School Board Meeting in Huntington Beach

On December 8, the Ocean View School Board in Huntington Beach held a meeting in which public comments were mostly devoted to the recent controversy over 7th grade instruction on Islam. I attended and spoke at the meeting along with several others. I also videotaped parts of the meeting. I should note that I turned my video camera off at times other matters were being discussed or members of the public were speaking on other issues. I also turned the camera away from speakers whom I did not know out of respect for their privacy. Thus, the video is not continuous. The board members were non-committal after the comments, but thanked us for coming and making our views heard. The board president also said, "We are listening." (My comments are in the first video below at the 2:50 mark.)

Here is the text of a song composed by a teacher in the Ocean View School District for her pupils to sing. It is what led to the outcry from one parent.

This is our fight song!

Like a sandstorm
On the desert 
Sending camels into motion

Like how a single faith
Can make a heart open
They might have only one God
But they can make an explosion

Chorus

And all those things they have to say
Islam...Allah's on the way
They will preach them loud tonight
Can you hear their voice this time?

This is their fight song
Spread Islam now song
Prove that they're right song.

Their power's turned on
Starting right now they'll be strong
They'll play their fight song

And they don't really care If no Jews or Cs believe
Cause they still have
A lot of others to reach

Umayyads and Abbasids
Seljuk Turks and Ottomans
Spread the faith
Say spread the faith

The moguls rule in India
Spreading Islam from their bones
Still believe
Yeah they still believe

Chorus

Like a sandstorm
On the desert
Sending camels into motion

*(The reference to Jews and Cs means Jews and Christians.)