Florida Dad Upset Over Islam Lessons At His Son’s Public School
Florida dad Ron Wagner is upset about a lesson about Islam in his son’s world history book. Wagner feels the text and the school has gone too far with the course instruction, which reportedly included a lesson that teaches Muhammad is the messenger of God.
“Students were instructed to recite this prayer as the first Pillar of Islam, off of the board at the teacher’s instruction. For it to be mandatory and part of the curriculum and in the textbooks, didn’t seem right,” Ron Wagner said about the Islam lesson at the Seminole County, Florida, school.
The chapter in the history book is called the “Rise of Islam,” and includes text of the faith’s prayers and scriptures, directly from the Koran, according to a WFTV News report. One part of the world history textbook lesson at Lyman High School reportedly reads, “There is no god, but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God,” Wagner added.
According to Wagner, the first 100 pages of the of the religious-based chapters in the Lyman High School textbook which relate to Judaism and Christianity are missing. The Florida school district said that omission was a “defect” caused by a manufacturer error which impacted 68 books. The Florida school also said that the “Pillars of Islam are benchmarks in the state curriculum” and must be taught.
Dr. Michael Blasewitz oversees the curriculum at Lyman High School. Blasewitz allegedly became frustrated and “stormed out” when 9 Investigates asked whether the district is considering changes to the curriculum. “You’re just going to walk away from our interview when we’re trying to get information,” Daralene Jones, an investigative reporter for the news station, asked the school administrator. Before walking out of the interview Dr. Blasewitz reportedly further justified the Islam curriculum. The Florida educator reportedly said that students “learn specific Judaism doctrine, the Bible and its scriptures” during their “earlier school years.”
“If anything, it’s a little imbalanced toward Christianity and Judaism,” Blasewitz said. Some of the Lyman High School students interviewed by administrators reportedly said they were not required to recite the Islamic prayer aloud, but did “discuss” a video played during the class.
Lyman High School is a public high school located in Longwood, Florida, a city located approximately 10 miles north of Orlando. The school, founded in 1924, has been consistently ranked among the best in the state by the Florida Department of Education, according to the Washington Times.
What do you think about the Lyman High School history class about Islam?
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