Readers of this blog have presumably heard the news about a small number of parents in Greenville, Virginia who complained and threatened to pull their children out from school because children were learning about world religions, and one activity involved trying to imitate the calligraphy in which the Arabic statement of faith was written on the worksheet.
I want to address any such parents in Virginia that might be listening, and anyone else who thought the response in question was appropriate. I want to ask you how you would feel if parents in a predominantly Muslim country complained and threatened to pull their children out of school because children learned what Christians believe, and were asked to do something like copy John 3:16 in English (a language we’ll assume they don’t speak, just as your children were asked to imitate calligraphy in a language they do not understand), or draw a Christmas tree, or anything else you’d like to substitute.
Would you not be hurt that members of the Christian minority in that country were viewed with this kind of hostility? Would you not find it objectionable that people are not even allowed to learn about your tradition? Would you not think it ridiculous that the majority group had so little confidence in its own tradition, that it feared anyone even learning what your tradition believes?
Consider that, and then do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The Golden Rule applies in this situation, as in all others.
For everyone else, click through to read Al Jazeera’s coverage of the incident, which includes a great many quotes from others in the community who are dismayed by these statements and actions by a small xenophobic minority.
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