Text books sugar coat Islam Extremism

[LuvBigRip]

NEW YORK — An education expert is warning that some American textbooks present a biased view of Islam and offer a sugarcoated picture of Islamic extremism, a trend that has parents worried about what's being taught in public schools.

In numerous history textbooks, "key subjects like jihad, Islamic law, the status of women are whitewashed," said Gilbert T. Sewall, director of the American Textbook Council, an independent group that reviews history books and other education materials.

Cindy Ross, the mother of a junior high school student in Marin County, Calif., said she couldn't believe her eyes when she read her son's textbook last school year.

"I was very shocked by what I saw, looking through the book," she said — shocked at how Islam was portrayed in her son's seventh grade history text.

"What did strike me was that all the other religions seemed to be lumped together, where there is an inordinate emphasis on Islam specifically," Ross said.

• Click here for video.

Sewall claims that publishers have been pressured by Islamic activists to portray the religion in the most favorable light, while Islamic terrorism is downplayed or glossed over.

"The picture is incomplete ... and the reason for this is that publishers are afraid of the Islamist activists. They don't want trouble," he told FOX News.

Sewall, who authored a report on how textbooks teach and present Islam, singled out one book that he said failed to explain what the story of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

In a section discussing Islamic fundamentalism, the textbook "World History: The Modern World," published by Prentice Hall, omits direct mention of the 9/11 hijackers' religion, referring to the 19 Islamic fundamentalists as "teams of terrorists."

"On the morning of September 11, 2001," the book reads, "teams of terrorists hijacked four airplanes on the East Coast. Passengers challenged the hijackers on one flight, which they crashed on the way to its target. But one plane plunged in to the Pentagon in Virginia, and two others slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. More than 2,500 people were killed in the attacks."

VideoIslam in the Classroom
In his report on the text, Sewall called the passage "dismaying" in its flatness and brevity. "In terms of content, so much is left unanswered. Who were the teams of terrorists and what did they want do to? What were their political ends? Since 'The Modern World' avoids any hint of the connection between this unnamed terrorism and jihad," he wrote, "why September 11 happened is hard to understand."

But Muslim advocacy groups say students need to learn more about Islam to correct misconceptions and help turn away a wrongheaded focus on extremism.

"It's wrong to show an entire faith community from the lens of a small extremist community, which is really a fringe. It's a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the Muslim community, and that's not how Muslims want to be framed," said Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

"I think there is an unbalanced portrayal of Islam seen mostly through a political lens, but that is not the reality of who a majority of Muslims are," she told FOX News.

Khan said when it comes to teaching about Islam, "I think the more important issue is American values of tolerance, respect and mutual understanding," which can best be imparted with accurate information about the religion.

But the content of those religious lessons also has Sewall concerned, particularly on the controversial topic of jihad.

Sewall says the violent aspects of Islamic jihad are glossed over and that it is presented as an internal struggle or a fight for protection in books like "History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond," published by the Teachers Curriculum Institute.

"Jihad is defined as a struggle within each individual to overcome difficulties and strive to please god. Sometimes it may be a physical struggle for protection against enemies," the book reads, noting that Islam teaches "that Muslims should fulfill jihad with the heart, tongue and hand. Muslims use the heart in their struggle to resist evil."

It's a lesson that Sewall says needs to change.

"What is frustrating is that repeatedly the textbook publishers have been called on their bias on the sunny, doctored view of Islam" but have refused to balance their books, he said.

None of the textbook publishers contacted by FOX News regarding their books responded to requests for statements or interviews.

Parent Cindy Ross told FOX News she is concerned that unpleasant facts are being ignored for the sake of political correctness in her son's textbooks.

"When you are talking about a history textbook, that is supposed to be talking about historical facts and they are talking about jihad in terms of spiritual terms ... I think it would be completely inappropriate for a public school."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504944,00.html

[ilovecats]

hmmm not sure how to respond without being attacked.I do agree with this part:
"It's wrong to show an entire faith community from the lens of a small extremist community, which is really a fringe. It's a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the Muslim community, and that's not how Muslims want to be framed," said Daisy Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement.

"I think there is an unbalanced portrayal of Islam seen mostly through a political lens, but that is not the reality of who a majority of Muslims are," she told FOX News.

That said,my older children do think all muslims are like the extremists and would not be swayed by textbooks.

[gmyers]

I believe our own values are being used against us. Its good to be tolerent of people but sometimes you also have to temper it with reality. I don't believe that the radical muslims are just a small fringe of their religion. If you watch anything about them in different countries theres a lot of extreme people there. A lot of really extreme beliefs at least in the countries they show on tv.

[SurferGirl]

The fact that people are so afraid of these Muslims and Islamics is proof that they need to be stopped. How dare them come into our country and push their garbage here. What would happen to us if we pushed our views in their country. We would be killed. Even the ones that aren't extremists are really bad people and we need to face that.

[ilovecats]

The fact that people are so afraid of these Muslims and Islamics is proof that they need to be stopped. How dare them come into our country and push their garbage here. What would happen to us if we pushed our views in their country. We would be killed. Even the ones that aren't extremists are really bad people and we need to face that.

No comment

[gmyers]

I don't believe they're bad people but some of the people that are teaching them their religious beliefs are teaching some pretty radical stuff. Like the pageant they had for the pre schoolers where the boys were dressed like terrorists with guns thats what I disagree with. Don't corrupt little kids or teach them to hate people thats just sad.

[PinkAquila]

We also live in Ca. My youngest son was in the 7Th grade last year. His text book was like that also.There was maybe a few paragraphs about other religions..But pages on Islam, their whole history from how Mohamed came to be and how Islam is now, and it was pretty sugarcoated ...

I was pretty of upset. I am a Christian, but sometimes freedom from religion in our schools is a double edged sword. If they are allowed to talk about Christians, then okay to show how other religions came about.

If they want freedom from religion in the schools, then none of them should be taught. I believe religions need to be taught in the family and the church they go to.

So if they are teaching about Islam, then all other religions even the ones that I don't belong to should be taught as well.

My son's class had an assignment to write down their feelings about different religions the world. And how they felt about them. My son wrote from a Christian point of view. Teacher told him he was writing a fairy tale about God...etc and made fun of it...

But of course another kid wrote from an Islam point of view....
and was not hassled like my son was....go figure

Christianty was not the only religion the teacher made fun off,
why give these kids these type assignments only to mock them afterward...

sorry if I don't make sense, took my Xanax and kind of loopy right now...lol

[hblueeyes]

Not much different than they way textbooks describe how we treated the native Americans. My problem is that maybe these pro Islam/Muslim organizations may do better at promoting a positive image if they would comdem those extremeists in their midst. If you do and say nothing when wrong is done, it is the same as saying it is OK.

And that teacher who made fun of any childs religion or paper should be brought before the school board.

Me

[Njean31]

is this in public school? i didn't think they were allowed to talk about religion at all. no Jesus, then no Mohammad:(

[Njean31]

, but sometimes freedom from religion in our schools is a double edged sword. If they are allowed to talk about Christians, then okay to show how other religions came about.

If they want freedom from religion in the schools, then none of them should be taught. I believe religions need to be taught in the family and the church they go to.



yeah, where are all those atheists and others who raise holy hell when Christianity is being discussed?

[ahippiechic]

Not much different than they way textbooks describe how we treated the native Americans. My problem is that maybe these pro Islam/Muslim organizations may do better at promoting a positive image if they would comdem those extremeists in their midst. If you do and say nothing when wrong is done, it is the same as saying it is OK.

And that teacher who made fun of any childs religion or paper should be brought before the school board.

Me

I don't think we should rely on textbooks alone to teach anything.

My DD's school had a course on different religions and we had to give permission for her to take it. They included all the major religions. I thought that was a good way to go about it.

[ahippiechic]

The fact that people are so afraid of these Muslims and Islamics is proof that they need to be stopped. How dare them come into our country and push their garbage here. What would happen to us if we pushed our views in their country. We would be killed. Even the ones that aren't extremists are really bad people and we need to face that.

Ok so everyone we are afraid of, then that's proof they need to be stopped?? I'm afraid of extremists, be it religion or politics, so they should stopped, right?

And that last comment is just F'ed up.

[SurferGirl]

Well you might be willing to live under their law but I won't.
In Saudi Arabia women still aren't allowed to drive. Women have no rights and they will cut off peoples heads for the most ridiculas reasons.
Really a nice culture, aren't they.
If they aren't basically really bad people why do they name their kids after terrorists.

[SurferGirl]

They do want to impose their Sharia law over here and they already have succeeded to impose their law in some parts of Britain.
I'm only going to post part of the article, for the whole thing click on the link.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/08/top_ten_reasons_why_sharia_is.html


Top ten reasons why sharia is bad for all societies
By James Arlandson
Traditional Muslims who understand the Quran and the hadith believe that sharia (Islamic law) expresses the highest and best goals for all societies. It is the will of Allah.

But is Islam just in its laws that Muhammad himself practiced and invented?

This article says no for ten verifiable reasons.

Here are four points you must read, before reading this article:

First, sometimes these ten points quote the Quran or omit it; sometimes they quote the hadith (reports of Muhammad's words and actions outside of the Quran) or omit it. This is done only to keep down the length of the article. No one should be fooled into believing that these harsh and excessive laws were invented in the fevered imagination of extremists who came long after Muhammad. These harsh and excessive laws come directly from the founder of Islam in his Quran and in his example in the hadith.

Second, each of these ten reasons has a back—up article (or more) that is long and well documented with quotations and references to the Quran, the hadith, and classical legal opinions. The supporting articles also examine the historical and literary context of each Quranic verse. If the readers, especially critics, wish to challenge one or all of these ten reasons, or if they simply doubt them, they should click on the supporting articles. They will see that Muhammad himself actually laid down these excessive punishments and policies.

Third, it must be pointed out that these harsh laws are not (or should not be) imposed outside of an Islamic court of law. Careful legal hurdles must be passed before the punishments are carried out. However, even in that case, it will become clear to anyone who thinks clearly that these punishments and policies are excessive by their very nature, and excess is never just, as Aristotle taught us in his Nicomachean Ethics.

Fourth, in each of the lengthy supporting article (or articles), a Biblical view on these
infractions of moral law (or sometimes civil law or personal injuries) is presented. One of the reasons we all sense that these Islamic punishments are harsh and excessive is that Christianity has also filled the globe. Even if one is not a Christian or is only a nominal Christian, he or she has breathed deeply of Christianity by virtue of laws and customs or even driving by churches. New Testament Christianity, when properly understood and followed, offers humanity dignity.

'Islam' in this article stands for Muhammad, the earliest Muslims, and classical legal scholars.

Here are the top ten reasons why sharia or Islamic law is bad for all societies.

10. Islam commands that drinkers and gamblers should be whipped.

In 2001, Iranian officials sentenced three men to flogging not only for illicit sex (see reason no. nine), but also for drinking alcohol.

In 2005, in Nigeria a sharia court ordered that a drinker should be caned eighty strokes.

In 2005, in the Indonesian province of Aceh, fifteen men were caned in front of a mosque for gambling. This was done publicly so all could see and fear. Eleven others are scheduled to undergo the same penalty for gambling.

After going through two previous confusing stages before coming down hard on drinkers and gamblers, the Quran finally prohibits alcohol and gambling in Sura 5:90—91; they do not prescribe the punishment of flogging, but the hadith does. A poor 'criminal' was brought to Muhammad who became angry:

The Prophet felt it hard (was angry) and ordered all those who were present in the house, to beat him [the drinker dragged into Muhammad's presence]. (Bukhari, Punishments, nos. 6774—6775)

Thus, we see no offer of help for the alcoholic when he is dragged before Muhammad and his followers. Why does Muhammad not offer rehabilitation? Why does he immediately go to corporal punishment?

The later classical legal rulings follow the Quran and the hadith, so we do not need to examine them here.

It is sometimes argued that Islamic countries are pure, whereas the West is decadent. No one can argue with this latter claim, but are Islamic countries pure? The Supplemental Material, below, demonstrates that Islamic countries still have drinking and gambling in them.

Here is the article that supports this tenth point and that analyzes the confusing Quranic verses on drinking and gambling. It analyzes the hadith and later legal rulings.

9. Islam allows husbands to hit their wives even if the husbands merely fear highhandedness in their wives.

In 2004, Rania al—Baz, who had been beaten by her husband, made her ordeal public to raise awareness about violence suffered by women in the home in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi television aired a talk show that discussed this issue. Scrolling three—fourths of the way down the link, the readers can see an Islamic scholar holding up sample rods that husbands may use to hit their wives.

The Quran says:

4:34 . . . If you fear highhandedness from your wives, remind them [of the teaching of God], then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them. If they obey you, you have no right to act against them. God is most high and great. (MAS Abdel Haleem, the Qur'an, Oxford UP, 2004)

The hadith says that Muslim women in the time of Muhammad were suffering from domestic violence in the context of confusing marriage laws:

Rifa'a divorced his wife whereupon 'AbdurRahman bin Az—Zubair Al—Qurazi married her. 'Aisha said that the lady (came), wearing a green veil (and complained to her (Aisha) of her husband and showed her a green spot on her skin caused by beating). It was the habit of ladies to support each other, so when Allah's Apostle came, 'Aisha said, "I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!" (Bukhari)

This hadith shows Muhammad hitting his girl—bride, Aisha, daughter of Abu Bakr: Muslim no. 2127:

'He [Muhammad] struck me [Aisha] on the chest which caused me pain.'

It is claimed that Islamic societies have fewer incidents of fornication and adultery because of strict laws or customs, for example, women wearing veils over their faces or keeping separate from men in social settings. But these results of fewer incidents of sexual 'crimes' may have unanticipated negative effects in other areas, such as the oppression of women. Generally, sharia restricts women's social mobility and rights, the more closely sharia is followed. For example, in conservative Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive cars. In Iran, the law oppresses women. For example, women's testimony counts half that of men, and far more women than men are stoned to death for adultery.

Here is the supporting article for the ninth point. It has a long list of different translations of Sura 4:34, in order to resolve confusion over this verse, circulating around the web. This longer article has many links that demonstrate the oppression of women under Islamic law (scroll down to 'Further discussion').

[justice250]

Why are we covering up for muslims?

Look at the truth.

http://www.apostatesofislam.com/

Not a religion, no peaceful, not truthful.

Tired of having to be soo tolerant of a lie.

[PinkAquila]

I hope no one took what I said the wrong way. It was pretty late, and my Xanax makes me type faster than my brain...lol

It's just that if you are going to take out one religion out of school then they all should be taken out.

I would rather teach my sons our religion here at home. When they go to college and want to learn about others that will be their right. If they want to ask their friends about their religion that's cool too. If they want to research for themselves on the net that's fine. We always have good discussions here at home.

But what I don't want is some teacher that will teach one and make fun and bash the others.:getyou

not only that, but son's school had a little course in Islam toleration....?
not muslim toleration just their religion. Toleration for just one subject?
and yes it was by the same teacher....


I wished they would have sent home a permission slip from this teacher's class.

[PinkAquila]

I don't think we should rely on textbooks alone to teach anything.

My DD's school had a course on different religions and we had to give permission for her to take it. They included all the major religions. I thought that was a good way to go about it.

Very good point.
You are so right that we should not just rely on textbooks, kids have to be taught by parents also.

Your DD's school did the right thing about talking about different religions and sending home a permission slip about it. Maybe my son's teacher from last year should take her class...lol

[justice250]

Quran 9.29 "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day ... "

[SurferGirl]

I think California has a thing against permission slips, at least when it pertains to what they consider anti discrimination type classes.

[LuvBigRip]

I think California has a thing against permission slips, at least when it pertains to what they consider anti discrimination type classes.

Because it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. By that time the message is out

[PinkAquila]

I think California has a thing against permission slips, at least when it pertains to what they consider anti discrimination type classes.


Well they did send home a permission slip for son to learn some self defense moves for P.E. lol