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

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

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

(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.

[smilesammich 10,727]

real close to home, and sounds about right. STOOPID.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Damn shame the hate is so strong people are fearing for their lives.

[smilesammich 10,727]

Damn shame the hate is so strong people are fearing for their lives.

its probably just a handful of christian parents who are worried that by their children writing a islamic passage or whatever in arabic (which has always been a normal part of world religious studies) that their brains will be consumed with isis and their precious sunbeams will no longer love jesus.

these are people who should not send their children to secular public schools.

[Darnell 8,479]

back to hate?

why not refusal of acculturation, instead? Don't need hate to feed that fire, you betcha !

PS - what news from the Sharia Council of Augusta County ?

[smilesammich 10,727]

back to hate?

why not refusal of acculturation, instead? Don't need hate to feed that fire, you betcha !

PS - what news from the Sharia Council of Augusta County ?

considering it's the angry christian parents threatening the school? ironic isn't it.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

back to hate?

why not refusal of acculturation, instead? Don't need hate to feed that fire, you betcha !

PS - what news from the Sharia Council of Augusta County ?

Because they're ignorant and act in the same way they THINK Muslims act like.

[Darnell 8,479]

Refusal of acculturation... come on fellas - it's sublime, that joke...

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Refusal of acculturation... come on fellas - it's sublime, that joke...

We know, too bad those parents can't think outside the box.

[The Nature Boy 7,659]

And the rest of the story is they were being asked to draw.."there is no God but Allah.

The parents had every right to be livid , and if they had been asked to put in Hebrew , Jesus is the only path to heaven" the ACLU would be up thier but and rightly so.

The CNN PC fluff piece does not tell even half the frigging story. Total BS

And shame on anyone who would endorse this

A simple drawing assignment and standard homework..

SMH

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

And the rest of the story is they were being asked to draw.."there is no God but Allah.

The parents had every right to be livid , and if they had been asked to put in Hebrew , Jesus is the only path to heaven" the ACLU would be up thier but and rightly so.

The CNN PC fluff piece does not tell even half the frigging story. Total BS

And shame on anyone who would endorse this

So what? If you write that, does it mean you're going to be come indoctrinated into Islam?

When has writing it in Hebrew been an issue?

Just to point out, you just typed it out above, do you feel the need to join ISIS?

Edited December 18, 2015 by Stay Woke

[smilesammich 10,727]

And the rest of the story is they were being asked to draw.."there is no God but Allah.

The parents had every right to be livid , and if they had been asked to put in Hebrew , Jesus is the only path to heaven" the ACLU would be up thier but and rightly so.

The CNN PC fluff piece does not tell even half the frigging story. Total BS

And shame on anyone who would endorse this

A simple drawing assignment and standard homework..

SMH

omg. you need to do some serious research about the whole story. if you don't like the cnn bit, i don't blame you. try reading some of the local stories on it - or the washington post.

it wasn't even homework. wasnt a 'drawing assignment' SMH.

[smilesammich 10,727]

Some parents were outraged at what they saw as an attempt to proselytize Islam in a public school, a concern that has been echoed by parents in districts across the country over lessons about Islam. In Tennessee, there has been an uproar over teaching about Islam and ancient Islamic civilization to middle schoolers, prompting state lawmakers to consider legislation limiting the teaching of world religions to high schoolers,according to the Tennessean. A parent in Fairfax County, Va., also reported what she found to be inappropriate lessons about Islam at a school there last year.

But experts say that teaching about religion is critical in public schools as religion — including Islam — is essential to understanding everything from ancient history to current events. Religious literacy has taken on an especially important role now, as religion has become a regular part of political rhetoric in part because of fears of terrorism linked to jihad. That makes it even more important for schools to teach about it, experts say.To be an educated person, to be a citizen, to be part of the global conversation, to be engaged in our world, religious literacy is essential,” said Charles C. Haynes, the vice president of the Newseum Institute and the Religious Freedom Center. “More important than that is how are we going to live with one another in one of the most religiously diverse society in the world without understanding one another?”

As Islamophobia has risen along with terrorism concerns, learning about the religion can only help students — and society — understand Islam and its role in the world.

“I think it’s clear from history that fear and ignorance create intolerance and hate,” Haynes said. “The root problem here of many of the hostile things we see in our culture is lack of education about religions.”

In Augusta County, Va., one parent’s recent post on Facebook accusing the Augusta County, Va. school of religious indoctrination caught the attention ofnational media, triggering a community meeting and an avalanche of messages to the school system.

“These children were deceived when they were told it was calligraphy,” the parent, Kimberly Herndon, told NBC29 television. “This is not calligraphy, this is a language.”

"this is not calligraphy, this is a language." lady should be taking the class with her kid. what a bumpkin.

[Teddy B 17,252]

They should've made the assignment shorter with writing "There is no God". Everyone would be much better off.

[Sousuke 1,214]

omg. you need to do some serious research about the whole story. if you don't like the cnn bit, i don't blame you. try reading some of the local stories on it - or the washington post.

it wasn't even homework. wasnt a 'drawing assignment' SMH.

Major overreaction I agree. It probably shouldn't been an assignment though.