Michelle Edmisten has a daughter in the 7th grade. When she found out her daughter was learning about the Islam religion as part of the curriculum, she was furious!
Edmisten said her daughter’s “personal religious beliefs were violated” while learning about Islam in her social studies class. Her daughter was given a zero for her work when she opted out of the class. “Those are zeros that we proudly took, and we will not compromise. I will not give up this fight,” says Edmisten.
Edmisten was so upset she launched a crusade against the textbooks used in the school, claiming they go against the beliefs of the county.She brought her concerns to the school board meeting.
“It is time as parents, teachers, and administrators we stand up and take back our families, our schools, and our country,” she said. “I would like to see parents, Christians, veterans, anyone that’s anyone, stand up for this fight. How can I, as a Christian, say that I have these values? And I want to instill these values in my daughter.”
Edmisten was upset with the teachers too. She said it is up to their discretion (or lack of) on whether or not to force her daughter to learn about Islam. She is fighting to have the textbooks completely removed from schools. She believes the material is not age appropriate. Because of school board protocol, the books will not be removed until 2019.
The National Council for Social Studies had this to say about the matter:
“Knowledge about religions is not only a characteristic of an educated person but is necessary for effective and engaged citizenship in a diverse nation and world. Religious literacy dispels stereotypes, promotes cross-cultural understanding and encourages respect for the rights of others to religious liberty.”
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