What Are Our Kids Being Taught at Lakeside Middle School (Irvine)?

A couple of weeks back, one of my teaching colleagues complained to me about what his two middle school sons were being taught about Islam at Lakeside Middle School in Irvine, California. He described the textbook to me and stated that his sons had to spend 3-4 weeks studying Islam, as well as doing projects such as coloring in pictures of mosques. In short, the students were given a sanitized, favorable and politically-correct representation of Islam including the topics of jihad, shariah and Islamic views of other religions.

The textbook is identified as:

History Alive- The Medieval World and Beyond.
Publisher: Teachers Curriculum Institute

There are numerous chapters in the book devoted to Islam explaining why the kids are having to spend 3-4 weeks on this topic.

In checking out this book, I cam across a report by Gilbert F Sewall, which is linked. I found out that my colleague is not the only one upset about the indoctrination shoved down his sons' throats. Parents in Lodi, California and Scottsdale, Arizona have filed complaints against their school boards over the use of this book. The below work is lengthy, but well worth reading. It is downright scary.


http://www.historytextbooks.org/islamreport.pdf

You need to pay particular attention to the influence that the Council on Islamic Education is having on the choice of texts pertaining to Islam upon the educational authorities in the various states. It is all governed by liberal, politically-correct politics within our educational system. California, in particular, has the most liberal specifications for texts that they purchase. Therefore, publishers design their texts to conform wth California's outlook. That affects what all states get. The end result is what your children learn in school.

Finally, I have e-mailed the prinicipal of the school the following:

"Dear Ms Cuneo,

My name is Gary Fouse, and I am a blogger in this area. Recently, a colleague of mine complained to me about the instruction his sons were getting in your school's 7th grade. He speciically objects to a 7th grade text entitled History Alive and the several chapters devoted to a quite sanitized depiction of Islam including topics such as sharia and jihad. He also stated that his sons had to spend 3-4 weeks studying this favorable depiction of Islam. I have encouraged him to take his complaints directly to the school.

In researching the book, I found that parents in Lodi, California and Scottsdale, Arizona also filed complaints about this book and the aforementioned chapters.

I have posted an article in my blog today (fousesquawk), which describes the controversy over this book. In my mind, this represents indoctrination of children into a politcally-correct viewpoint which has been pushed by the Council on Islamic Education. My posting can be linked at;

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2010/05/what-are-our-kids-being-taught-at.html

In the interest of fairness, I am willing to post any response you care to give."

Thank you,

Gary Fouse