Through the Looking Glass:  Promoting Islam in the Public Schools?

by Sheila Musaji

(updated 10/1/2009 - updates at bottom of page)

In a Nov. 24, 2004 article entitled Spreading Islam in American Public Schools [1]  Daniel Pipes found it “ominous” that a Muslim group wants to promote Islam in the public schools.  He went on to say:  “Another website points to a far deeper agenda, that of dawa, or using taxpayer-funded schools to proselytize for Islam.  Their goals are summed up by an article it hosts: “How to Make America an Islamic Nation.” [2] But what concerns us is a page, “Dawa in public schools,” that portrays public schools as “fertile grounds where the seeds of Islam can be sowed inside the hearts of non-Muslim students.”

Since that article appeared there have been a number of articles on various sites and even a few court cases questioning whether or not teaching about any religion should be part of the public school curriculum.  The overwhelming majority of these concerns have been raised about the possibility of Islam being taught about in the public schools at all, or about the possibility that coverage of Islam is too positive.

In looking over their materials, DawaNet appears to hold a view that it is appropriate to proselytize in public schools, and this idea would not be in agreement with the views of any mainstream Muslim organizations.  This attitude is definitely a minority opinion, and one that I believe most American Muslims would disagree with.  I have searched the net diligently and can find no other Muslim group that holds such views.  In fact, I found just the opposite. 

I also find it “ominous” that any religion should be promoted in the public schools.  I don’t want any proselytizing for any religion in the public schools.  But, I do want to see education about religions. 

The First Amendment Establishment Clause says the government cannot promote, teach, or “establish” religion in any way. Since the government runs public schools, these institutions cannot promote religion either. The First Amendment Free Exercise Clause says the government cannot prohibit or penalize your religious practice, your “free exercise” of religion. It protects your right to practice a religion or to be non-religious. The Constitutions of most states have similar provisions and also guarantee the “free exercise” of religion, and prohibits laws from giving “preference” to any one denomination.

Refer to past articles we have published on The American Muslim website on the subject of teaching about religion in the public schools for clarification of our position: e.g. Educating About Islam[3], or The Islamic Speakers Bureau[4].

Refer to the sites of the major organizations that do training for educating about Islam:  Islamic Networks Group [5] or Council on Islamic Education. [6]  You will find that they stress following first amendment guidelines and maintaining a clear distinction between promoting a religion and educating about a religion.

While I could not find any Islamic websites that agreed in any way with the one example given by Pipes, I found a whole series of articles discussing proselytizing for Christianity in the public schools, some of them by mainstream Christian groups:

- Franklin Graham’s Vision: A Student Evangelist in Every Public School Class - “I want to see at least one child in every class in every public school in America who is trained as a witness for Jesus Christ.” [7]

- Jerry Falwell’s Vision - I hope I live to see the day, when, as in the early days of our country, we won’t have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be! [America Can Be Saved, (1979)] [8]

- Chosen Few School and Prison Ministry -  “The guys go into public schools and do secular music, while talking about overcoming the peer pressure of fitting in. Casey shares about overcoming his high school drug addiction, Brian discusses about going through school with an artificial leg and how itёs ok to be different, Ashley talks about being on the #1 outdoors TV show, ShowMe Outdoor Adventuresӓ and demonstrates his expertise of shooting a bow, and Scott tells kids how music can change your life. The real reason Chosen Few is going into schools is to get the kids to come to a Gospel concert that night in a church.” [9] 

- Teaching Students How to Share Their Faith [10]

- Back to School: Now How Do I Witness? -  “A public school setting is a great place to witness.  I know that it is tough, but it is also very important.  Most people become Christians before they are 21 years of age!  That is High School and College age!” [11]

- Reach Your Entire Campus With the Gospel [12]

- How to Reach Your Campus for Christ - One Student at a Time [13]  and a whole series of such articles at the Christianity Today website. [14]

- Defending Christian Freedoms in the Public Schools [15] 

-  Worldwide Challenge Magazine - Take Jesus to School - “Some parents help their children organize Bible clubs at their public school. Others simply encourage their children to write or talk in school about the Christian perspective on topics like creationism, abortion, euthanasia or even Christ Himself. Some distribute Bibles and other Christian literature. Whether overtly proclaiming Christ’s love and forgiveness, or by finding unique ways to bring Christ to school, Christian adults can influence the American school system for Christ.” [16]

- Share Jesus in the Public Schools [17] 

- Cultivating Change in Your School [18] 

- Public School Students’ Flyer [19] 

- Bringing God back to public schools [20] 

-  Chick Tracts: A Powerful Weapon in the Public Schools From Your Spiritual Arsenal - includes a story about a way to reach studentsӔ - “Our school newspaper sold ads for various products and services, and did not restrict what could be advertised. I knew that this would be a great witnessing opportunity! I placed an ad in the shape of a coupon, and it included my photograph. It stated that I would give a “free gift” to everyone who redeemed the coupon. All the students would have to do was clip out the ad, recognize me from the picture, and “redeem” it when they handed it to me. The “free gift” was…you guessed it, CHICK TRACTS! The cafeteria during the lunch hour was filled with students reading Chick tracts and receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all without a sermon or church service. Most significant was the fact that I was witnessing to fellow students without being disruptive or violating the laws. Since I was a student and not a state-paid teacher, I had no restrictions on what I could say or what literature I chose to give away.” [21]

- Denver Public Schools Promoting Christianity? [22] 

- FAQ’s on Witnessing [23]

- How to Have Prayers in Public Schools Legally [24] 

- How to Start a Christian Club in a Public School [25] 

- The Bible and Public Schools [26] 

- Christianity and Public Education [27]

- Evolution and Creationism in Public Schools [28] 

- Evangelicals Can Include Flyers in School Take Home Packets [29]

- Religious Expression: What Is Legally Permissable in Public Schools [30]

- The Bible in Public Schools [31] 

- Prayer at Public School Sports Events [32] 

- Prayer in Public Schools [33]

I believe that there are a number of Christian groups that are crossing the line between teaching about a religion and promoting a religion, and have a misunderstanding about the separation of church and state.  (see a series of alarming quotes at [34] )

The bottom line is that there is a clear and established principle differentiating teaching about a religion and proseletyzing for any religion.  If there are any cases in which that line is crossed by members of any religious group, then as citizens we should insist that it not happen again.  However, to attempt to remove any teaching or discussion about any religion in the public schools would be almost impossible.  I can think of many historical events for example that would make no sense at all unless the religious dimension were understood.

NOTES:
[1] http://www.danielpipes.org/article/2236 
[2] www.DawaNet.com
[3] http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/2003nov_comments.php?id=436_0_23_0_C
[4] http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/2003nov_comments.php?id=307_0_23_0_C
[5] www.ing.org
[6] www.cie.org
[7] http://www.baptiststandard.com/postnuke/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=1899 
[8] http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_falwelljerry.htm
[9] http://www.chosen-few.com/default.aspx?pid=2&nid=15
[10] http://www.rbpstore.org/downloads/fyi/SP04/SP04_SrH_FYI.pdf
[11] http://christianteens.about.com/library/weekly/aa082500a.htm
[12] http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2000/004/2.36.html
[13] http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2000/004/3.39.html
[14] http://www.christianitytoday.com/teens/features/witness.html
[15] http://www.christianlaw.org/defending_schools.html
[16] http://www.wwcmagazine.org/2002/sepoct024.html
[17] http://www.cefonline.com/content/article.php?art_id=228 
[18] http://www.family.org/fofmag/pp/a0031495.cfm
[19] http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/11/32004c.asp 
[20] http://christianity.about.com/library/weekly/aa082100.htm
[21] http://members.tripod.com/monsterwax/battle.html 
[22] http://atheism.about.com/b/a/017280.htm 
[23] http://www.aclj.org/issues/FAQs/list.aspx?l=28
[24] http://www.religioustolerance.org/ps_pra2.htm
[25] http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/2000/005/7.55.html
[26] http://www.teachaboutthebible.org/bps/bpsfaguide01.htm
[27] http://www.pastornet.net.au/fwn/2002/sep/art08.html
[28] http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/indexes/bldec_CreationismIndex.htm 
[29] http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20040701-111828-7598r.htm
[30] http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g010.html 
[31] http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/rel_liberty/publicschools/topic_faqs.aspx?topic=bible_in_school
[32] http://www.religioustolerance.org/ps_prab.htm
[33] http://www.laaclu.org/News/2003/April%2016%20School%20Prayer%20HB.htm 
[34] http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/research_comments.php?id=410_0_23_0_C

by courtesy &  2005 The American Muslim  First published 11/1/2005

————

AUGUST 13, 2009 UPDATE

This week Religion Dispatches published an article:  “Texas Board of Education Wants to Change History” by Lauri Lebo ( http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/churchstate/1726/texas_board_of_education_wants_to_change_history ) which once again raises the spector of undue Christian influence on school textbooks.  According to the article:

“Rev. Peter Marshall (one of their appointed academic experts), for example, wants to restore America, according to the Web site of his Massachusetts-based ministry, “to its Bible-based foundations through preaching, teaching, and writing on America’s Christian heritage and on Christian discipleship and revival.” He also believes that Hurricane Katrina, Watergate, and the Vietnam War are the result of divine wrath.

As part of his curriculum review for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills process, Marshall issued an assessment of a Grade 5 history section in which students are asked to “describe the accomplishments of significant colonial leaders such as Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, John Smith, and Roger Williams.”

Marshall, along with his fellow reviewer David Barton, did not believe that students in the public education system should learn about Hutchinson:

“Anne Hutchinson does not belong in the company of these eminent gentlemen. She was certainly not a significant colonial leader, and didn’t accomplish anything except getting herself exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for making trouble.”

One of the original Puritans, Hutchinson disagreed with some of the scriptural teachings of the religious leaders and began hosting her own Bible study classes in her home. For this crime, Hutchinson was placed on trial and banished from her community. Later, she and her exiled family were killed in a Siwanoy attack.

“This is a prime example of somebody who believed in religious freedom and was persecuted for that,” said Rob Boston, a spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State.”

SEE ALSO:
Arizona text pulled after uproar over positive mention of Islam, http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/39120  (2005)
Creationism in schools http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Creationism_in_Schools  and http://ncacblog.wordpress.com/tag/creationism/
Evolution / ID / creationism - conflicts in U.S. public schools http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_school.htm
Religion and prayer in U.S. public schools, libraries, etc.  http://www.religioustolerance.org/ps_pray.htm
Teaching Science, Not Dogma:  The Creationism Controversy http://www.adl.org/issue_religious_freedom/create/creationism_print.asp

SEPTEMBER 18, 2009 UPDATE

“A mother is angry about a trip led by the head football coach at Breckinridge County High School took about 20 players on a school bus late last month to his church, where nearly half of them — including her son — were baptized.  Michelle Ammons said her 16-year-old son was baptized without her knowledge and consent, and she is upset that a public school bus was used to take players to a church service — and that the school district’s superintendent was there and did not object.”

See:  Ky. school trip to church that included baptisms raises questions http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-09-08-school-baptisms_N.htm

OCTOBER 1, 2009 UPDATE

A public school district in Michigan issued permission slips to elementary school students that would allow them to attend Bible classes in a Baptist church.  The slips were issued by the school district.  “The parents of a Muslim student expressed concerns about the permission slip, said Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Walid then wrote a letter today to the school’s principal and the superintendent of Roseville Community Schools, saying that the district was favoring one religion and denomination with the permission slips for Temple Baptist Church.  School staff and teachers are not to serve as advocates for one particular religion or congregation within a religion by passing out slips inviting parents to give permission for their children to attend religious instruction,” Walid said. “

Releasing students from school to go for religious studies classes makes perfect sense.  But, encouraging students to attend the classes of a particular religious group is something their parents or religious community should do, not the public schools.  If public schools want to send home a note telling parents that there is a law that allows them to have their children released from school in order to attend religious or ethnic classes, that is fine, but to promote the classes of a particular religious group goes beyond the mandate of the public schools.

See:  ACLU-TN Responds to Religious Activity in Tennessee Public Schools http://www.wrcbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11223614
School district says it erred in allowing church permission slips http://www.freep.com/article/20091001/NEWS04/91001066/1001/NEWS/School-district-says-it-erred-in-allowing-church-permission-slips
A PDF of the permission slip http://www.cair.com/Portals/0/pdf/Roseville-Public-Schools.pdf

In another case at a High School in Georgia “For six years or so, cheerleaders at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School have painted elaborate paper banners, adorned with Bible verses, through which football players have dashed at the outset of games.  For instance, recently, from Philippians 3:14: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me in Christ Jesus.”  After receiving complaints, the school system has stopped this practice.  “A school system statement released Monday said the message constitutes “a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution for signs with Bible verses to be displayed on the football field.”

See: No more on running through Scripture on football Friday http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2009/09/30/no-more-on-running-through-scripture-on-a-football-friday-night/