California textbooks have Islamophobic content: US Muslims
Tulsi Gabbard, the first-ever Hindu elected to the US House of Representatives, has asked a Californian educational board to give Hinduism its due place in school text books and not to describe it inaccurately as ‘religions of ancient India’.
California State Board of Education is in final stages of revising and updating the K-12 History-Social Science Framework for public schools.
In a letter ahead of their final hearing on Thursday, Gabbard – who represents the Democratic Party from Hawaii — urged the board to preserve Hindu history and identity by restoring all references to “Hinduism” that were removed or replaced with the ahistorical and inaccurate phrase, like “religions of Ancient India, including but not limited to early Hinduism”.
“Replacing Hinduism with the term ‘religions of Ancient India, including but not limited to early Hinduism’ is not only inaccurate, but it will cause confusion for students and teachers alike,” she said in her letter dated July 8, a copy of which was obtained by PTI.
In the letter, Ms Gabbard also urged the board to acknowledge the positive roles played by women in Ancient Indian and Hindu society.
Meanwhile, a group of 15 top American Muslim organisations have alleged that a California board, responsible for developing school textbooks, is injecting “Islamophobic content” in the new curriculum. “The injection of Islamophobic content into the teacher’s manuals would inflame how student discussions are framed. Students, teachers, and communities all suffer when the content is rigged to cause disruption,” the group said in a letter to Board.
