Veteran banned from daughter's school over religion

[madoka]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/10/3...t-on-islam-banned-from-daughters-high-school/

A former Marine who served in Iraq says he's been banned from his daughter's Maryland high school after a heated argument over a lesson on Islam.

Kevin Wood told MyFoxDC.com that he went to La Plata High School in La Plata, a town about 30 miles southeast of Washington, and challenged a history assignment requiring students to list the benefits of Islam. He said the meeting with the vice principal got heated; the school said he made a threat and banned the Iraq veteran from school property.

"[Wood] was threatening to cause a disruption or possible disruption at the school," a district spokesperson said.

Wood did not deny getting worked up over the issue, but said he was standing up for the Constitution and is against any religion being taught at the public school.

"I have witnesses that have said I did not threaten anybody," he told the station. "I don't force my religious views on them, so don't force your religious views on me."

The school is allowing his eleventh-grade daughter to spend the class time in the school's library, but defended its assignment and said it is teaching world history, not religion.

Wood's wife, Melissa, wondered how teaching about one religion is considered a history lesson while teaching about Christianity would be viewed diffrerently.

"We cannot discuss our Ten Commandments in school but they can discuss Islam's Five Pillars?"

The three-page assignment asked questions including, "How did Muslim conquerors treat those they conquered?"

A homework assignment obtained by MyFoxDC.com showed the correct answer was, “With tolerance, kindness and respect."

--------------------------------------

If that's the correct answer, I would have failed that assignment.





Moved from OT.

Anandtech Administrator
KeithTalent

 

[Jeff7]

So what is the rest of the context there? Did they indeed also address Christianity's history, or Judaism, or other religions? There are just so very many to choose from. :awe:


Or did he just not like anything to do with Islam? :hmm:

"We cannot discuss our Ten Commandments in school but they can discuss Islam's Five Pillars?"

I think it's more that you cannot post them in the front of the class and say "Obey this list of rules."
Give them all an impartial overview. Teach a history or the Abrahamic religions. Some of the history is interesting. Do a bit on some of the Eastern religions or philosophies. As long as it's not done with the tone of "This is of course the correct religion, and everyone following these others deserves an eternity of torture."

 

[nageov3t]

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) social studies curriculum adheres to the Maryland World History curricular standards that are a requirement for all counties in the state. These standards include an analysis of the elements of culture such as art, music, religion, government, social structure, education, beliefs and customs in societies throughout history. Regarding the study of history specifically, the standards also state that students should be able to analyze the customs and beliefs of world religions and their expansion, as well as how their establishment has impacted other areas of culture, and in certain times and regions, even caused conflict.

The particular unit in question at La Plata High School is on the formation of Middle Eastern empires in which students learned the basic concepts of the Islamic faith and how it, along with politics, culture, economics and geography, contributed to the development of the Middle East. Other religions are introduced when they influence or impact a particular historical era or geographic region. For example, when reviewing the Renaissance and Reformation, students study the concepts and role of Christianity. When learning about the development of China and India, students examine Hinduism and Buddhism.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/laplata.asp#5VYyxJ2ZibmSHbhR.99

 

[Rakehellion]

The three-page assignment asked questions including, "How did Muslim conquerors treat those they conquered?"

A homework assignment obtained by MyFoxDC.com showed the correct answer was, “With tolerance, kindness and respect."

lol?

 

[Ruptga]

WRONG FORUM

caps

 

[TechBoyJK]

Fuck, at this point we should teach kids about Islam, at least from a historical context, because it's influencing much of what happens in the world.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

He's wrong obviously, but it's understandable why he would be overly touchy about it. If he was overseas he's seen the equivalent of the Church of the Spanish Inquisition in terms of barbarity. He needed to be banned from the school and he's in the wrong, but war is not a good thing to witness.

 

[02ranger]

How exactly does he expect her to understand history in that region of the world without understanding what beliefs were held by the people living in that region? Oh wait, it's America, we don't need history.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Actually he was banned for his actions at the school and not religion.

 

[nageov3t]

fun fact, we were even taught about Islam in my Catholic high school.

Freshman year religion classes were devoted to world religions, covering stuff like tribal beliefs of Native American cultures, Islam, Protestant heathens who are going to hell, and eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, etc)

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Actually he was banned for his actions at the school and not religion.

True, but it was religion which triggered his outburst if I understand correctly. The title is somewhat misleading.

 

[CitizenKain]

Dumbshit former marine is confused by big words in a history book.

 

[Oyeve]

A lot of recent vets are anti Islam. Not so much for the religion itself but for what they experienced in Iraq and ME in general. But, like I always feel, these vets are just a-holes in general.

 

[Newell Steamer]

the school said he made a threat and banned the Iraq veteran from school property.

I hope that is not the case.

He does indeed have the right to disagree with what is being taught at his child's school. And, he would have been better off being part of the PTA or something to collect his issues and present them. And, there wouldn't be any BS or question over whether or not he issued a threat.

 

[NesuD]

"How did Muslim conquerors treat those they conquered?"

A homework assignment obtained by MyFoxDC.com showed the correct answer was, “With tolerance, kindness and respect."

Tell that to the Zoroastrians and the Hindus who were frequently persecuted by their muslim conquerors.

"Non-Muslims, were called Dhimmi in Moslem-ruled state. The Dhimmi had to to the jizya, or tax for not believing in Islam. They were not allowed to build new places of worship, restore old places of worship, or perform any act which could be viewed as proselytization. In many jurisdictions, a Dhimmi could not trust law enforcement to protect him, a judge to accept his testimony (especially against a Muslim), and in certain cases had their children stolen by Islamic rulers to be raised as Muslims (most commonly in the Ottoman Empire's devshirme system). The Dhimmi was a humiliated second-class citizen."

 

[PokerGuy]

No problem with the school teaching facts and historical context about all the major religions, but this

"How did Muslim conquerors treat those they conquered?"

A homework assignment obtained by MyFoxDC.com showed the correct answer was, “With tolerance, kindness and respect."

... is BS and should not be allowed in public school.

More politically correct stupidity. Unless the guy actually made threats (he says he didn't, they say he did, he says he has witnesses etc), he should sue the school.

 

[Jaskalas]

Actually he was banned for his actions at the school and not religion.

True, but it was religion which triggered his outburst if I understand correctly. The title is somewhat misleading.

That's to be expected in titles / headlines.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Tell that to the Zoroastrians and the Hindus who were frequently persecuted by their muslim conquerors.

"Non-Muslims, were called Dhimmi in Moslem-ruled state. The Dhimmi had to to the jizya, or tax for not believing in Islam. They were not allowed to build new places of worship, restore old places of worship, or perform any act which could be viewed as proselytization. In many jurisdictions, a Dhimmi could not trust law enforcement to protect him, a judge to accept his testimony (especially against a Muslim), and in certain cases had their children stolen by Islamic rulers to be raised as Muslims (most commonly in the Ottoman Empire's devshirme system). The Dhimmi was a humiliated second-class citizen."

That is true, but was this assignment being applied generally or to a specific event? If the former it's wrong to make a blanket statement like that. If it's regarding something specific it might have been relatively peaceful. They were however second class citizens in a very real way.

 

[Jimzz]

The dad is a nutjob.
Here is what a local has said the full story is...


As a local who has heard about this repeatedly on the local news, here are some facts about the case which seem to be lacking:
1) This is your standard world history class in an American public school. The unit in particular was on Middle East empires and naturally Islam would be talked about. When the unit is on the Renaissance they talk about Christianity, when the unit is on India they talk about Hinduism. This was only about Islam and how it related to the formation of these empires.
2) All of the comments the dad has made make him seem like a very, very conservative person. He believes his daughter is being indoctrinated into the Islamic faith. He was given a no trespass order after he threatened administrators.
3) The dad demanded his daughter be taken out of that class during that unit and the school denied this request. They said that if she missed assignments, they would be graded with a zero.
From everything I've read, this dad is one of those Limbaugh-listening republicans who hate Islam and is pissed that his daughter is learning anything about Islam, even in the context of learning about Middle East history.


So its a history class learning about... history. Shocking I now. He then threatens people and gets banned from the school.

http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/2krfj2/marine_banned_from_daughters_school_after_dispute/

 

[boomerang]

this dad is one of those Limbaugh-listening republicans

Maybe he's one of those returning veteran domestic terrorists Janet Napolitano warned us about. Time to take away his guns.

 

[Vic]

Clearly this is a liberal conspiracy to turn America into an Islamic state.

 

[Thebobo]

MFT

 

[Victorian Gray]

Maybe he's one of those returning veteran domestic terrorists Janet Napolitano warned us about. Time to take away his guns.

Ahh, aren't you cute trying to turn the behavior of this jackass into an attack on the Obama administration.

Would you like a cookie?

 

[thraashman]

Ahh, aren't you cute trying to turn the behavior of this jackass into an attack on the Obama administration.

Would you like a cookie?

If he says yes be sure to slip some anti-psychotics into it first.

 

[brycejones]

The dad is a nutjob.
Here is what a local has said the full story is...


As a local who has heard about this repeatedly on the local news, here are some facts about the case which seem to be lacking:
1) This is your standard world history class in an American public school. The unit in particular was on Middle East empires and naturally Islam would be talked about. When the unit is on the Renaissance they talk about Christianity, when the unit is on India they talk about Hinduism. This was only about Islam and how it related to the formation of these empires.
2) All of the comments the dad has made make him seem like a very, very conservative person. He believes his daughter is being indoctrinated into the Islamic faith. He was given a no trespass order after he threatened administrators.
3) The dad demanded his daughter be taken out of that class during that unit and the school denied this request. They said that if she missed assignments, they would be graded with a zero.
From everything I've read, this dad is one of those Limbaugh-listening republicans who hate Islam and is pissed that his daughter is learning anything about Islam, even in the context of learning about Middle East history.


So its a history class learning about... history. Shocking I now. He then threatens people and gets banned from the school.

http://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/2krfj2/marine_banned_from_daughters_school_after_dispute/

Shhh...facts and rational thinking have no place here. What several posters have already missed is that in many cases the Islamic empires were significantly more tolerant of other religions than Christian Europe was at the time.