Virginia parents shut down school over Arabic calligraphy homework

[lego 44,165]

2 minutes ago, LebaneseDude said:

But I thought Arabic isn't the language of Islam.

At least that's what I was always told growing up in Lebanon being force fed that language. 

 

You have your own issues with being or not being Arab and hating that language so I don't think this is going anywhere. Have a good day/night whatever.

 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

3 minutes ago, SubRosa said:

You have your own issues with being or not being Arab and hating that language so I don't think this is going anywhere. Have a good day/night whatever.

 

The swift retreat.

I studied Islamic culture in Lebanese schools because it's part of learning Arabic, as much as I hated the language for being utterly useless and impractical.

If a teacher made us write that statement of religious intolerance, you'd be damn ****ing sure that my mom would have had a fit.

A line was crossed. You haven't proved otherwise.

[lego 44,165]

5 minutes ago, Simon said:

Actually I forgot too add "if it's in Latin letters and not Islam related"

 

 "After a teacher at a Virginia school handed out a standard homework assignment on Islam, such an angry backlash flooded in that it prompted officials to close every single school in the county as a safety precaution.

"While there has been no specific threat of harm to students, schools and school offices will be closed Friday, December 18, 2015," Augusta County Schools said. Extracurricular activities were shut down Thursday 

The homework assignment aimed to give students "an idea of the artistic complexity of calligraphy."

"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."

 

 

They should not teach world religions at all then.

 

Just teach about Santa and you're good.  

[Sister 9,907]

24 minutes ago, MJHolland said:

That's not acceptable in America. We have separation of church and state.

I understand that religious indoctrination was not the goal of the teacher, of course. However, that does not excuse the fact that a religious phrase was forced upon students. This is not a matter of Christianity v. Islam. If the kids had to write a bible verse it would be equally outrageous. 

This is true and all religions are supposed to be treated the same in the education system, no exception.

[Melech 9,900]

4 minutes ago, LebaneseDude said:

The swift retreat.

I studied Islamic culture in Lebanese schools because it's part of learning Arabic, as much as I hated the language for being utterly useless and impractical.

If a teacher made us write that statement of religious intolerance, you'd be damn ****ing sure that my mom would have had a fit.

A line was crossed. You haven't proved otherwise.

So 99% of languages should die out

 

[lego 44,165]

I just can't at all the edits and additions. lol

[Spooky 501]

I don't know where people are coming from with "they were forced to write it". It's a homework assignment, not a Saw trap. If you're learning about a religion, any religion at all, shouldn't it be a given that you learn what they preach? I fully support a separation of church and state, but education is education. 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

2 minutes ago, Simon said:

So 99% of languages should die out

 

Not really. If you use your language in real life it's still useful no matter how annoying it is.

We don't even speak the language, much less apply it.

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

1 minute ago, SubRosa said:

I just can't at all the edits and additions. lol

I just can't at the inability to provide a decent argument beyond "islamophobia" and "get over it".

[Melech 9,900]

1 minute ago, SubRosa said:

 

 "After a teacher at a Virginia school handed out a standard homework assignment on Islam, such an angry backlash flooded in that it prompted officials to close every single school in the county as a safety precaution.

"While there has been no specific threat of harm to students, schools and school offices will be closed Friday, December 18, 2015," Augusta County Schools said. Extracurricular activities were shut down Thursday 

The homework assignment aimed to give students "an idea of the artistic complexity of calligraphy."

"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."

 

 

They should not teach world religions at all then.

 

Just teach about Santa and you're good.  

Yeah, let's talk about a creepy fat white old man

 

[Sister 9,907]

2 minutes ago, SubRosa said:

They should not teach world religions at all then.

I can not see how they can actually, but I know that they do teach at least the basics in middle school, because I have seen some homework assignments on it myself.

[lego 44,165]

2 minutes ago, Spooky said:

I don't know where people are coming from with "they were forced to write it". It's a homework assignment, not a Saw trap. If you're learning about a religion, any religion at all, shouldn't it be a given that you learn what they preach? I fully support a separation of church and state, but education is education. 

 

FORCED I tell ya.

 

[Melech 9,900]

2 minutes ago, LebaneseDude said:

Not really. If you use your language in real life it's still useful no matter how annoying it is.

We don't even speak the language, much less apply it.

Well, you should still learn about it. I personally think that Arab is a really poetic language. 

[LebaneseDude 6,146]

3 minutes ago, Spooky said:

I don't know where people are coming from with "they were forced to write it". It's a homework assignment, not a Saw trap. If you're learning about a religion, any religion at all, shouldn't it be a given that you learn what they preach? I fully support a separation of church and state, but education is education. 

It's a homework assignment. That means it's required. That means it's forced.

Ridiculous.

[Spooky 501]

Just now, LebaneseDude said:

It's a homework assignment. That means it's required. That means it's forced.

Ridiculous.

No, you can totally choose to not do a homework assignment and receive zero punishment. A teacher isn't going to fail you for the year just because you didn't wanna copy a drawing into a box. It is not forced. 

Overreaction, much?