Posted on 12/24/2008 5:24:45 AM PST by Kaslin
I recently read a book that deserves the widest possible readership: "The Trouble with Textbooks -- Distorting History and Religion," by Gary A. Tobin and Dennis R. Ybarra. I never have met or talked with either of these gentlemen, but I can't say enough good things about this book. For all who believe that there is a fairly objective rendition of history that we are obliged to teach our children, this book reveals how shockingly far from that objective American education -- particularly in schools' textbooks -- has fallen.
In their conclusion, the authors quote the great historian of Islam Bernard Lewis' observation concerning the willful bending of history: "We live in a time when great efforts have been made, and continue to be made, to falsify the record of the past and to make history a tool of propaganda; when governments, religious movements, political parties, and sectional groups of every kind are busy rewriting history as they wish it to have been, as they would like their followers to believe that it was."
I discuss some of the findings of Tobin and Ybarra's study in my latest book ("American Grit -- What It Will Take To Survive and Win in the 21st Century"), which will be released Jan. 12. "The Trouble with Textbooks" identifies a system of self-censorship and cultural equivalence that "celebrates everybody and omits many unpleasant historic facts."
The grievance group that has become particularly adept at influencing textbook publishing is the organized Muslim lobby. The founder of the Council on Islamic Education, the chief Islamic group for vetting textbooks in the United States, refers to his work as a "bloodless revolution inside American junior high and high school classrooms."
He is, regrettably, right. While these days one may expect "sensitive deference" to Muslim sensitivities, the authors show how American textbooks have gone so far as to outright proselytize Islam.
As "The Trouble with Textbooks" shows, textbooks relate Christian and Jewish religious traditions as stories attributed to some source (for example, "According to the New Testament "), while Islamic traditions are related as indisputable historical facts. The authors cite the textbook "Holt World History," where one can read that Moses "claimed to receive the Ten Commandments from god," but "Mohammed simply 'received' the Koran from God." The textbook "Pearson's World Civilizations" instructs that Jesus of Nazareth is "believed by Christians to be the Messiah" -- which would be a fine comparative religion study observation if the book didn't also disclose that Muhammad "received revelations from Allah."
"The Trouble with Textbooks" is filled with such shocking examples. It also reports on a textbook ("McDougal Littell World Cultures and Geography") that relates that "Judaism is a story of exile" and that "Christians believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah" but that the Quran "is the collection of God's revelations to Muhammad." As "The Trouble with Textbooks" makes only too clear, one instance perhaps could be overlooked, but in fact, there is a consistent malicious practice of Islam -- and only Islam -- being described as historical truth in numerous prominent public-school textbooks. In those textbooks, Christianity and Judaism equally as consistently are described as mere notions of their believers.
I have no problem with religions being taught in public-school textbooks on a comparative basis. But to see Islam alone taught as the "truth" is an outrage. This is only one small part of the assault on truth in textbooks by organized Muslim special pleaders that is analyzed in the book "The Trouble with Textbooks." As you might expect, there are constant examples of American textbooks describing recent Israeli/Palestinian history in a manner consistent with the late Yasser Arafat's version rather than anything approaching honest and accurate history.
I understand that perfect objectivity in the study of history is never possible. And it would not surprise anyone that each country tends to teach its children its history -- and the history of the world -- in a manner that makes the country look better than it perhaps is. What is particularly galling in this report on American textbooks is that a fraction of the 5 million or so Muslims in America are winning the battle for textbook writing against the interest and tradition of the 275 million or so Judeo-Christian Americans.
"The Trouble with Textbooks" is a wake-up call to the parents of America to fight back to reinsert the truth of our history in our children's textbooks and classrooms. Is it too much to ask that in American schools our traditions and faith not be denigrated but rather get equal treatment with other faiths and traditions?
Funny, I was scheduled to be on “Fox and Friends” yesterday to discuss the history book on Islam, and got bumped for the water main break. But likely I’ll be back next Wed., as I now seem to have a regular weekly slot analyzing textbook bias.
Nothing could be farther from the truth in"publik" schools. Besides if kids were really taught history do you think Barry would have been elected?
That is great news. I feel like I just got an early Christmas present.
How the democrats control over EDUCATION in league with the NEA .. has caused the total dumbing down of America’s youth.
This control is another reason home schooling has become so popular. It’s my belief the home schoolers are now arriving on college campuses .. and are now the ones who are reviving the Young Republicans all over the country.
Homeschool ping.
jihad
“Indeed, the latter will tell you at the end of the day that global jihad is all your fault. Western colonialism, imperialism, and institutional racism. Of course, that is not the common language of the mujahideen. Yes, some will take up the Palestinian gripe or the presence of US infidels in Saudi Arabia or Iraq. But that is not a common theme. The only common threat doctrine they all espouse is Shariah and its law of jihad. And, you need not take our word for this. The facts as evidence exists independently of what we say. It is found in the polemics and political tracts of Hamas, al Qaeda, Khomeini, Dow Jones Shariah authority Mufti Taqi Usmani, and many many others.”
from (thanks to Robert Spencer for the link)...
...others including education by revisionist historians.
above link from here...
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/024050.php#comments
Thanks for posting, Kaslin. Great article by Tony Blankley.
OUTSTANDING!
Go Gators!!!
Excellent! I have enjoyed your analyses on previous appearances. Looking forward to more.
I never really understood the extent of the re-writing of history until ablut 5 or 6 years ago when I undertook to acquaint myself with Civil War history. Instead of reading history books I went online and found that newspaper articles are available back to the 1850s. I decided that any article I read would always come from 2 or more sources (always at least one Northern and one Southern). By reading both accounts I could filter the bias and get the real story. An awful lot of what the schools taught me was just wrong. I have never trusted the accounts of historians (propagandans) since. The line that goes “History is written by the victors” could not be more spot on.
I extended my reading to the post-Civil War period until about 1882 or ‘83. Wow, what a different story than the history books.
bookmark
The Marxist had this figured out long ago. Who ever controls education controls the next generation of voters.
Our nation is in BIG trouble and conservatives continue to send their own children to these indoctrination camps. They refuse to set up free alternatives to draw as many children as possible out of these government schools,...and...Some conservatives ( even here on Free Republic) defend government K-12 schools.
Pearson (Prentice Hall) may still be a UK based company. Holt is headquartered in Austin, TX - verrry lib, especially for TX.
I have not found your book yet. I have not tried online, as I usually buy from one of my local bookstores. I did see one in the American History section.
I have noticed that in the last week or so that the FNC has been replaced with the Weather Channel. That MIGHT be because of the cold fronts.
My grandson visited from Idaho this summer and we took a daytrip to DC. Showed him all the sights. Jefferson Memorial...yawn, Capital...ho hum, Washington Monument...ok, Lincoln Memorial...Bingo. “This is Where MLK made his speech.” “That’s where all the people stood” blah, blah, blaah. The only thing he knew about our history at all is that MLK made that damned speech.
My oldest grandson delights in tormenting his Social Studies teachers on the truth. They seem to be the most liberal - plus one English teacher. He is upset this year that his Government teacher won't reveal her preferences, and/or argue with him.
There are several things conservatives could do.
1) They could join together as a block when donating money to colleges and universities. Perhaps a conservative educational foundation could be set up. The conservative would donate to this foundation rather than to his alma mater directly. In this way, conservatives, by donating larger sums of money, could have far more influence over college curriculum and who is hired at these colleges and universities.
2) Conservatives should start private education foundations that would sponsor individual conservative teachers. The teachers could set up inexpensive one room school houses, mini-schools, and homeschool cooperatives. The foundations could certify the teacher, the curriculum, and test the students. The brick and mortar school should be abandoned. It is expensive and far too prison-like.
3) Conservatives should work to set up private team sporting leagues, or encourage communities to move all sports to the county parks and recreation departments. Team Sports is a government school monopoly and generates support for the government schools in the community.
4) If Harvard can have a 35 BILLION dollar endowment, conservatives could do the same for K-12 education. Instead, conservatives sit like slowly warming frogs in a pot of warming Marxist stew!
1) The Founding Fathers were slaveowners and Jefferson slept with Sally Hemmings.
2) We committed genocide against Indians.
3) Everyone in the South had slaves, and beat them mercilessly, then Lincoln freed the slaves.
4) Harriet Tubman is one of the most significant Americans. Ever.
5) Frederick Douglass is one of the most significant Americans. Ever.
6) Sojournor Truth is one of the most significant Americans. Ever.
7) The Supreme Court made a brilliant decision in Brown v Board of Education.
8) Emmett Till was brutally killed.
9) Medgar Evers was brutally killed.
10) Martin Luther Kind led the Civil Rights struggle.
11) Martin Luther King is one of the most significant Americans. Ever.
12) Kwanzaa is an important American holiday.
That about covers it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.