Council: Mongtomery schools cave to pressue with Islam book

The Examiner ^ | Jun 7, 2008 | Leah Fabel

[george76]

A new report issued by the American Textbook Council says books approved for use in local school districts for teaching middle and high school students about Islam caved in to political correctness and dumbed down the topic at a critical moment in its history.

"Textbook editors try to avoid any subject that could turn into a political grenade," wrote Gilbert Sewall, director of the council, who railed against five popular history texts for "adjust[ing] the definition of jihad or sharia or remov[ing] these words from lessons to avoid inconvenient truths."

Sewall complains the word jihad has gone through an "amazing cultural reorchestration" in textbooks, losing any connotation of violence.

"But that is, literally, the translation of jihad," said Reza Aslan, a religion scholar and acclaimed author of "No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam." Aslan explained that the definition does not preclude a militant interpretation.

Sewall's report blames publishing companies for allowing the influence of groups like the California-based Council on Islamic Education to serve throughout the editorial process as "screeners" for textbooks, softening or deleting potentially unflattering topics within the faith.

[Nathan Zachary]

Off with their heads. The Koran cannot be abrogated. Therefore anyone changing a Koranic sura must die. Says so in the koran.

[Randy Papadoo]

Sewall can bark all he wants, and I hope he continues.

But the books are still in the schools.

[ishabibble]

This is one story. There are literally thousands of these, detailing how the Muslims are infiltrating and saturating our culture with their malignant BS. The Muslims need to go home to the sand dunes and leave our children alone.

[Archon of the East]

When truth is suppressed under the disguise of hate speech or even insensitivity then the we have lost.

[wintertime]

ping

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Maryland “Freak State” PING!

[Popman]

It defines "jihad" as a struggle "to do one's best to resist temptation and overcome evil."

[george76]

American Textbook Council

[Clintonfatigued]

This is absurd.

[metmom]

ANOTHER REASON TO HOMESCHOOL

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[taraytarah]

...allowing the influence of groups like the California-based Council on Islamic Education to serve throughout the editorial process as "screeners" for textbooks...

This statement is infuriating top to bottom.

[kingattax]

this is one of the main reason’s why people need to be on their knees praying for america.

[wintertime]

ping

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

I'm glad they weren't doing any of this nonsense when I was a student in that district forty years ago.