February 17, 2006

Textbooks Proselytize for Allah

Muslim organizations have not only used California schools and textbooks to proselytize for Allah, but they now seek to portray other religions through an Islamic prism, claim the modern Jews do not have an historical connection to the nation of Israel, and reintroduce the charge of deicide to American textbooks.

At least three major publishers whose textbooks are under consideration for adoption by the State of California – Ballard & Tighe, Houghton-Mifflin, and McDougal Littell – have enlisted Shabbir Mansuri, Founding Director of Council on Islamic Education (CIE), as content consultant. Publishers shared their pre-print edition of textbooks with CIE, thereby facilitating the sanitizing of Islam before the textbooks made it to the public domain. But that was apparently not enough for CIE; they have submitted an additional set of edits that would help seventh grade Californians understand their respective religions from an Islamic perspective.

Israel-phobia

CIE seems to be a little upset over the usage of the word “Israel” in textbooks, too:

It is important to avoid treating the name “Israel” as the normative designation for territory whose boundaries and claimants have shifted throughout human history. Of course, through proper attribution of their perspectives, textbooks can discuss the importance of this region to various groups in time. Interest groups may seek to advance nationalistic or ideological claims about natural or de facto “ownership” of land, but the state must ensure that educational materials do not do so. [CIEAP – 4, B&T – General comment]
Never mind that the region has been called Israel since the time of Exodus. Yet, the usage of the name Israel should be avoided to prevent “ideological” [read: Jewish] claims of “ownership” of the land. CIE is also upset that a textbook has explained the etymological basis of the word Palestine by deriving it from the Greek cognate Philistia. A proposed edit whines:
It does not mean that the ”Palestine” of today [or Palestinians] are cognate with Philistia or Philistines, just as modern Israel or Israelis [of various racial/ethnic backgrounds] are not cognate with the ancient kingdom of Israel and the Israelites of that time period. [CIEAP – 6; HRW – Item 7, TE 229]
How neat! Even while discussing etymology of the word “Palestine,” CIE thinks that it is essential to deny that the Jews belong to Israel. The obsession to deny the Israeli roots of the Jews is visible in another proposed CIE edit:
For some reason, the suggested [by CRP/IMAP Advisory panel] change emphasizes the geographic placement of the Jewish people as more important than the integrity of their religion and way of life. The change suggests that one is “lost” [in religious terms] if one is geographically displaced rather than if one no longer retains religious beliefs and practices. One wonders if Spanish Jews or American Jews today are ‘lost.’ [CIEAP – 11; MMH – Item 28, TE 366]
Translation: please don't tell them to come to Israel.

Read the entire article on how Muslims are infiltrating our great nation, here.

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