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Across the Centuries: The Day Of Islam The
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Until recently Eastern religion and American Indian religion have been the favorite subjects for teaching young children in the public schools. Of late, Islamic religious practices are increasingly infiltrating schools. Through the use of one of the best-selling textbooks in the nation, Islamic culture is being presented as superior to Western culture and the Islamic religion as superior and more beneficent than Christianity. The textbook Across the Centuries, was first published in 2003 by Houghton-Mifflin, and is among the most-used textbooks in the United States for the subject of social studies. It outlines the cultural aspects of various nations, and deals extensively with Islam and its influences in the world. It also addresses Roman Catholicism and its atrocities (e.g. the Inquisition) as representative of Christianity. The manner in which Across the Centuries treats Islam as superior to Christianity is subtle and would not be recognized by the average student for the dishonesty that it is. Generally, little is said about Islam's history of militarism and nothing is said about its barbarism. In many cases it details the teachings of Islam as factual rather then merely belief. Islam's Beneficence In several places, Across the Centuries goes to extremes in telling students how kind-hearted Muslims are to those under their rule. A few examples follow:
What the textbook fails to say here is that Christians and Jews were allowed to live only if they paid an oppressive 'tax' called jizya. This tax is mentioned elsewhere outside this particular context, but it is presented as nothing of consequence. The fact that those who did not pay the tax and refused to convert to Islam were beheaded or otherwise dispatched is not once mentioned. We are told that under the Umayyad Muslims, particularly in Spain, Christians and Jews were virtually left alone:
These are half-truths at best. Yes, as long as Christians and Jews paid jizya and were useful to their Muslim overlords in conducting affairs (in which Muslims were sorely lacking the skills), they were given some semblance of status. But those who did not benefit their Muslim masters were not so well treated.
Now, no one can dispute that Jews were persecuted under Roman Catholicism during the Middle Ages and even at other times. And under the subject of the Crusades, Across the Centuries is careful to detail the sins of the Crusaders and Christianity in general. Fair enough. But the book simply whitewashes the excesses of Islam as if they never existed. The only hint at Muslim militarism are a few sentences that speak about Muslim conquests. The term jihad is said to mean nothing more than “the struggle to overcome evil”:
The Meccans did stifle Muhammed and his followers at first, simply because Muhammed had insisted that they convert to Islam. He became such a thorn in their sides that they took measures to oust him from their midst. But after he had attained a large enough following the worm turned, and the Meccans were forced to either convert or die. But this book tells us that Muhammed was gracious in forgiving his Meccan enemies. Again, a half-truth. He forgave those that converted to Islam, but he killed or drove out those that didn’t. And, yes, jihad may be applied to self-discipline and self-defense. But the definition presented in Across the Centuries begs credulity. What were all the Muslim conquests if not jihad, defined as “holy war” by its own proponents at the time? There are no negative terms used to describe anything Islamic in this book. In contrast, words such as “slaughter” and “holy war” describe the conquests of the Crusaders:
Referring to “the Sack of Constantinople,” we read:
No reasonable Christian today would dispute the evils of some of the Crusaders. The Roman Catholic Church’s pogroms against Jews and other “heretics” is well documented in Christian publications as well as secular publications. Our quarrel is not that these things are brought into account, but that Islam gets a free pass for its atrocities. Why are we not told that Muslims consider all people infidels worthy of death if they do not convert to Islam or, at the least, pay the jizya to spare their lives? Nowhere do we read that Muhammad or other Muslim conquerors “inflamed” their subjects. Nowhere do we read that Muslim conquests were “holy war.” Nowhere do we read that the Crusades were a response to Muslim conquests in Europe. Rather, Islam is spoken of as being attacked” by Christian leaders. The language throughout the book regales Islam while denigrating Christianity, offering only smatterings of positive statements, allowing, for example, that European trade expanded due to the Crusades. In numerous places the superiority of Islamic culture is touted as if Muslims were responsible for all the material benefits to mankind that funneled their way through Europe. The truth that Islam has contributed little if anything original to any civilization, but built upon the civilizations it conquered by brute force is lost. Much Muslim architecture, for example, was taken from Byzantine architecture. Byzantine craftsmen were employed to construct elaborate mosques. I’m not exaggerating about the one-sidedness of this textbook. Anyone with half a brain can see through its pro-Muslim bias unless they are totally ignorant of history. Unfortunately, children are not well-protected against these lies. Islam is even said to have elevated the status of women:
In western cultures where Islam is in the minority these things may be true. Even in a few Islamic countries they may be true to a degree. But they are the exception rather than the rule, contrary to this textbook’s claims. Staunch Islamic countries ruled by Sharia Law do not treat women with such benevolence. In some areas it takes the testimony of four women to equal that of one man. Women are still stoned for being raped in some Islamic communities. Burkas are certainly not common women’s wear in any society outside of Islam. Yes, Islam is diverse depending upon where one lives. But the Qur’an is replete with verses that demean women, even allowing for them to be beaten by their husbands for the crime of “displeasing” them.
“Desertion” does not mean only unfaithfulness or leaving, but any form of resistance. It seems as if this textbook goes out of its way to dissuade students from the legitimate concerns right-thinking people have about the aberrant characteristics of Islam, particularly its intolerance toward “infidels” and its demeaning treatment of women. Again, this isn’t true of all Muslims, particularly those that have been influenced by the culture of western civilization. An example was Saddam Hussein, who was benevolent toward Christians, and even supported Christian schools with state funds. He did call for the destruction of Israel, as do all Islamic nations, but within Iraq even Jews were treated tolerantly. His hammer came down upon those who sought to overthrow his regime. No one will deny he was ruthless in his approach toward his enemies, but that is characteristic of most dictators. Please do not take these statements to mean that I favored Saddam Hussein. I mention these things merely to point out that not all Muslims, even Muslim leaders, are desirous of killing Christians and Jews. But the religion lends itself to those who are so radical. “Allah is God” Across the Centuries often speaks as if the Koran is God’s word to man. In some instances the beliefs of Islam are stated just that way: “Muslims believe that the founding and settling of Mecca is related to the story of Abraham and his son Ishmael”; “…Muhammad is believed by his followers to have had a vision of Gabriel”; “ Muhammad’s followers believe that in another vision, the angel Gabriel took Muhammad to meet Abraham, Moses, and Jesus in Jerusalem.” There are a few more such qualifications. However, in many places we read statements that sound more authoritative of Islam’s legitimacy:
“In fact”? Would it not have been better to say, “Muhammad claimed”? Even if this passage followed on the heels of a disclaimer, the words, “in fact,” imply a factual event. Or are the writers of this textbook ignorant of proper English usage? Here’s another:
Additionally, Across the Centuries makes this startling claim relative to Muhammad’s “revelations”:
There are no less than three factual errors in this statement: (1) These are “alleged” revelations to anyone other than a Muslim. And even Muslims cannot prove they are genuine revelations from God through Gabriel simply because they do not have the mark of the prophetic upon them. They are at best highly subjective. (2) Allah is not the same God as that of Judaism and Christianity. Because they have rejected their Messiah, unbelieving Jews today worship as did the Samaritans in Jesus’ day, “they know not whom”; Christianity’s God is YHWH, who sent His only-begotten Son, the Word of God —Jesus—who is also called YHWH, to die for our sins. Islam rejects God’s sacrifice:
By rejecting Jesus they reject God.
This requires far more than Islam’s claim that Jesus was a prophet—and an inferior one to Muhammad at that. Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God (the Christ—anointed One) who has come in the flesh. Therefore, Islam does not have the Father, YHWH. (3) Allah is not the word for “god.” Allah is the name of Islam’s god. And Allah is not YHWH. The revelation that YHWH gave directly to His prophets is entirely different from that which Muhammad claimed was given him by the angel Gabriel. Practicing Islam Across the Centuries takes students a step further in assimilating Islam into their lives. This is done through a couple of exercises that require students to take on an Islamic mindset. One exercise instructs students to construct a model of a mosque. Under the sub-section, “Preparing for Citizenship,” is an exercise under “Collaborative Learning”:
One might think this is no big deal. Just because students are asked to build a model of a mosque should not mean they are being indoctrinated into Islam. But let’s put it this way: would any public entity ask Muslim students to build a model of a church? If that were to happen you can be sure Muslims would be up in arms, screaming that the “infidels” are trying to destroy their religion. Blood might even flow in the streets. Why should public school children, the vast majority of whom would identify with Christianity, be asked to build a model of a mosque? This is indicative of today’s anti-Christ climate in the public schools. Such an exercise could work to endear Islam to the students who participate. We may tolerate false religions, and we are certainly commanded by our Lord to love all men regardless of their beliefs. It is that love that compels us to proclaim the Gospel to them. But we should not have their religion made dear to us. Here’s another—a writing activity exercise—that, if reversed, would have Muslims calling for heads to roll:
Can you imagine what would happen should a Muslim child be instructed to assume he were a Crusader and to give his thoughts on Christianity as a Crusader? A Muslim soldier would be devoutly religious in his thinking, even if it involved beheading the infidel. Should non-Muslim students be instructed to think like devout Muslims? Is that not pushing the envelope into religious activity at the behest of public education? I’m not saying that these things will result in Christian children converting to Islam, but they are an affront to the true God. We are to put away the unclean thing and have nothing to do with it, not dwell on it in our minds and play with it as if it were a fun activity. How Islam is Implemented Let’s look at some ways in which some public schools are actually implementing Islamic religion into the exercises and lessons from the book. At Royal Oak Intermediate School in Covina, California, World History teacher, Len Cesene, sent the notice duplicated below to parents:
Granted, parents could opt out of this exercise in Muslim fasting, but it is still practicing religion in a public school. Yet as long as the religion practiced is not Christianity it is acceptable to the courts. A landmark case involved Excelsior School—a Contra Costa County, California school—at which students were instructed thusly:
The course in question was a three-week exercise promoted by a textbook entitled, Islam: A Simulation of Islamic History and Culture, 610-1100. Two Christian students and their parents brought a lawsuit accusing the Byron Union School District of endorsing a religious practice, contrary to constitutional law as defined and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The suit was brought before the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which quickly ruled that the school’s practices did not constitute indoctrination into a particular religion.
Government Resources Islam: A Simulation of Islamic History and Culture, 610-1100 may be found among the resources listed by Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Institution of Education Sciences (IES). On ERIC’s Web site we read the following:
The process of “‘becoming’ Muslims” may involve bowing toward Mecca, reciting prayers, and fasting, among other things. Would the schools ask Muslims or children of other religions to “become Christians” for a time? The push for sympathy toward Islam is part and parcel of the current politically correct approach to religion in the public schools. While the ACLU screams “bloody murder” at the constitutionally guaranteed right of Christian students to initiate for themselves prayer meetings and Bible studies on campus, it is strangely silent in regard to overt religious indoctrination of other religions, and, today especially, Islam. The hypocrisy of the government and anti-Christ organizations like the ACLU is palpable. The ACLU has the money and the volunteer resources to fight against Christians. It is part of the world system whose god is Mammon. The ACLU knows it can break the will and/or the pocketbooks of Christians who try to defend their just and constitutionally-upheld rights. In the world arena the faithful are at a great disadvantage. Yet Christians suffer in silence for the most part, and/or are ignorant of what is going on in the schools in which their children are enrolled. Christians are not militant, and rightly so. But we do have the ability to protect our own. What would happen, do you suppose, should everyone who claims to be a “Christian” in the United States remove their children from the public school system and either send them to private school, or home school them? The system would collapse as it should. The anti-Christ government and “education” organizations would flop around like fish out of water, wailing that they are out of jobs. Good for them. And for us. Also, parents would be taking hands-on responsibility for what their children learn. Many people have made the necessary sacrifices to ensure that their children are protected against the anti-Christ propaganda of the government indoctrination camps. Those who aren’t willing to make the sacrifices don’t deserve the hard-earned money of all the others. But, of course, this will never happen. Too many people have a misplaced faith in the system. And evil must increase before the Lord returns. Yet these musings at least give me the opportunity to vent. And, hopefully, they may encourage some believers in Jesus to rethink whether or not they really care about what is happening to their children under the tutelage of government propagandists.
Footnotes [1] “Early Islam,” Across the Centuries, (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2003), p. 65. [2] Ibid., p. 66. [3] “A Century of Expansion,” Ibid., p. 82. [4] “The Great Mosque at Cordoba,” Ibid., p. 99. [5] “Muhammad and Islam,” Ibid., p. 64. [6] “The Crusades,” Ibid., p. 295. [7] Ibid., p. 301. [8] Ibid. [9] “Muhammad and Islam,” Ibid., p. 64. [10] The Koran, Sura 4.34. [11] Across the Centuries, “Muhammad and Islam,” op. cit.., p. 61. [12] Ibid., p. 63. [13] Ibid. [14] Ibid., p. 59. [15] Across the Centuries, “Chapter Review,” p. 71. [16] Across the Centuries, “Early Islam,” p. 68. [17] “Court clears school of pushing religion with lesson on Islam,” Bob Egelko, San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 18, 2005, p. B-3. [18] Ibid. [19] ED419740, Islam: A Simulation of Islamic History and Culture, 610-1100, http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED419740&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED419740
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