State education board finalizes anti-Islamic rewrite of Texas social studies lessons
Summary
The Texas State Board of Education approved new social studies lessons for high school students that include descriptions of Islam focusing on violence and military campaigns. Muslim community members and some experts disagreed with this portrayal, saying it is inaccurate and harmful, but the Republican majority on the board supported the changes.Key Facts
- The board requires students to learn that “radical Islam” motivated the 9/11 attacks instead of focusing on specific groups like al-Qaeda.
- New lessons describe early Islam through “brutal military campaigns,” slavery, and the taking of female captives, which experts say is not accurate.
- Muslim Texans and scholars testified that the portrayal distorts Islamic history and causes harm to Muslim students.
- The board rejected efforts to remove the word “brutal” from the curriculum.
- The lessons omit positive contributions of Muslims to fields like math and astronomy.
- A Muslim-American EMT who died during 9/11 trying to save lives was mentioned as a contrast to the broad claims linking Islam to violence.
- The Republican majority on the board also approved changes to K–8 social studies and a Bible reading list earlier in the year.
- The Council on American-Islamic Relations said that the new lessons exclude and misrepresent communities and warn it could affect others in Texas history education.
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