Mark Steyn's Antidote to Burqa-Mandating Texas Teachers

American Thinker ^ | February 26, 2013 | Andrew Bostom

[neverdem]

Todd Starnes of Fox News radio reports that Texas State Sen. Dan Patrick, chairman of the senate education committee, is launching an investigation, after outraged parents provided photographic evidence that their Lumberton (Texas) High School children were required to don burqas (and other Muslim garb), as part of an ostensible "geography lesson" on Islam.

Moreover, students, as part of this unabashed Islamophilic indoctrination process at Lumberton High School, were told by their teacher, "we're going to change the way we perceive Islam," who then also proceeded to instruct them to compose an essay, according to the report, "based on a Washington Post story that blamed Egypt's troubles on democracy - instead of the Muslim Brotherhood."

Such involuntary Islamic dawa in school must be thoroughly investigated, condemned, and permanently disallowed.

I suggest as an adjunct "corrective," that it also be required of the Lamberton High School teacher of this geography class, and recommended for the students, to read Mark Steyn's caustic analysis of the murderous Muslim rioting in Nigeria during November, 2002, in advance of the Miss World beauty pageant (prompted by an article in the Lagos newspaper "This Day," which suggested Islam's prophet Muhammad would have been happy to marry one of the contestants). The teacher should be further required, and the students encouraged (with parental accompaniment, given the R-rated language) to watch this video of Steyn's hilarious performance of "My Sharia Amour" (London, Ontario, November 1, 2010).

Below are samples of Steyn's original 2002 lyrics, which he expanded and updated circa November of 2010...

[neverdem]

Check the video, "Muslim is the new gay."

[neverdem]

Ping

[Slings and Arrows]

Steyn ping.

[gleeaikin]

Well, of course this could be handled by asking the girls how they would like to be forced to wear burkas when it is 100 degrees outside all the time, and never be allowed to talk with a male. I’m sure they would quickly learn that Islam is NO fun for women. Then they could read “Infidel” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who describes growing up a girl and living in 3 Islamic countries—Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia. She then escaped a proposed marriage and fled to Holland where she served in their legislature until her friend Theo Van Gogh was murdered for making the anti Islamic film “Submission”. She now lives in the US and works at a conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation, I think, where she has protection from assassination.

[56newblog]

TBOE “Bought and Paid For” to use CSCOPE.

Someone must CAIR about the quality of life of the TBOE..

[gattaca]

I would like to be added to your list

[Casie]

This is the email I received from Mr Valastro:

It appears that we have a group that is focusing on spreading fear about curriculum tool that we use, called C-Scope. Lumberton does not “promote” Islam, but “teaches” a world history as defined by the state of Texas’ objective called the TEKS. Key point. The teacher is a veteran teacher and she is Jewish. Now of all people, if anyone had an agenda to teach the negative aspects of Islam, it might be her. The teacher was teaching about culture and not about a dangerous radical religion .

Question, it more dangerous to teach: “Fear and ignorance” or “educate and understanding”.

I have two daughters, and if nothing else, this gives me an opportunity to discuss the negative oppressive nature of the religion, but at the same time, that people thrive on hate and misinformation.

John Valastro

Superintendent
Lumberton ISD

409-923-7504 Secretary

409-923-7506

409-923-7505 Office

This is my first reply:

Thank you for the reply. If misinformation is indeed out there, perhaps it is you that need to better inform your parents and community. But do not be surprised if the general public still does not agree with your exposing children to Islam.

There is no justification for putting girls in burkas. I am not speaking from "fear and ignorance". I am speaking as a woman who correctly views a burka as a symbol of sex slavery.

This is my second:

Dear Mr. Valastro,

I won't bother you with this again, but now there is an actual photo of girls in your school wearing burkas so your claim that myself and others have been misinformed is infact untrue. Islam and Sharia law make little girls into sex slaves. By dressing our young ladies in a burka you have in essence dressed them as sex slaves. Would you dare dress your black students in farm clothes and chains and have them carry around a bag of cotton? Heck no, you would not! That would be ridiculous! So why on earth do you find it appropiate to dress a young lady in the clothes of slavery?

I hope you can see my point of view on this. I love educators and I still believe that American schools can be the best in the world. But I also believe you should stick to the solid foundations of education and stop being used to promote any political wind that blows across your campus that particular day.

I wish you well.

[Rummyfan]

Not to mention that Mr Velastro needs some basic writing instruction.....

[Eagles6]

Etheopia is still a majority Christian country though for how long I don’t know. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a brave woman.

[Bullish]

Would you dare dress your black students in farm clothes and chains and have them carry around a bag of cotton?

Shhhhh.... don't give them any ideas or the next thing you know....

[Casie]

[SeminoleCounty]

“Moreover, students, as part of this unabashed Islamophilic indoctrination process at Lumberton High School...”

---

Great that Steyn calls it Islamophilia...because that is what this is

See if they would let Saudi girls dress up like western women at a Saudi school....

The absolute ignorance of Islam is scary

[Casie]

Not to mention that Mr Velastro needs some basic writing instruction.....

I know, right!? My first reaction to his letter was to attack his 5th grade writing mistakes. Then I thought better of it and tried to stay focused and brief. I was more than a little surprised to get a reply, honestly.

How did you like his suggestion that because the teacher is Jewish that makes it all totally cool. Besides the programs have impressive names like C-Scope and TEKS, so they must be alright! Heh!

[Westbrook]

The best antidote is to get your kids OUT of the government schools.

The “public school”, including the “charter school”, is BY FAR, the largest, most expensive, most subversive, and most destructive entitlement program in the country.

The “public school” is better understood as the “government school collective”.

It is silly to imagine that you can fix the public schools, because the very concept itself is collectivist.

Any child that comes out of the government school collective with their moral compass and common sense intact does so in spite of the government school indoctrination, not because of it.

To understand the content and compass of modern education, see ...
http://www.scribd.com/doc/54400125/Change-Agents-in-the-Schools-Barbara-Morris-1979

If you want to win the culture war, have lots of children (see my tagline) and homeschool them or form your own school cooperative with your church or synagogue and like-minded friends and relatives.

Nobody loves your children more than you do.

Nobody can teach your children better than you can.

Nobody knows your children better than you do.

Your children would love nothing better than to be taught by you, if you start doing so before they are corrupted by the government school collective.

It is hypocritical for you to submit your children to an authority with whom you fundamentally disagree. And your children will know it.

If you have children, make whatever sacrifices you must to get them out of the public schools.

DO NOT FEED THE BEAST!

Especially not with your own children.

And DO NOT TAKE GOVERNMENT “EDUCATION” MONEY!

He that pays the piper calls the tune, and that’s especially true for any government entitlement program.

[raybbr]

The teacher is a veteran teacher and she is Jewish.

A veteran Jewish teacher? Probably one of the most liberal, self-hating white people on the planet.

[smalltownslick]

A better approach might be to present a corresponding exercise to “change the perception” of Christianity. See how long they get away with that!!

[pas]

Never fear. The ACLU will be all over this violation of their precious separation of church and state.

[FreedomPoster]

Nicely done, other than the feral apostrophe in “girl’s” above the door.

[spirited irish]

Dear Mr. Valastro,

It is a fact that the man whose hands are habitually begrimed with garden soil actually possesses the real-world knowledge required to grow vegetables and not the guy in the pin-stripe suit whose manicured hands push a pencil in an office.

With respect to the issue under discussion, you are the pencil pusher in the pin-stripe suit, hence your woefully ignorant, pompous remarks.

As a teacher it is your responsibility to be factually informed, but you obviously are not. You can however, become truly informed about Islam by taking yourself and your family-—including your girls-— to Egypt or even a more moderate country such as Turkey and live for one year off of the local economy in a local village.

One year of real-world experience in a Muslim village will not only deflate your ‘pomposity’ but will teach you the real meaning of words like hate and intolerance.