County in Virginia Shuts Down Schools Over Islam Homework

[DonDadda59]

Al-Baghdadi and his boys must be laughing their asses off at us right now. They don't even have to do anything and we're over here chasing our own tails... closing down whole school districts (including the second largest in the country)... Over prank calls and calligraphy.



All schools shut down in Augusta County, Virginia, over Islam homework

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151218023610-virginia-school-calligraphy-homework-assignment-islam-00000908-medium-plus-169.jpg

(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."

Angry calls
When students took it home, it was like a spark hitting a powder keg. Some of their parents saw the homework as an attempt to convert their children to Islam.

Calls and emails flooded the school. Some of them demanded the teacher be fired for assigning it.

Cheryl LaPorte had not designed the assignment herself, but took it from a standard workbook on world religions, local newspaper The News Leader reported.

LaPorte told The News Leader that now her job is to get her students through Standards of Learning tests.

No more shahada

The county school system reacted.

It removed the shahada from world religion instruction. "A different, non-religious sample of Arabic calligraphy will be used in the future," it said.

And it issued a statement saying no one was trying to convert anyone to any religion.

"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. :facepalm

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.

At the same time, former students have taken to Facebook to defend her.

"I'm against anyone getting steamrolled by convoluted logic and I'm very pleased to see that there is so many people around me that feel the same way," a supporter wrote.

Security scramble

Back at the school, the sheriff and administrators had begun worrying about security.

On Monday, Augusta County issued a letter reassuring parents that schools in the county were safe. It did not refer to the homework assignment but did say that parents had become worried about security.

"All doors are locked with the exception of one front door. ... Faculty and staff monitor all activities inside and out of the buildings." Standard security procedures, the letter explained.

But as the week went on, officials got more specific about the source of concern -- calls and email messages -- and their target -- the world geography class.

"The school division began receiving voluminous phone calls and electronic mail locally and from outside the area," the school system said. And the "tone and content" were nasty.

The sheriff deployed more officers to county schools and began monitoring communications. Then all the schools in the county shut down.

Facebook arguments

The homework assignment in Staunton had ballooned into a national argument that was trending on Facebook.

Both sides dished out hard -- those who see the assignment as an affront to their religious beliefs and those who see it as a mind-broadening education assignment.

"This is so WRONG! There is only ONE GOD and HIS NAME is JESUS!" one user posted.

"You THINK ignorance is a GOOD thing!! Heaven forbid we should learn about other cultures when .03% of them are terrorists -- while more than 99% are good, honest, moral people," posted another.

As passions overflow, for fear of their potential effects, Augusta County Schools will remain shuttered over the weekend for all activities.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/18/us/virginia-school-shut-islam-homework/index.html


America is holding the Biggest L heading into 2016. C'mon, America. :facepalm

[SugarHill]

the paranoia is real

[brownmamba00]

:oldlol:

[UK2K]

So... they were instructed to copy:

"There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah."

And you don't see an issue with that? Interesting.

Tell me, if they were instructed to write 'George Bush was the greatest president who ever lived, and every other president sucks', you'd be cool with that too, I'm sure.

Yeah, I'm not religious, but a child should never be told to write that their whatever God they believe in doesn't exist.

[DonDadda59]

So... they were instructed to copy:

"There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah."

And you don't see an issue with that? Interesting.

Tell me, if they were instructed to write 'George Bush was the greatest president who ever lived, and every other president sucks', you'd be cool with that too, I'm sure.

Yeah, I'm not religious, but a child should never be told to write that their whatever God they believe in doesn't exist.

Don't know if they would've shut down all NYC public schools for that one. :lol

[brownmamba00]

So... they were instructed to copy:

"There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah."

And you don't see an issue with that? Interesting.

Tell me, if they were instructed to write 'George Bush was the greatest president who ever lived, and every other president sucks', you'd be cool with that too, I'm sure.

Yeah, I'm not religious, but a child should never be told to write that their whatever God they believe in doesn't exist.
It's just calligraphy you ignorant bitch how is this in any way indoctrinating Islam?:lol :facepalm

[UK2K]

Don't know if they would've shut down all NYC public schools for that one. :lol

Somehow, I doubt something like that would ever make it to the classroom, agreed?

Schools can't have Christmas break anymore because the word Christ, but they can force students to write 'there is no God but Allah' or whatever the **** it said.

No double standard there though, amirite?

[UK2K]

It's just calligraphy you ignorant bitch how is this in any way indoctrinating Islam?:lol :facepalm

Ok, so a picture of a giant Jesus stomping out every other religion's God is just a paint by numbers activity. Nothing wrong with that then, right?

No denying it now, you have no problem with the paint by numbers activity, obviously.

I bet Muhammad would though if his son was in that class.

[Jameerthefear]

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."

why would this be okay?

[MMKM]

Al-Baghdadi and his boys must be laughing their asses off at us right now. They don't even have to do anything and we're over here chasing our own tails... closing down whole school districts (including the second largest in the country)... Over prank calls and calligraphy.


[INDENT]All schools shut down in Augusta County, Virginia, over Islam homework

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/151218023610-virginia-school-calligraphy-homework-assignment-islam-00000908-medium-plus-169.jpg

(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.



wtf is a "standard homework assignment on ISLAM? :biggums:

[DonDadda59]

Somehow, I doubt something like that would ever make it to the classroom, agreed?

Schools can't have Christmas break anymore because the word Christ, but they can force students to write 'there is no God but Allah' or whatever the **** it said.

No double standard there though, amirite?

It was a calligraphy exercise, I doubt either the teacher or the students knew what it even translated to. You (and the ignorant Virgina yokels) act like she had them praying to Mecca or pledging loyalty to ISIS. Little girls being forced to wear burqas. :lol

[UK2K]

It was a calligraphy exercise, I doubt either the teacher or the students knew what it even translated to. You (and the ignorant Virgina yokels) act like she had them praying to Mecca or pledging loyalty to ISIS. Little girls being forced to wear burqas. :lol

So the paint by numbers activity of a giant Jesus stomping out Muhammad is cool then? Since it's just paint, and its not like we are trying to make it seem like Jesus is the most powerful.

I feel like I've asked you this before already.

Skip over the double standard part too, cause there really is no way for you to deny it at this point. Christ is not allowed in Christmas in schools, but there is no God greater than Allah apparently.

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

lol writing and saying words doesn't mean jack sh!t

it's about what u believe in ur heart.

obviously in the academic context ur looking to memorize and educate.

obviously the virginians don't believe it in their heart.

[Jameerthefear]

It was a calligraphy exercise, I doubt either the teacher or the students knew what it even translated to. You (and the ignorant Virgina yokels) act like she had them praying to Mecca or pledging loyalty to ISIS. Little girls being forced to wear burqas. :lol
it's directly against christian faith to pledge allegiance to another religion. this is a majority christian county.

[zoom17]

the paranoia is real

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/2587543/paranoid-tempman-o.gif

[UK2K]

lol writing and saying words doesn't mean jack sh!t

it's about what u believe in ur heart.

obviously in the academic context ur looking to memorize and educate.

obviously the virginians don't believe it in their heart.

If you repeat a lie enough times, it becomes the truth.

Especially to little kids.

[TripleA]

Is this a public school. I thought they didn't teach religion in public schools.
Shutting down all the schools is still pretty ridiculous. I think the teacher should of not made them write the shahada just teach about the religion.

[Jameerthefear]

Is this a public school. I thought they didn't teach religion in public schools.
Shutting down all the schools is still pretty ridiculous. I think the teacher should of not made them write the shahada just teach about the religion.
agreed.
aren't you muslim too?

[imdaman99]

Ok, so a picture of a giant Jesus stomping out every other religion's God is just a paint by numbers activity. Nothing wrong with that then, right?

No denying it now, you have no problem with the paint by numbers activity, obviously.

I bet Muhammad would though if his son was in that class.
The ignorance is strong in this one, he has gotten mad :lol

[DonDadda59]

So the paint by numbers activity of a giant Jesus stomping out Muhammad is cool then? Since it's just paint, and its not like we are trying to make it seem like Jesus is the most powerful.

Me personally, I wouldn't give a f*ck. But how does calligraphy translate to prophet on prophet violence? :wtf:


I feel like I've asked you this before already.

Skip over the double standard part too, cause there really is no way for you to deny it at this point. Christ is not allowed in Christmas in schools, but there is no God greater than Allah apparently.

What double standard? Can you show me an example of an entire school district being closed down because of Christian calligraphy?

I remember in elementary school my teacher made lattkes (tasty as phuck BTW) and had us singing traditional Jewish songs, playing with dreidels when it was near Hannukah.

Don't remember NYC shutting down all Schools in response. :lol

[brownmamba00]

Ok, so a picture of a giant Jesus stomping out every other religion's God is just a paint by numbers activity. Nothing wrong with that then, right?

No denying it now, you have no problem with the paint by numbers activity, obviously.

I bet Muhammad would though if his son was in that class.
Wtf are you talking bout bro

It's a calligraphy exercise so children can learn about different cultures, in this case the Islamic culture. You don't automatically convert to Islam just cause you drew up some lines, it doesn't work like that you xenophobic redneck.

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

it's directly against christian faith to pledge allegiance to another religion. this is a majority christian county.

Actually you bring up a good point.

The first step to becoming Muslim is:
"There is no God But God"

The first step to becoming (some sects of a) Christian is:
"Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?"

That literally accounts for the BULK of the differences.
Yikes. Wouldn't it be cool if it was one and the same but lost in translation?

What if, in Islamic narrative, this minor blip was the reason why SUrah Ikhlas: "Say Allah, He is One, the One all creation depends upon, He has neither begotten nor been begot, and there is none quite like Him." came to rectify that a man attributed to Divinity; just like how Christianity came to stop the corruption that Jews did as they transgressed their law through debauchery?

But still all 3 were fundamentally the same?

That's 1.5 billion + 2 billion + 6 million... United. On the same wavelength.

Hmmm?

[DonDadda59]

Wtf are you talking bout bro

It's a calligraphy exercise so children can learn about different cultures, in this case the Islamic culture. You don't automatically convert to Islam just cause you drew up some lines, it doesn't work like that you xenophobic redneck.

To be fair to UK, after my elementary school teacher indoctrinated us into the Jewish faith... First thing I did the next day was put on a yarmulke and started studying for my Bar Mitzvah.

That's why they make sure to get them young.

[Jameerthefear]

Actually you bring up a good point.

The first step to becoming Muslim is:
"There is no God But God"

The first step to becoming (some sects of a) Christian is:
"Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?"

That literally accounts for the BULK of the differences.
Yikes. Wouldn't it be cool if it was one and the same but lost in translation?

What if, in Islamic narrative, this minor blip was the reason why SUrah Ikhlas: "Say Allah, He is One, the One all creation depends upon, He has neither begotten nor been begot, and there is none quite like Him." came to rectify that a man attributed to Divinity; just like how Christianity came to stop the corruption that Jews did as they transgressed their law through debauchery?

But still all 3 were fundamentally the same?

That's 1.5 billion + 2 billion + 6 million... United. On the same wavelength.

Hmmm?
True. I don't hate Muslims at all. I think I've only ever met one so how could I hate them? :confusedshrug:

[Jameerthefear]

Wtf are you talking bout bro

It's a calligraphy exercise so children can learn about different cultures, in this case the Islamic culture. You don't automatically convert to Islam just cause you drew up some lines, it doesn't work like that you xenophobic redneck.
you must have not grown up religious. to non-religious people it wouldn't be a big deal but to religious ones it is. if you went to a majority muslim country and told them to write and say God/Jesus is their only savior and the only true God there would be issues too.

[UK2K]

Wtf are you talking bout bro

It's a calligraphy exercise so children can learn about different cultures, in this case the Islamic culture. You don't automatically convert to Islam just cause you drew up some lines, it doesn't work like that you xenophobic redneck.

And if this was a simple paint by numbers activity of a picture of Jesus stomping Muhammad, that'd be cool, right?

This is now the third time I've asked you for an answer.

It's not a trick question, I promise, I'd just like to see if your defense of religion is consistent or not. I feel like it isn't. If it was, you would have answered me the first time I asked.

[UK2K]

Me personally, I wouldn't give a f*ck. But how does calligraphy translate to prophet on prophet violence? :wtf:



What double standard? Can you show me an example of an entire school district being closed down because of Christian calligraphy?

I remember in elementary school my teacher made lattkes (tasty as phuck BTW) and had us singing traditional Jewish songs, playing with dreidels when it was near Hannukah.

Don't remember NYC shutting down all Schools in response. :lol

I can show you where the word Christ was omitted from the word Christmas in schools, yet instructing students to repeat Allah is the only God is cool?

And you don't see the double standard in that? At all?

Cool story, bro.

[DonDadda59]

I can show you where the word Christ was omitted from the word Christmas in schools, yet instructing students to repeat Allah is the only God is cool?

And you don't see the double standard in that? At all?

Cool story, bro.

Yahweh=Jehovah=God=Allah (Ahura Mazda was the original model)

All the same dude. You believe in one, you believe in all.

The only difference lies in who you believe is his prophet, son, messiah, etc.

[KyrieTheFuture]

So... they were instructed to copy:

"There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah."

And you don't see an issue with that? Interesting.

Tell me, if they were instructed to write 'George Bush was the greatest president who ever lived, and every other president sucks', you'd be cool with that too, I'm sure.

Yeah, I'm not religious, but a child should never be told to write that their whatever God they believe in doesn't exist.
Don't they still have to do the pledge of allegiance? Which for some weird reason means believing in Christian God

[oarabbus]

Ok Virginia is dumb and backwards as hell for shutting down the district over this....


but let's be real, the assignment should not require kids to write "Allah is the true god" or whatever. When I had assignments on Islam in public school it was like "what book do they follow, how many times a day are they supposed to pray, what is the name of the holy city in Saudi Arabia, what is the name of their prophet" shit like that...

I would not have wanted to do an assignment that made me write "Christ is the true son of god and we must all have faith in Jesus" so it's only fair there aren't assignments that make you write "There is no god but Allah"

[Jameerthefear]

Don't they still have to do the pledge of allegiance? Which for some weird reason means believing in Christian God
no one is required to, no.

[UK2K]

Don't they still have to do the pledge of allegiance? Which for some weird reason means believing in Christian God

They aren't required to say the Pledge of Allegiance to pass the class.

Try again.

[UK2K]

Ok Virginia is dumb and backwards as hell for shutting down the district over this....


but let's be real, the assignment should not require kids to write "Allah is the true god" or whatever. When I had assignments on Islam in public school it was like "what book do they follow, how many times a day are they supposed to pray, what is the name of the holy city in Saudi Arabia, what is the name of their prophet" shit like that...

I would not have wanted to do an assignment that made me write "Christ is the true son of god and we must all have faith in Jesus" so it's only fair there aren't assignments that make you write "There is no god but Allah"

Have no problem with that at all. Its important to learn about the world, especially one that is different from the one you have grown up in.

Truthfully, DD knows the kids shouldn't have been made to write that (or draw it if he wants to keep screaming the calligraphy argument), but he just won't say it, cause it gives him an excuse to try and call others bigots, etc.

All in an attempt to get that daily liberal buzz word award.

I know it was wrong, he knows it was wrong, but where I can admit it, his 'side' won't let him do the same. Which is why he's ignored my question three times now.

[brownmamba00]

you must have not grown up religious. to non-religious people it wouldn't be a big deal but to religious ones it is. if you went to a majority muslim country and told them to write and say God/Jesus is their only savior and the only true God there would be issues too.
My family are all conservative sunni muslims.

It's not that big of a deal that the gov should feel the need to shut down the school and fire the teacher.

[DonDadda59]

Have no problem with that at all. Its important to learn about the world, especially one that is different from the one you have grown up in.

Truthfully, DD knows the kids shouldn't have been made to write that (or draw it if he wants to keep screaming the calligraphy argument), but he just won't say it, cause it gives him an excuse to try and call others bigots, etc.

All in an attempt to get that daily liberal buzz word award.

I know it was wrong, he knows it was wrong, but where I can admit it, his 'side' won't let him do the same. Which is why he's ignored my question three times now.

:lol

Can you at least admit how ridiculously over the top of an overreaction it is to shut down an entire school district over calligraphy?

[Jameerthefear]

My family are all conservative sunni muslims.

It's not that big of a deal that the gov should feel the need to shut down the school and fire the teacher.
well i think everyone here agrees with that

[brownmamba00]

And if this was a simple paint by numbers activity of a picture of Jesus stomping Muhammad, that'd be cool, right?

This is now the third time I've asked you for an answer.

It's not a trick question, I promise, I'd just like to see if your defense of religion is consistent or not. I feel like it isn't. If it was, you would have answered me the first time I asked.
It's simple calligraphy...not a violent drawing of Muhammad or Jesus. Can't you see the difference? Are you that dense?

[KyrieTheFuture]

They aren't required to say the Pledge of Allegiance to pass the class.

Try again.
Wasn't trying to be an ass dude, legit question. I was sent to the principals office multiple times for refusing to do the pledge so I suppose they've changed that.

[Akrazotile]

Al-Baghdadi and his boys must be laughing their asses off at us right now. They don't even have to do anything and we're over here chasing our own tails... closing down whole school districts (including the second largest in the country)... Over prank calls and calligraphy.



What do you mean 'we'?

Youre on their side.

:coleman:

[DonDadda59]

What do you mean 'we'?

Youre on their side.

:coleman:

Oh shit, cover's blown!

I admit it. I'm the one who created that calligraphy template. Down with America. Down with Jesus!

Allahu Akbar!

[UK2K]

It's simple calligraphy...not a violent drawing of Muhammad or Jesus. Can't you see the difference? Are you that dense?
And the confederate flag was just a piece of cloth.

But thats offensive.

It's just anything if you are defending it.

[UK2K]

Wasn't trying to be an ass dude, legit question. I was sent to the principals office multiple times for refusing to do the pledge so I suppose they've changed that.
In that case, correct.

It was mandatory when I was in school as well. Not anymore.

[highwhey]

:lol

Can you at least admit how ridiculously over the top of an overreaction it is to shut down an entire school district over calligraphy?
Seriously. As a student, I'd be ecstatic to have the day off but still, what the hell were they thinking?

Man, this country is going backwards. We used to have fights, students throwing chairs at faculty, etc and school was never once threatened to be shut down. Calligraphy?

District faculty is on edge.

[Dresta]

Public schooling :facepalm

[jongib369]

https://youtu.be/gNtnN_DiP3o

[LJJ]

It's simple calligraphy...not a violent drawing of Muhammad or Jesus. Can't you see the difference? Are you that dense?


lol writing and saying words doesn't mean jack sh!t

You guys are being a little coy here. You know better that. You know that a person declaring the shahada is deeply significant in Islam. In most Muslim countries they will never let you marry a Muslim without declaring that phrase in front of an Imam, because that's how you convert and declare yourself to be a Muslim. It's a very significant religious event.

It's the same as letting all the Muslim kids get baptised and have them declare Jesus is their lord and saviour for "Christian class". Just so they can understand some Christian symbolism. Sure, you can say it's "meaningless unless they truly believe it", but it's an extremely meaningful and significant religious act you tricked people into doing. You can teach kids about religion impartially in a better way.

I don't agree with all the hysteria and outrage over what is clearly an ignorant mistake by a moronic teacher, but don't come in here with that "it's just a simple calligraphy and doesn't mean anything" BS.

[bdreason]

Separation of church and state. They aren't allowed to recite the Pledge of Allegiance anymore because it has the word "God" in it, so I don't see why they should be allowed study Islamic literature.

[oarabbus]

Hey, guess what? You just wrote all of those things and the world didn't end.


Yes, and I would have written it had I been the student in the class too, and the world wouldn't have ended then either.

But just because I don't care about writing those words, doesn't mean I don't understand why other people would have an issue with their kids doing that assignment in a public school.

[TheMan]

I could see both sides of this issue.

On one side, it's just Arabic calligraphy and the kids wouldn't even understand it (unless it's translated to English...)

But why did it have to say that precisely Islamic religious proclamation? "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger...".

Why couldn't it just say something nuetral like "Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions in the world" or something like that?

I really doubt any Islamic state would teach it's students any other world religion, much less make them write something like "Jesus Christ is part of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit..." :lol

I think they overreacted but is anyone surprised? I mean it's in hillbilly country :oldlol:

[DonDadda59]

I could see both sides of this issue.

On one side, it's just Arabic calligraphy and the kids wouldn't even understand it (unless it's translated to English...

But why did it have to say that precisely Islamic relegious proclamation? "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger...".

Why couldn't it just say something like "Islam is one of the Abrahamic religions in the world" or something like that?

I really doubt any Islamic state would teach it's students any other world religion, much less make them write something like "Jesus Christ is part of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit..." :lol

I think they overreacted but is anyone surprised? I mean it's in hillbilly country :oldlol:

When you have to ask the question- What would the Islamic State do? Then you are truly lost as a nation.

Donald Trump FTW. :facepalm

[oarabbus]

When you have to ask the question- What would the Islamic State do? Then you are truly lost as a nation.

Donald Trump FTW. :facepalm


Yeah... I'm gonna go ahead and say "The Islamic State would/wouldn't do that" is entirely the wrong line of reasoning.

[pauk]

So... they were instructed to copy:

"There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah."

And you don't see an issue with that? Interesting.

Tell me, if they were instructed to write 'George Bush was the greatest president who ever lived, and every other president sucks', you'd be cool with that too, I'm sure.

Yeah, I'm not religious, but a child should never be told to write that their whatever God they believe in doesn't exist.

Would it be less of an issue if the translation was more correct & clarified? I mean that translation (arabic into english) is very wrong simply because of the "Allah".

"There is no god but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God" is the correct arabic into english translation.

Saying in whole english text "Allah" can confuse people (non-muslims or those who lack islam knowledgable obviously) into believing it being some different God than what a Christian or Jew believes in....

"Allah" = Arabic word for God, there is no different god called "Allah", this is a word, a word that existed long before Islam... its the same exact Abrahamic God Christians & Jews believe in, Islam is an Abrahamic religion... not some hindu, buddhist, taoist thing.... in the Koran God ("Allah") speaks of Adam and Eve... Jesus... 100% of all the prophets in Bible & Torah.... its no different God... sorry! Even Arabic Christians call God "Allah" / the entire Arabic Bible has "Allah" written allover the place, doesnt mean they are muslims... Christian Arabs can even say "Allah Akbar" meaning "God is greater" / "God is the greatest"..... "Allah" is language, that word has existed long before Islam.... the same word used by Christians and Jews (and those who were to become Muslims later) centuries before Islam came. Even on page one of Genesis in the Old Testament you will find word "Allah" seventeen times, if you get close to a Bible next time, open it and read the introduction, you will find samples of the different languages they have translated, for Arabic they have translated the verse in the New Testament in Arabic from the famous verse in the Gospel John 3:16 for example.

"Muhammad is the messenger of God" = Proclaims the prophet/messenger who was essential behind the establishment of Islam, because it is an Islamic creed it outsets with him, the list of names/messengers would be very freaking long.... i mean he is not the ONLY prophet/messenger of God or Islams principles themselves (Jesus is one of them for example) nor should this confuse you into believing Islam weighs one as better than any other Abrahamic Prophet, Muhammad himself said: "Do not give me preference to other prophets..."
The Islamic creed could very well say instead "Jesus is the messenger of God" without any problems at all....

I think when you start to learn/teach about Islam those two things above are the FIRST things you need to learn/teach.... you cant just go "Hey, we are talking about Islam today, well, first of all, Allah is their god"........ horribly wrong..... then you might aswell continue with "...and this Allah dude was said to have 10000 hands, three toes, five tails" and then get fired hopefully...

[sundizz]

Honestly though, isn't this why progress is soooo fast in this decade. I mean it took thousands of years for us to get to where we were in 1960 (basically the world believed in a free society at that point).

Since then it has been increasingly more open minded etc. And now, since the smartphone took off (around 2006) and people can complain about stuff in a microsecond the amount of progress on these minor issues is so quick.

We are the safest the world has ever been.
We are the most tolerant.
We are the most economically well off.
We have the highest standard of living.

Pretty much we are utopia compared to every other moment in the history of our mankind.

Yet, now we are so connected that even tiny screws up like this catch fire and get corrected in days rather than months/years/decades. This overly PC world is good for now...but eventually people will get over it.

I can see the shift now - most "educated" people use social media a lot differently nowadays (before just wild anonymous internet comments). We'll get back to a less PC society in a decade or two when people get over to the "newness" of being able to instantly respond.

[ace23]

If you consider what the drawing actually says, of course people are going to have a problem with it...as people would with any religion's "statement of faith". I personally don't but yeah that probably shouldn't be assigned in a public school.

[NumberSix]

Let's not act like lib-tards wouldn't be going batshit crazy, getting the ACLU involved and filing lawsuits if it had been Latin calligraphy saying "Jesus is our lord and saviour and eternal life can only be attained through him". I mean, it doesn't even have to be that much. It could just be "merry Christmas" or drawing reindeer and these fcuks will go mental.

[oh the horror]

Let's not act like lib-tards wouldn't be going batshit crazy, getting the ACLU involved and filing lawsuits if it had been Latin calligraphy saying "Jesus is our lord and saviour and eternal life can only be attained through him". I mean, it doesn't even have to be that much. It could just be "merry Christmas" or drawing reindeer and these fcuks will go mental.



I'm pretty sure that religion was actually being forced upon people that didn't actively practice it throughout history. This is why a lot of you dudes here get made fun of because you're ignorant.



This story is ridiculous and our country is depressingly stupid.



Let's be real. I guarantee 99.9 percent of those chuckleheads in Virginia had no idea what that text even said initially. They just saw the language and the words "Islam" and they lost their damn minds.

[NumberSix]

I'm pretty sure that religion was actually being forced upon people that didn't actively practice it throughout history. This is why a lot of you dudes here get made fun of because you're ignorant.
Can you try writing this coherently? I don't know what the hell this is supposed to mean.

[longtime lurker]

And the Us continues to show itself as a country of morons. From my understanding it was a religion class, what hell do you expect the kids to learn? It just goes to show that America is descending into a country of close minded bigots. Kids should be expanding their horizons in the class room.

[NumberSix]

And the Us continues to show itself as a country of morons. From my understanding it was a religion class, what hell do you expect the kids to learn? It just goes to show that America is descending into a country of close minded bigots. Kids should be expanding their horizons in the class room.
We get it. You hate America.