Is curriculum too pro-Islam?
About 800 school districts in the state of Texas use a curriculum known as ‘CSCOPE.’ When it comes to religion, the curriculum gives background on all of the world's major religions, including Islam. Activist Ginger Russell says the curriculum treats Islam with kid gloves.
“It’s very pro-Islamic and it’s anti-Christian. It portrays Islam as being a very positive thing and it gives links for the children to go to that are anti-Christian,” Russell explained.
Russell, who met with the Texas Board of Education to air her concerns on Thursday, said the people behind the curriculum just don’t get it.
“Islam is not a religion. It’s a political ideology. And if you are raising our children in the public schools having a positive view of Islam, this is just horrible,” Russell told KTRH.But Ed Vara, the Deputy Executive Director of Academic Services at CSCOPE says Russell’s concerns are unfounded.
“Don’t blow it out of perspective. There isn’t a hidden agenda here. I think that’s part of what folks are playing on,” Vara told KTRH.
Vara says the curriculum just gives background information on Islam, nothing more.
“We do have material that talks about what Islam is; some basic tenets about it. It’s not indoctrination. That’s not the role that we play,” Vara explained.
While Vara says the CSCOPE program deals with all of the world’s major religions, Russell says the curriculum is too pro-Islam and needs to teach kids about the other side of the religion.
Hear the podcast with Matt Patrick and Houston's Morning News as he talks with Ginger Russell:
