schools close as Islam assignment prompts backlash

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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-schools-threats-idUSKBN0U11LD20151218

Wy, ats jus ignernt! How els we gonna lern howz to giv em fernerz gud ol Mercan propergander ifn we duzint no they langauge?

Sumunz gittin upty in Verginy, ats wut!

How can you say, "there is no god but Allah" in Arabic, considering Allah is simply Arabic for 'God'?

Erm... "but" means "except" here. They are saying that Allah is the only god.

Anyway, it's not really clear to me from the article why schools needed to be closed. Are they saying that they simply got sick of all the parents' phone calls and said "to hell with you all - no more school for you!" or what?

I assume the assignment is for cultural/language studies. The choice of statement is unfortunate as it's actually what new converts must declare in front of an Imam to enter islam.

I'm well aware of that. So "there is no god but Allah" is simply "there is no god but God". Since Allah is just the Arabic word for 'God', it can't be used to tell the Muslim God apart from any other monotheistic one, at least in Arabic.

I wonder what the reaction would have been if students had had to practice handwriting by writing out the Nicene creed, or another Christian statement of belief?

My guess is outcry from the people supporting this teacher, and support from the people who are complaining...

This is the basic statement of faith in Islam AFAIK and that is the usual English translation, so really not much to be said about it. In the Old Testament, there is a phrase spoken by God which is usually translated as "I am that I am" (I don't recall whether I have seen the Hebrew this comes from). Same sort of thing. Probably a general problem translating Semitic languages into English.

Apparently, the teacher also "invited" female students to hear a head-scarf, as is the norm for Muslim women. That request -- in addition to the statement that she chose for them to write (as calligraphy practice) -- led to the backlash :

School shut down over protest on lesson on Islam

Student forced to try a head scarf


Laurel Truxell, a student in the class, told an NBC affiliate in Charlottesville, Virginia, that she at first refused to try on the head scarf, but “the teacher pushed and pushed and pushed so I did it,” she said. Her parents called the school to object after Laurel was told a picture of her wearing the head scarf would be submitted to the yearbook, she said.

I don't see how this assignment is "Islamic". I also don't see how it makes any educational sense. If it should have been shut down, it's because it sounds stupid to ask kids to practice calligraphy outside of arts class.

Yeah, and imagine getting some Muslim kiddies in Saudi Arabia to recite Hail Mary or something (perhaps be baptized too).

Excellent point, Dillogic.

The generic word for deity (small-g "god" in English) in Arabic is "ilah", while the one God of Abraham (capital-G "God") is "Allah" – which itself is a contraction of "al-ilah" (THE God).

1. It's intended to refer to the same god of Judaism and Christianity
2. Christians say the same thing.
3. It's not wrong because it's Muslim, it's wrong because it's a statement of faith. Promoting a religion is illegal in public schools.