…the ‘world that hates Jesus and His disciples.’ “The world has hated me,” Jesus said. “It will hate you, also.” Jesus told His apostles and other followers.
gravenimage says
Better not to teach anything about Islam than to whitewash it.
Clifford Fodor says
The Romans had a proverb: Know your enemies.
gravenimage says
They didn’t mean learn lies and obfuscation.
Check Burry says
IN UK the Law states that pupils are to be given both sides of the information on any politics, that an opposing view is given, its in the 1993 or 96 Education Act. Its the Law. How effectively this is policed, monitored, who knows. I dont know if islam is seen as political by this law, if not it should be.
V.O. A says
Right wing people do not criticize islam. we criticize their “death to America” threats. we criticize beheadings, killing innocent people, being forced to believe or face death and torture. In other words, we criticize anything and everything you or others would criticize. If it is a religion that is their choice, but it is a human beings choice not to be forced to believe as they do. Their way is demonic. If you don’t believe that then go over the list I wrote at the beginning.
Wellington says
Judge Kevin McNutty is aptly named. And consider what he knows about Islam. Yes indeed, another useful idiot dhimmi.
And just imagine if there were reference in class in the Chatham School District respecting the year as being “In the year of our Lord….” Holy Hell would break lose AND YET this is the very phrase, “In the Year of our Lord,” that can be found in the seventh and final Article of the Constitution of the United States of America. Moreover, Presidents, when signing pardons, do so “in the year of our Lord….” Even Obama signed pardons with this phrase.
Which takes me to an even more expansive matter and it is this: America was founded very much so within the context of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Other faiths than Judaism and Christianity are free to exist in America but denying the Judeo-Christian roots of America and, by extension, all of Western Civilization, is idiotic in the extreme. Minus the Judeo-Christian tradition, which places the greatest emphasis on the dignity and worth of the individual above all other religious traditions, America would not be what it is. Additionally, the Islamic tradition had NOTHING to do with the founding of America, specious statements to the contrary notwithstanding, or establishing what America stands for, with liberty being paramount above all other principles that America stands for—and liberty, I mean true freedom, is something utterly despised by the Islamic tradition. Averring that Islam and liberty are compatible doesn’t even pass the laugh test.
If truth were told in America’s school systems, all this would be taught. But truth is not taught in our time in America’s school systems. Rather, an agenda is—and a most malicious agenda at that and getting more malicious and false by the year.
Allah be praised. Yeah, screw that. Time for a beer and a BLT.
somehistory says
Your are right. Of course, no need to tell you that.
Truth is under assault from those who are in ‘control’ of the conversation…schools, courts, governments, etc.
I recall some time ago, not sure what year it began, but people were beginning to say things like “my truth,” and other such phrases that meant they could decide that anything was true and it would be.
The nutty judge…and it’s really worse than being a nut…decided that the Truth didn’t matter.
What would mad murray o’hare say to him…or would she care?
The other night, I saw a brand new Corvette…and the color was absolutely beautiful. I wouldn’t want to own it because something awful could happen…being keyed by a jealous jerk, smashed by a careless driver…kind of like what’s happening to the world that used to have a fairly good hold on the Freedoms God gave us.
Terry Gain says
Somehistory
I wouldn’t condemn the Judge without knowing how the case was argued. The use of term radical Islam by the lawyer may indicate that the case was not properly argued. Political correctness is Islam’s second best weapon.
James Lincoln says
somehistory,
Spot-on post.
That being said, I’d still take my chances with the brand-new Corvette…
somehistory says
Thank you, J.L.
I could wish to have one…imagine the upkeep, though… and the insurance…but I just know someone would steal it, hit it or key it. It was beautiful. Perfect, just sitting on the street near my home.
mortimer says
Wellington’s post is filled with excellent argumentation for a school board. Moreover, Islam is the first, serious international problem that the young United States faced. Students don’t learn about that either.
Westman says
Faith implies that one is free to disbelieve without this-world-imposed consequences, something that Islam does not allow. Islam places a penalty of death even upon a youthful apostate who was too young to understand or to have sufficient knowledge to have obtained real belief. A lesser penalty may be carried out yet the actual Islam prescribed penalty is still expulsion and death. That is not faith, it is tyranny.
Islam, therefore, at its core, is not a faith; it appears to be a cult that demands absolute belief and separation from unbelievers whether family, friend, or stranger.
Separation is a common characteristic of all religious cults. It is also the reason all cults are marginalized when moving into a larger society and eventually decline. Islam needs and is getting subsidy from outside the US to obtain and keep mosques. Even then it is in decline. It’s bad enough having foreign countries meddling in the US mosques without schools acting as shills.
Terry Gain says
Westman
You make excellent points about Islam, but I wonder whether any of those points were argued in Court.
Spur says
We need to sacrifice and tighten our family budgets to send our children to private schools. I do not seeing it get better anytime soon. Gotta do it!
owensgate says
Well then, perhaps it’s time to have a “Fairness Doctrine” re religious instruction. Instruct in basic islamic precepts, state that it is true, then have a class in Shintoism, teach its principles, then say IT is true, run through all of them, teach all of them, say they are ALL true (wouldn’t that be the epitome of “what’s true for you may not be what’s true for me? Progressives LOVE that) then let the individual student make up their own mind. After all, in present “applied education”, every answer is correct. Or we could just teach the obvious, the 100% proven accurate Holy Judeo-Christian Bible, Jesus Christ, Son of God the Father, wholly man and wholly God. That worked perfectly in the first 150 years or so of our Republic.
mortimer says
Whitewashed ‘fantasy Islam’ is what they are teaching. In fact, JIHAD is the MOST IMPORTANT PILLAR of Islam. Islam without JIHAD is like baseball without a bat, a ball and without bases.
Islam is an imperial ideology and system of government.
mortimer says
The judge claimed that the five-minute video introduction to Islam did not ‘cross the line’ between teaching and proselytizing. However, it actually included statements like “Allah is the one God,” The Quran is a “Perfect guide for Humanity,” and “May God help us all find the true faith, Islam.” That would be proselytizing.
The judge didn’t pay attention or was determined to exonerate Islam on the ground that it is an ally of Leftism-Globalism.
Westman says
It seems likely that the judge is ignorant of Islam’s core beliefs and Allah’s Quranic commandments upon the ummah.
“..the ease with which they could convert to become Muslim.” Ah yes, the ease. Take a kid and get him to say a simple phrase and Allah has a new slave.
Someone should have pointed out to the judge that Islam is a trap, like the song “Hotel California” lyrics describe, “You can check in anytime you like, but you can never leave.” I’m betting the school’s parents were not aware of Islam’s penalty for leaving.
James Lincoln says
Westman,
To your point re: “Hotel California”, may I also add…
“We are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
Beneath the Veil of Consciousness says
The Walt Disney version of Islam. Rated ‘G’ for general audiences, as well as, ‘D’ for dhimmis. The Chatham School Board gets a curriculum rating of ‘F’ for historical accuracy.
Eleanor says
Any chance of one or more of these kids recording these ‘innocuous’ lessons on Islam?
gravenimage says
New Jersey public school teaches students that Islam is the ‘true faith,’ objections dismissed as ‘Islamophobia’
………………………..
Utter madness–and could you imagine the outcry if Christianity were taught as the “one true faith” in a public school?
And why does the Christian Science Monitor have a Muslim apologist like Deena Mousa writing for them?
PRCS says
“The suit alleged that the school was promoting the Islamic faith. At the center of the complaint was a five-minute video introduction to Islam that included statements like “Allah is the one God,” The Quran is a “Perfect guide for Humanity,” and “May God help us all find the true faith, Islam.””
The issue–IMO–is the assertions (Allah IS, The Quran IS, THE true faith).
These courses should state “Muslims believe, Christians believe, Zoroastrians believe,
If any of those students were the children of Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, etc., –did their parents raise that concern as well? If not, why not?
vcragain says
The problem here was likely caused by the school curriculum chooser going to an Imam for information of what Islam is all about, probably knowing nothing themselves – and of course if there is a chance to try to convert anybody, they will cooperate with any request for information by donating materials positive to Islam. I would have been extrememly angry if my kids were taught about Islam in that school ! They are supposed to be just giving clear-eyed ‘what they believe’ & ‘what it is all about’ – and comparing those ideas to Christianity & Judaism, and hopefully a few other concepts thrown in, like the Yazidi ideas & Budddhism too….the point being that kids get a full view of why people believe what they do, and comparison of some of the silly nonsense that humans invent to make themselves feel important & ‘worthy’ ! At the head of every faith is a human who originally conjured up all this stuff, and THAT should be what kids should know…so that they can honestly compare the ideas !
onepeacelover says
Anyone else remember when we barely heard a word of religion mentioned in schools and if so,so brief it was almost if not forgettable? Remember when most of this country was Christian or maybe better put Judeo-Christian ? The world may have not been peaceful since there has Always been troubles but it did seem oh so different. I may have not been a happy kid but looking back,America seemed better then. Again,I realize and Remember,there has Always been ‘troubles,big and small so please don’t think I am forgetting about the wars,national troubles and so forth. Ah,things have slowly gone downhill since the early 60’s with the changes within schools,Johnson/Kennedy bro’s letting so many more immigrants in,the drugs,then the 90’s and creeping immigrant changes and then well,with 9/11 and since,everything has changed. Schools must take much of the blame. Ah,sorry for going on and on and could. We all know about even in the 50’s with bomb scares in schools and all. Schools and teachings were different in early 70’s to early 80’s,that’s for sure. Now though,what they are teaching in schools,ya’ gotta’ fear for the future of this country. Again,sorry for going off here and there and running on
OLD GUY says
The far left has been indoctrinating our children in the classrooms for years. Hate America and Christians is supported by the left so teaching islamic supremacy to our young fits right in with their cancel culture and history ideology.
Spiro says
Where are the Christians and Jews protesting to the admin and school board about this.
unless we take to the leadership directly we have given up
And don’t tell me I’m preaching surrender I’m making an observation
Of surrender by showing apathy
And no pushback against Islam
People better wake up but the iPhone and remote down