The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday by evangelical Christian students and their parents who said a Contra Costa County school district engaged in unconstitutional religious indoctrination when it taught students about Islam by having them recite language from prayers.
The court, without comment, left intact a ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco last November in favor of the Byron Union School District in eastern Contra Costa.
The suit challenged the content of a seventh-grade history course at Excelsior Middle School in Byron in the fall of 2001. The teacher, using an instructional guide, told students they would adopt roles as Muslims for three weeks to help them learn what Muslims believe.
She encouraged them to use Muslim names, recited prayers in class, had them memorize and recite a passage from the Quran and made them give up something for a day, such as television or candy, to simulate fasting during the month of Ramadan. The final exam asked students for a critique of elements of Muslim culture.
The students and parents who sued argued that the class activities had crossed the line from education into an official endorsement of a religious practice. A federal judge and the appeals court disagreed, saying the class had an instructional purpose and the students had engaged in no actual religious exercises.
Y’all know damn well if this was the same fucking thing except instead of an Islamic religion it was Christianity/Judaism then the ACLU would of been all over the teacher and the school. But where the fuck is the ALCU now? This case went all the way to the Supreme Court and no where in sight was the ACLU banging their fights in anger. Does the whole separation of church and state only apply to Christianity/Judaism?
4 Comments
sonya
October 4, 2006 at 4:50 pmWell for starters it seems like the ACLU only hates those of the Judeo-Christian persuasion. Second, they ARE the most hypocritical sons of bitches around. IMO.
Tim
October 5, 2006 at 5:04 pmDon’t forget you’re quoting one of the most liberal newspapers from the most liberal city in the whole world. They are popping champaigne corks over this one!
Eddie D.
October 10, 2006 at 4:13 pmIt seems like this was an exercise in cultural awareness, and not an ongoing practice of religious instruction in this class. There’s a big difference. If what the kids got out of it was a greater understanding of another culture, which is what Social Studies classes are all about, then where is the problem?
You see, you ignorant conservative butt-heads think that laws that protect the rights of the accused are a danger to the innocent, when in fact they protect the innocent by assuring that only those found guilty by due process of law are punished in our society. That is what the ACLU strives to preserve. But you seem happy to assume that being accused of a crime, or being from a certain country or ethnicity, is sufficient grounds for punishment. You make great Nazis, but really shitty Americans.
Amanda
October 10, 2006 at 10:34 pmOh Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.
You know damn well that if this had been the same thing except that it was teaching the children about Christianity that you and the other jackass supporters of the ACLU would have your panties in one hell of a big bunch. So go cry about me being a Nazi and butt head to your ACLU loving communist morons. Cause I don’t give two shits.