While checking Facebook last week, I heard about some breaking news via the secretary of my old grad school: the Texas Board of Education approved a resolution to keep pro-Muslim textbooks out of classrooms. My old secretary (and friend) said that Texas should "succeed" - and, while we're at it, just "break off and float away." I did not correct her typo - or slip-up - but instead went in search of a news article on this story. (I found one here.)
This is troubling, for sure. The Board of Education is either completely unaware of the volatile situation with the Muslim community in America or they just don't care. I have no doubt that these textbooks have absolutely no Muslim bias. The man who came up with the resolution went through textbooks and counted the terms "Muslim" and "Islam" and compared that number against "Christian." I've never heard of anything so absurd!
The last thing we need to do right now is inflame an already precarious situation of rampant anti-Islamic sentiment. Instead, what we need - and what I've said - is education. Textbooks are a way to educate. A country where textbooks are censored by ignorant conservatives makes us no better than the Middle Eastern countries that censor Western culture from their people.
And, furthermore, grouping all Texans together and wishing the state would "succeed" - or, perhaps, secede - goes against everything my friend is actually protesting... Grouping all Muslims together, saying they're all terrorists, and trying to minimize their impact on American culture. Perhaps someone needs to practice (tolerance) what they preach....
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