P C religion

Report: Maryland Textbooks on Islamic Teachings Dumbed Down

A textbook monitoring group said that Maryland middle and high school students will be required to read about Islamic teachings that have been dumbed down and are products of political correctness.

According to the New York Examiner, a new report issued by the American Textbook Council said that administrators who approved books for use in the Montgomery County school district caved into pressure by pro-Islamic groups seeking to present a less violent interpretation of Islam.

Gilbert Sewall, director of the council, stated that, for example, the definition of jihad has gone through "amazing cultural reorchestration" in textbooks, losing any connotation of violence, the Examiner wrote.

Other terms, such as sharia law, have been adjusted or removed from lessons to avoid what he called "inconvenient truths."

Montgomery County Public Schools defended the decision to use the books, saying in a statement that all texts used by teachers had been properly vetted and were appropriate for classroom uses.

I have to weigh in here on two issues. One as you may know, I believe that Political correctness is the worst kind of Fascism out there. Regulation of speech when it comes to ideas or opinions, however repulsive, is just wrong and a slippery slope to regulation of political speech. ( oh wait, McCain/Fiengold already does that).

The second and probably the most contentious is that I believe that religion SHOULD be taught in schools, but all of them and in the context as how they relate to the cultures they derived from. Religion has done more to shape our world and our political beliefs than any other factor. It has dictated what is and isn't acceptable in society and has guided kings and governments for recorded history. You can learn a lot about a people and a culture by learning how and why they worship.

Now, I am not saying that we should candy coat any of these studies, and they should all be taught only in Social Studies. Present them with a balanced approach showing the good and the bad that has been done in the name of religion. The purpose is to educate, not indoctrinate for or against any particular belief. Kids aren't stupid, but as with any person, you tell them something enough times and with conviction, you can get them to believe anything. It's time our schools were used for the purpose they were intended for, to educate out children so they can compete in today's world.