Marine banned from daughter’s school over Islam homework

[Jenny A]

Okay, first of all I think the history of and basic tenets of the major religions ought to be taught in schools. It's impossible to make much sense out of either world history or current events without it. Virtually every early empire was a theocracy more or less. The clashes between Peganism, Judiasm, Christianty, and Islam are part and parcel of Western History. Just as understanding western history during the Middle Ages requires some knowledge of Catholicism, the Reformation, and later Catholic reform, the history of the Middle Eastern history requires some knowledge of the Shiites and the Sunnis. And studying India without some knowledge of Hinduism and Islam is silly. And so on and so. World history and religion are inseparable.

Religious beliefs, practices and politics change over time. What 7th Century Muslims did and believed should be compared to what modern Muslims believe and do. Ditto Christians, Jews, etc.

What the the schools should not do is endorse any of those religions or lead worship prayers or services in them.

To the extent the assignment whitewashes the ferocity of the Muslim conquests and the violence in the Koran, I have some sympathy for the outraged father. I'm used to explaining the whitewashing of Christianity at the dinner table after certain school units. Surely he can tell his daughter what he thinks. He could also address those specific objections with the school--perhaps without suggesting just where in the principal's body he'd like to shove the homework assignment.

I have no sympathy with the concept that his daughter should be taught nothing about Islam. And I'd be really surprised to learn that her world history classes don't also cover Christianity and Judaism, especially during the late Roman Empire, the Middle Ages, and the Reformation. It's less likely to, but should cover Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

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Op your mind is poisoned by the hatred fed to you by the media and government to distract you from the fact that they are raping you to serve them. Hatred = control.

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Sure there are bad things about most religious groups. It's a people thing, and we shouldn't tolerate injustice. Stop your jihad and stop being a pawn.

Your good intent isn't going to help prevent girls like Malala getting shot for wanting an education. Your good intent will not help Sunnis and Shiites to stop killing each other. Your good intent will not prevent Isis from murdering Kurdish Christians and other non Muslims.

Once again you confuse human rights with hate of ignorance that leads humans to use bad ideas as weapons to justify atrocities.

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No one here is talking about sparking up ovens to stick all Muslims in. But the source of morality is the same be it justified to be compassionate or cruel, the same book is used to do both.

Same with the history of Christianity.

"Not all do that" is a dodge. "The violent ones are not reading the book correctly" is also a dodge, but even worse.

There is no way in reality one can do what the bible says word for word without violence. There is also no way to do what the Koran says word for word without getting violent. Civil liberals and moderates in both religions ignore the fact that the same words exist in both books and is the same source no matter who is using it. Cherry picking and ignoring the nasty stories in both books is how the west became civil.

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Glossing over history allows the same bad ideas to fester and repeat. The reason I know what Islam is doing wrong is because I see the same horrors justified in American history, like slavery, sexism, bigotry and homophobia, genocide of Native Americans and lynching of blacks, and even today denial of gays rights. Those horrible ideas come from the same source you use to condemn them. We are not ignoring that, you are.

Liberals are often worse than the fundies because they give them cover. You do not help those oppressed still stuck under religious fascism without sticking a mirror to the ugliness. That ugliness has the same source your good intent does. Face it then you can fix it.

I agree with this. The history of religion should include what's done in it's name warts, burnings, torture, lynchings, discrimination, conquest, and all.