All schools shut down in Augusta County, Virginia, over Islam homework By Ben Brumfield, CNN Updated 1320 GMT (2120 HKT) December 18, 2015 (CNN)After a teacher at a Virginia school handed out a standard homework assignment on Islam, such an angry backlash flooded in that it prompted officials to close every single school in the county as a safety precaution. "While there has been no specific threat of harm to students, schools and school offices will be closed Friday, December 18, 2015," Augusta County Schools said. Extracurricular activities were shut down Thursday afternoon. And social media exploded over the school lesson -- a simple drawing assignment -- into a caustic discussion about religion and education. Draw this When the world geography class at Riverheads High School in Staunton rolled around to the subject of major world religions, homework on Islam asked students to copy religious calligraphy. It read: "Here is the shahada, the Islamic statement of faith, written in Arabic. In the space below, try copying it by hand. This should give you an idea of the artistic complexity of calligraphy." The illustrative classical Arabic phrase was the basic statement in Islam. It translated to: "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah." "Neither of these lessons, nor any other lessons in the world geography course, are an attempt at indoctrination to Islam or any other religion or a request for students to renounce their own faith or profess any belief," Augusta County Schools official Eric Bond said in a statement to CNN affiliate WHSV. Not enough But that hasn't been enough for Kimberly Herndon, who kept her ninth-grade son home from school. "There was no trying about it. The sheet she gave out was pure doctrine in its origin," she told WHSV. "I will not have my children sit under a woman who indoctrinates them with the Islam religion when I am a Christian," she said.By Tuesday, like-minded parents and residents of the town of nearly 24,000 gathered in the sanctuary of Good Will Ministries to voice their grievances, including against the teacher. As passions overflow, for fear of their potential effects, Augusta County Schools will remain shuttered over the weekend for all activities.
Would they assign them to copy a Confederate flag? Nope, firing offense for the teacher. Would they assign them to copy a Cross? Or even allow them to bring a Bible to school? Nope, the religious bigots at the ACLU would be all over them. How about drawing an AR-15? That will get you expelled and earn you visit from the cops. Being forced to write or say phrases from an alien religion is ok though. It's all about desensitizing them to islam and getting them to think of it as normal and equal to Christianity.
I don't know what they are complaining about, "There is no other god than Allah." Same thing we Jews have been saying long before Mohammed ever fucked his first dog and Christians have been saying for two thousand years. At least we all agree there is only One God (how could it be otherwise?) Welcome to the party. I don't know about you, but I have better things to fight about other than what to call God. I just call him George, but if you want to call him Allah that's cool.
Teacher's & Coaches are being dropped like flies all over this nation when they openly display any Christian symbol, prayer, etc.
didn't the communists already try this once in the old Soviet Union? I use to donate money to people who smuggled Bibles in there upon penalty of death. Hard to wipe out a belief. And the same goes for moslems. live and let live I always say. Just don't hurt anybody.
Oh, so that's what they want to do. Remind me to tell that to my muslim neighbor from Indonesia. His name is Mohammed, but everybody just calls him Moe. He's a good guy and treats his wife and children well, but I will confront him when he is least expecting it and accuse him of trying to control the world. Then what?
Islamophobia is out of hand, but I don't think kids at a public school should be asked to write a religious declaration in a mandatory assignment.
I have a problem with the way this term "islamaphobia" is being thrown around so easily. It implies that less than full acceptance of islam is a form of mental disorder. A phobia after all is an irrational fear of something harmless. But islam is far from harmless. Where it goes, violence follows. It is anything but tolerant and pluralistic, core American values last time I looked. I know many muslims and have had very good relations with them. In many ways I share a lot more in the way of values with them than I do the average liberal. The problem is, when they reach a fairly low critical mass in a country, bad things begin to happen. It is not an accident or a mystery. They are just following the dictates of their religion. The people who say otherwise are either ignorant or lying.