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http://www.ktrh.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=121300&article=3759909

Muslim Presentation Raises Questions in Friendswood

Junior High students sat through program May 22nd.
By KTRH’s Bill O’Neal
Friday, May 30, 2008
It involved two women who we’re told showed up in muslim dress, discussing Islam with the students at Friendswood Junior High School, including an explanation of what the religion is, as well as its customs. District officials insist it was all done with the best of intentions.

“The administration at the junior high has continued to look for ways in which to teach respect and tolerance,” Karolyn Gephardt with the Friendswood Independent School District said. But Gephardt also admitted some mistakes were made.

“Exact district policy in hosting the presentation was not followed in that in the future, information prior to any presentation gets sent home, especially on cultural awareness,” Gephardt said. With such advance notice, officials said parents would be given the opportunity to ask questions about what will be discussed, or even opt their children out of the presentation altogether.

Gephardt said the presentation has generated a number of calls from parents.

“We’ve heard different things. We’ve had some show support for teaching tolerance in presenting other cultures,” Gephardt said, but quickly added, “Many parents feel they’d like to know ahead of time, and we agree with that. We want them to know ahead of time.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5811373.html

May 31, 2008, 11:51AM
Muslim presentation at Friendswood school draws fire

Associated Press

FRIENDSWOOD — Parents of some junior high students are upset they weren’t notified about a school presentation on Islamic culture, an omission that violated school district policy.

The parents’ letter-writing campaign stems from a May 22 presentation at Friendswood Junior High, where two Muslim women gave a 30-minute presentation about Islamic life as part of a yearlong study of respect, tolerance and culture, The Galveston County Daily News reported Saturday.

The guest speakers discussed Muslim culture, including topics such as food, religion, dress, beliefs and famous Muslims.

School district spokeswoman Karolyn Gephart said principal Robin Lowe had “best intentions,” but Gephart acknowledged not informing parents beforehand was a mistake.

District policy states parents are to be informed about the purpose and content of presentations so that they can keep their children out if they think the material might be offensive or inappropriate.

Still, Gephart said, “If you pulled a book about Islam from the library, you would find the same stuff in the book. There was no proselytizing.”

Kim Leago, whose son is in the eighth grade, said she’s still upset he was exposed to the “inappropriate” presentation.

“We can’t say ‘One nation under God’ in school, so I definitely don’t think (the presentation) was the right choice,” she said. “I’m not a prejudiced person ... but Muslims, from what I know of the faith, don’t want to be incorporated with Americans. Look at what’s going on in the world right now, with the war and with 9/11.”

The exact number of parents who objected or wrote letters wasn’t known.

Dr. Ahmed Ahmed, a member of the board of directors for the Galveston Islamic Center, said there’s a common misperception that Muslims are somehow un-American. The few Muslims who have tainted the faith as terrorists have helped spread the myth that Islam is violent and extremist.

“Muslims in the U.S. are Americans, not intruders,” he said. “They are not invaders; they are not outsiders. We are all Americans, and we are all working toward a better America.”