A Massachusetts Dad Is Upset Over The Way His Son’s Public School Teaches About Islam

Anthony Giannino has pulled his son out of the Revere, Massachusetts, public schools over the way a textbook allegedly promotes Islam, WHDH is reporting.

At issue is a textbook used as part of the Revere schools’ curriculum that teaches elementary schools about world religions, including Islam. Daily Caller education editor Eric Owens writes that the textbook in question teaches Islam to Massachusetts schoolchildren “in the most embarrassingly shallow and cheerleading way imaginable.”

“Allah is the greatest. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is his prophet.”

The textbook also praises Islam’s founder, Muhammad.

“Muhammad never expected to change world… Muhammad had a strong sense of right and wrong.”

Revere parent Anthony Giannino is having none of it.

“No religion should be taught at school. In their paper it says Allah is their only God. That’s insulting to me as a Christian who believes in just Jesus only. We don’t believe in Allah. I don’t believe in my son learning about this here. If my son was from another country and came here, he would have been catered to. But where he’s not being catered to, they give him an F.”

Mr. Giannino pulled his son out of school, and has started a petition to get the textbook — and presumably, lessons about Islam in general — removed. He claims that he has support among other parents.

“They should also say to you, ‘in history, your son is going to learn about Islam,’ send out a letter.”

The superintendent of Revere Public Schools in fact did sent out a letter, although it happened after Mr. Giannino’s outrage.

“I want to be very clear that no religion is taught with the purpose of converting students to that religion.”

Not all Revere parents are as outraged about the Islam curriculum as Mr. Giannino. Parent Idalia Garcia says that she teaches about religion at home, so what’s the harm in it being taught in school?

“What is Muslim about, what is Christianity about. That’s what I teach at home. Everybody should respect everybody else’s religion.”

And parent Ovidio Raffa doesn’t see any problem with the Islam curriculum, either.

“When you’re talking about a specific region in the world, there’s going to be traditions and there’s gonna be religions that children should learn about.”

This is not the first time the subject of Islam being taught in public schools has generated controversy. Earlier this month, according to this Inquisitr report, a Michigan teacher asked high school students to create “Islamic propaganda.”

Have your children been taught about Islam in their public schools, and if so, was it taught objectively (in your opinion)? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image courtesy of: Deviant Art]