2 dozen schools in Virginia closed after homework assignment

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Cheryl LaPorte, a world geography teacher at Riverheads High School, assigned her students homework using a standard workbook on world religions that asked students to copy religious calligraphy.

The assignment read: "Here is the shahada, the Islamic statement of faith, written in Arabic. In the space below, try copying it by hand. This should give you an idea of the artistic complexity of calligraphy."

The calligraphy translated to, "There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah," according to CNN.

Read more at: www.businessinsider.com/islam-homework-assignment-virginia-school-closings-2015-12

[weltschmerz]

ymam.proboards.com/thread/47931/paranoid

[Tennesseer]

An article from the local newspaper covering Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, Virginia.

Support for Riverheads teacher and Islam lesson

GREENVILLE — Just a few days after more than 100 people met in fury over a world geography assignment at Riverheads High School, support is increasingly being heard for the embattled teacher. And a Facebook page organizing a Tuesday protest against the calligraphy lesson was flooded with comments pushing back against the anti-Muslim rhetoric. Eventually the page's creators took it down rather than host the comments.

Cheryl LaPorte, a veteran teacher with Augusta County Schools, had asked students to practice Arabesque calligraphy by copying an Islamic statement of faith, known as the shahada, as part of a class on world religions, including Islam.

LaPorte's lesson was part of a survey of different religions. When students study a different part of the world, they also learn about that region's culture, religion and political systems. Students had studied Christianity and Judaism then had moved on to Islam. They will also learn about Hinduism and Buddhism. Comparative religions is part of every world geography students' required standards for Standards of Learning tests.

Complete article here:

Support for Riverheads teacher and Islam lesson

So Cheryl LaPorte's class has already studied Christianity and Judaism this year and now it was Islam's turn.

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Dec 19, 2015 18:23:50 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

An article from the local newspaper covering Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, Virginia.

Support for Riverheads teacher and Islam lesson

GREENVILLE — Just a few days after more than 100 people met in fury over a world geography assignment at Riverheads High School, support is increasingly being heard for the embattled teacher. And a Facebook page organizing a Tuesday protest against the calligraphy lesson was flooded with comments pushing back against the anti-Muslim rhetoric. Eventually the page's creators took it down rather than host the comments.

Cheryl LaPorte, a veteran teacher with Augusta County Schools, had asked students to practice Arabesque calligraphy by copying an Islamic statement of faith, known as the shahada, as part of a class on world religions, including Islam.

LaPorte's lesson was part of a survey of different religions. When students study a different part of the world, they also learn about that region's culture, religion and political systems. Students had studied Christianity and Judaism then had moved on to Islam. They will also learn about Hinduism and Buddhism. Comparative religions is part of every world geography students' required standards for Standards of Learning tests.

Complete article here:

Support for Riverheads teacher and Islam lesson

So Cheryl LaPorte's class has already studied Christianity and Judaism this year and now it was Islam's turn.

I'm guessing it was more over the translation than the actual lesson.   It was poorly chosen to put that specific translation for the lesson; but let's just pretend to miss the reason most people probably showed concern to push some sort of misguided PC nonsense because we all know if students were required to write out something similar for Christianity there would be no issues whatsoever....and no groups would already be up in arms about having students write out the equivalent as part of an assignment. 

[Deleted]

I'm sure they would have had no problem though, if their kids were writing "רוח אלוהים עשתה אותי ,והנשימה של הקב"ה נותנת לי חיים" in the original Hebrew during their study of Ancient Christianity...


Hypocrites.

[whoisjohngalt]

Dec 19, 2015 20:03:12 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

I'm sure they would have had no problem though, if their kids were writing "רוח אלוהים עשתה אותי ,והנשימה של הקב"ה נותנת לי חיים" in the original Hebrew during their study of Ancient Christianity...


Hypocrites.

I would have a huge problem with it. 

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Dec 19, 2015 20:03:12 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

I'm sure they would have had no problem though, if their kids were writing "רוח אלוהים עשתה אותי ,והנשימה של הקב"ה נותנת לי חיים" in the original Hebrew during their study of Ancient Christianity...


Hypocrites.

What's the translation?

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2015 21:11:13 GMT -5 Politically_Incorrect12 said:

Dec 19, 2015 20:03:12 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

I'm sure they would have had no problem though, if their kids were writing "רוח אלוהים עשתה אותי ,והנשימה של הקב"ה נותנת לי חיים" in the original Hebrew during their study of Ancient Christianity...


Hypocrites.

What's the translation?

Not supposed to quote Bible verses here... but considering the content of the thread and that I'm not pushing the religion... I hope I won't get into trouble... here's the translation:

The Spirit of God made ​​me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life
(it's Job 33:4)

Ancient Hebrew is calligraphically similar to Arabic... That's why I used the original Hebrew language of the Christian Bible as an example.

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2015 20:56:04 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Dec 19, 2015 20:03:12 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

I'm sure they would have had no problem though, if their kids were writing "רוח אלוהים עשתה אותי ,והנשימה של הקב"ה נותנת לי חיים" in the original Hebrew during their study of Ancient Christianity...


Hypocrites.

I would have a huge problem with it. 

If so, you would very likely be in the minority of Christians with a problem with it...

[whoisjohngalt]

Dec 19, 2015 21:20:09 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

Dec 19, 2015 20:56:04 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I would have a huge problem with it. 

If so, you would very likely be in the minority of Christians with a problem with it...

I am not a Christian.

[Deleted]

Dec 20, 2015 0:17:56 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

Dec 19, 2015 21:20:09 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

If so, you would very likely be in the minority of Christians with a problem with it...

I am not a Christian.

Then the statement I made that you disagreed with didn't apply to you.



ETA: the original story (which can be found via a link inside the story found by following the link in the OP) said

...

Initial reaction from some Christian parents included calls for LaPorte's firing for "violating children's religious beliefs."...

Note the bolded. I was referring to them when I said "they".

[Deleted]

For the record, I'm Agnostic.

I don't have a problem with that passage in Arabic... as long as the teachers are teaching equivalent passages in the native written languages of the native religions of other areas.

I'd only have a problem with ANY "My God is the only real god" type of phrase if it was only taught during ONE specific religion... no matter which religion that was.

[zibazinski]

Under the circumstances this was poorly thought out and very stupid. But I don't believe any religion belongs in a public school except as a brief explanation of something historical.

[Shooby]

Isn't there a thread on this?