Christian Parents Angry That Their Kids Will Learn About Islam in School

If you’re in seventh grade, the Tennessee Board of Education says your social studies class must include discussion about what Islam teaches, how it spread throughout world history, and how Muslims have contributed to mathematics, art, literature, etc. Pretty basic stuff.

But a Christian group plans to hold a silent protest outside Vance Middle School in the city of Bristol today, because they don’t want their children to be indoctrinated in any of this “education” bullshit.

“The protest will be a silent Christian protest with signs and a banner, we hope to have at least 100 people show up,” Emily Kausch, who’s planning to attend, wrote in an email to the Bristol Herald Courier.

The organizer is parent Patty Kinkead, who said she is “sort of the representative for Tennessee Against Common Core in this area.” She said she removed her fourth-grade son from the Bristol Tennessee school system because of Common Core.

“My son did go to Bristol Tennessee Schools last year and then I pulled him out to home-school him,” Kinkead said Wednesday. “I’m involved with Tennessee Against Common Core. I want to actively educate people about what Common Core is and some of the parts of Common Core that are most offensive. One of the most offensive parts is the Islam content that is with Common Core.”

Common Core sets standards. It doesn’t dictate curriculum. You’d think someone vocally opposed to it would know that. But Kinkead doesn’t exactly strike me as someone who puts much thought into this issue. It’s Islam, therefore it’s evil.

What sort of protest signs will her group have, I wonder, to warn parents against the scourge of — wait for it — learning about people with different beliefs, especially when those beliefs have had a serious impact throughout history?

Is it even possible to understand world history without talking about what Islam teaches? Forget the middle school’s curriculum. I’d love to see what she uses at home.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Michelle for the link)