Imagine browsing Facebook one day and discovered a
photograph of your 14-year-old daughter wearing a burqa – at
school.
That’s exactly what happened to a parent in Lumberton, Tex.
She asked me not to disclose her identity because she fears
for her daughter’s safety.
Her daughter’s world geography class was supposed to be
learning about the continents. Instead, they were given a
tutorial in Islam – complete with authentic Muslim garments.
Some of the young ladies were photographed – and the image
has now gone viral.
The students were told the purpose of the class was to
change their perceptions of Islam. They were instructed to
no longer call those who commit terrorist attacks
terrorists. Instead, the Muslim terrorists were to be called
freedom fighters.
They were also assigned to write an essay based on a Washington
Post story that blamed Egypt’s troubles on democracy –
instead of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“I am outraged,” the angry mom told me. “I felt my blood
pressure go through my head.”
The parent said she was not even aware of the lesson until
she discovered the Facebook photograph.
“As parents we should have been made aware this,” she said.
“I felt like the line had been crossed.”
The parents said they immediately contacted the principal
of the high school who defended the program and said it was
required under CSCOPE – a controversial electronic
curriculum system that provides online lesson plans for
teachers.
“The principal told me it was world geography and they have
to learn this stuff,” she said. I called Janice VanCleave, a
vocal critic of the CSCOPE program and the founder of Texas
CSCOPE Review. She said the education program is without
question promoting the Islamic religion – and students are
not given the full story.
“They are not telling students how these young women are
treated in this religion,” she told me. “In the Islamic
countries women are not treated well at all.”
Last month, evidence was presented at a state hearing
showing that CSCOPE offered a number of lessons about Islam.
One particular lesson instructed teachers to provide
classroom readings of selected texts from the Koran.
Students were also taught that Allah is God.
CSCOPE offered no comparable lessons on Christianity or
Judaism, VanCleave told Fox News.
“I do think CSCOPE promotes the Islamic religion,” she
said. “I don’t think it’s right to be proselytizing the
Islamic religion in our schools.”
She’s got a point.
Imagine for just a moment the school directing Muslim
children to dress up like priests – or pretend to be
baptized in a pool of water.
