海角大神

When she immigrated to the United States from Iran as a child, Elika Dadsetan-Foley says she was taunted 鈥渁t school 鈥� for being a terrorist and heard terms 鈥� that have to do with having a lot of sand where I came from. I asked my parents, 鈥業s there even sand in Iran? What does this mean? Do they know something about my heritage that I don鈥檛 know?鈥欌��

Eventually, Ms. Dadsetan-Foley converted to Catholicism. 鈥淚 wanted to shed one more layer of difference,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 thought to myself, I can try to assimilate this way.鈥�

Currently CEO/executive director of VISIONS Inc., a nonprofit training and consulting organization specializing in diversity and inclusion, Ms. Dadsetan-Foley taught civics at High Tech High School in San Diego in the late 2000s. She says she seriously considered how she taught about other cultures and values. 鈥淲hen I think about values, I think, Are we teaching them through a white, monocultural lens?鈥�

鈥淥ur public school system鈥檚 historic role was to provide a common set of values,鈥� says Michael Kirst, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University and former president of the California State Board of Education. 鈥淸Public schools] exist in particular to socialize and provide a values perspective for immigrants.鈥�

But that begs the question of what values should be taught and how. Whenever teachers stand at the head of a classroom, they convey foundational principles 鈥� often through the simple ways they relate to their students. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a question of whether we should teach values; it鈥檚 happening [regardless],鈥� Ms. Dadsetan-Foley says.

Introduction or indoctrination?

Debates about values education have gone on for decades 鈥� often with considerable tension. Recently, much of the conflict has centered around how educators teach their students about Islam and Islamic values.

Students in Chatham Middle School in New Jersey undertake a World Cultures and Geography class in the seventh grade, including a unit on the Islamic faith in the context of the Middle East and North Africa. In January 2017, Libby Hilsenrath was reviewing her son鈥檚 schoolwork when she learned about the Islam-related unit.

Ms. Hilsenrath complained to the school district and appeared on Fox News to discuss her concerns. Following her television appearance, viewers threatened school officials and Board members. 鈥淭he threats were serious enough to have police at the middle school and the district administration building,鈥� says Melissa Cavallo, whose children attend Chatham Middle School.

A year after her initial complaint, Ms. Hilsenrath filed a law suit against several Chatham school officials, the board of education, and the school district. The Thomas More Law Center represented her pro bono, as part of their mission to defend and promote 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Judeo-海角大神 heritage and moral values.鈥� One of their key goals is 鈥渃onfronting the threat of radical Islam,鈥� which, they say, has already 鈥渋nfiltrated鈥� many sectors of society, including the schools.

The suit alleged that the school was promoting the Islamic faith. At the center of the complaint was a five-minute video introduction to Islam that included statements like 鈥淎llah is the one God,鈥� The Quran is a 鈥淧erfect guide for Humanity,鈥� and 鈥淢ay God help us all find the true faith, Islam.鈥�

Ms. Hilsenrath argued that the school proselytized on behalf of Islam by exposing middle school students to a video that 鈥渟eeks to convert viewers to Islam and is filled with the religious teachings of Islam.鈥� The suit also complained about a worksheet with a link to a webpage that explains 鈥渢he ease with which they could convert to become Muslim.鈥�

In November 2020, Ms. Hilsenrath鈥檚 case was dismissed with prejudice. 鈥淭here is, to be sure, a line to be drawn between teaching about religion and teaching religion,鈥� Judge Kevin McNulty wrote in the decision. 鈥淥n this record, I must conclude that the school did not cross that line.鈥�

Who loses in these clashes?

Conflict over teaching about Islam is not limited to Chatham. Similar complaints have arisen from coast to coast. These conflicts are not victimless.

On the one hand, when education about different belief systems is stunted, students lack an adequate understanding of other cultures. For those living in homogenous areas, this may be their only opportunity for a different perspective.

鈥淚 remember there not being any religious diversity in the town to speak of,鈥� says Guy Citron, an alumnus of Chatham Middle School. 鈥淚 was one of only a few Jewish kids.鈥� In this case, he says, 鈥淭he school district was legitimately trying to raise awareness about what other people in other countries have as far as religious tradition goes ... because they weren鈥檛 going to learn about Islam from their fellow students.鈥�

Mr. Kirst also notes that there is 鈥渟ome evidence that ethnic studies help students understand others of different ethnic backgrounds or heritage鈥� 鈥� and that this understanding may help students 鈥渄o better in other subjects.鈥澛犅�

On the other hand, if teachers hold that 鈥渂elief in Judeo-海角大神 principles is foundational to being an American鈥� 鈥� as Richard Thompson, chief counsel and president of the Thomas More Law Center, advocates 鈥� Muslim children could find it difficult to feel a sense of belonging in the classroom.

鈥淚 think the conflict itself, may have reaffirmed several things to 鈥� Muslim students in the school system,鈥� Mr. Citron says, 鈥渃ertainly that Chatham has closemindedness issues.鈥�

Those affirmations can have impacts on children, Mr. Kirst says. 鈥淭his is also about student self-esteem.鈥�