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Muslims claim curriculum on Islam inaccurate 
Claim it inaccurately portrays it as religion that uses force

 Some Muslims in Baltimore County say lessons involving Islam being taught to seventh- and 10th-graders in public schools are inaccurate.

Bash Pharoan, president of the Baltimore chapter of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, says resource sheets, called "Islamic Life," given to seventh-graders studying world cultures and "World Religions" for 10th-graders in world history classes, not only misrepresent Islam, but show disrespect to the prophet Muhammad.

For three years, Pharoan says, he has unsuccessfully petitioned the Baltimore County school board to review the way Islam is presented in public school classrooms.

Joe Hairston, county school superintendent, said his "teachers do not use materials that contain inaccurate information."

Pharoan disagrees, saying the resource sheet on Islam belittles the prophet by referring to him only as "Muhammad."

"We always say 'Prophet Muhammad,' " Pharoan said. "Omitting the word 'prophet' is disrespectful."

Pharoan said many of facts on the resource sheets are untrue or half-true, and they "emphasize negative differences that are divisive in nature." He says it is wrong to knowingly teach children inaccurate information.

Getting accurate information to children is important now because of the war in Iraq, he says.

Pharoan says the information given to students about "jihad" and the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, is especially objectionable.

The resource sheets state the Muslim prophet's "main goal was to get people to accept Allah and to spread the faith of Islam. Muhammad justified his attacks to his followers by explaining that to weaken those who opposed the spread of God's word was a virtue, and that those who fell in battle would be rewarded in heaven. Thus, the idea of the jihad became the holy war of the Muslims against 'the unbelievers.'"

This reference, Pharoan says, inaccurately portrays Islam as a religion that embraces the use of force.

"Islamic teachings explicitly forbid coercing others to adopt the Islamic religion. Suicide is forbidden. The taking of innocent lives is forbidden. Yet the curriculum would have students believing otherwise," Pharoan said.

"Jihad" is defined in the resource sheet as a "struggle." Pharoan says that is a true depiction. But it's "a struggle to be a good person, a struggle to help the community and mankind. It does not mean a holy war."

Mahammad Jameel, of Reisterstown, also has petitioned the board about school lessons on Islamic culture.

Giving a partial definition of "jihad" -- as in the resource sheet -- is like saying gravity only exists under apple trees. Not only is it misleading, but it is inaccurate, Jameel says.

"We have many jihads," Jameel said, like "a jihad against poverty, just like the U.S. has a war against poverty."

"Jihad" does not mean a Muslim should go out and kill the poor, he says.

Donald Arnold, school board president, says he has not asked the school administration to look into Pharoan's and Jameel's allegations.

"We take the approach that the class material was chosen on a scholarly basis (by the administration), and it (the information being taught) reflects the history of the Muslim community," Arnold said.

Cara Calder, a spokeswoman for the school system, says the class material was selected on a scholarly basis.

"Our perspective is that when it comes to curriculum, our focus is academic rather than social or political," she said. "We (the administration) are aware of Dr. Pharoan's and Mr. Jameel's concerns, and as we would with any question of curriculum, we will rely on academic and scholarly information."

Calder did not know if the curriculum already had been reviewed, or if it was scheduled for review at some future date.

Pharoan says it is unfair to the students to perpetuate misinformation, and it might be up to the faculty to correct the problem.

"Teachers should ask themselves, 'Am I teaching fact or opinion?' " Pharoan said.

It sounds to me like these teachers are presenting the truth that is evident by the actions of Muhammad and his statements in the koran as well as what is seen by todays muslims world wide.

The Koran is very blunt and clear on these matters. This is why many claim that the Koran is not accurately translated in English. However, one can also get English translations of the Koran done by various scholars, and they all say the same thing in a very blunt and clear way. There is no misunderstanding unless there is a Holy Book for Islam other than the Koran. Compared to what the Koran actually says, this school presentation is too mild and doesn't go far enough in representing the violence against infidels that is actually taught in the Koran. Giving someone a chance to convert to Islam or be killed is mild and is not required by the Koran. Killing an infidel in the Koran is a good thing.

I want to know what happened to the lessons about JESUS that used to be in every classroom. I WANT TO KNOW WHY A LESSON ABOUT MUHAMMAD IS ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM AND LESSONS ABOUT JESUS ARE NOT! This is a Christian Nation - NOT a Muslim nation. Our founding and ways are Christian - not Muslim. The founding and ways of Iran and other nations is Muslim - not Christian. If someone wants Islam taught in the classroom, let them go to Iran or some other Muslim country.

This is a Christian part of the world, and Christianity should be taught in our classrooms as it always has been since the founding and up to only a few decades ago. If someone doesn't like Christianity being taught in public schools, they can put their children in a private school that teaches what they want taught. We now have the tiny minority in charge of what's being taught in our public schools, and this is not fair or RIGHT! If Christians go to a Muslim part of the world, we should expect Muslim teaching, and that is a reality. If Muslims come to this part of the world, they should expect Christian teaching, but that is not a reality any longer. WHY NOT? Bibles and Christian teaching were in EVERY CLASSROOM for over 200 years, and that was the obvious wishes of our founders. The founders themselves placed the Holy Bible in the classrooms - not the Koran.

RANT ON:  THINGS ARE GETTING RIDICULOUS IN THIS COUNTRY! THERE IS NO REASON NOW WHY THE TAXES OF CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE SUPPORTING PUBLIC SCHOOLS! IT'S TIME FOR LEGISLATION TO DIVERT OUR TAXES TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND HOMESCHOOLING! It's far past time for Christians to join together with finances and resources and abandon public schools entirely. We should be able to make it possible for ALL Christian families to have alternatives, regardless of financial capability. Some of the greatest mission needs are NOW in our own country.   RANT OFF.

Love In Christ,
Tom

AMEN! AND AMEN!

Rant on, brother rant on.

Brother you know that I feel the same way on this.

We all should be standing up against this and doing something about it.

There is absolutely no reason that parent(s) cannot homeschool their children. It costs way less than it does to send them to public schools. If all Christian parents were to pull their children from public schools and place them in good Christian schools or homeschools the government might, just a might, realise they do not control our children. It is the Christian parents responsibility, yes I did say responsibility, our very duty to insure our children are getting taught according to the word of God not according to the desires of non-Christians.

Christian parents that do not do so are failing as a Christian parent and they are failing to do what God has directed us to do.

We should be fighting the government in this, letting our representatives know that we will not stand for it any longer. Voting for those that support us, the majority not the minority few that have just recently arrived here.