The new school year is upon us and Access Islam , a program backed by the Department of Education, is under fire again after being accused of being an Islamic extremist indoctrination program. This program claims to educate school children about religious diversity, but it is specifically geared toward Islam. Not surprisingly, this Islam for public schools agenda was initiated by Barack Hussein Obama.

Clarion Project (h/t Frederic F) Children in grades 5 through 12 are required to learn about the Five Pillars of Islam then asked to make posters about them, read and interpret Islamic scripture from the Children in grades 5 through 12 are required to learn about the Five Pillars of Islam then asked to make posters about them, read and interpret Islamic scripture from the Quran and provide examples on how Muslims implement these lessons into their everyday lives.

In Virginia, students in the program were required to copy the shahada , the Muslim declaration of faith, which declares, “There is no god but Allah , and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”

In New York, students were shown videos of Islamic terrorists justifying their attacks against Israelis.

In Massachusetts, students were given reading materials funded by Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, which advocates for “Palestine.” While these textbooks were being used in schools, there was a rise in the amount of anti-Semitic acts committed.

It should be noted that the U.S. Department of Education backing Access Islam contradicts the United States’ stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States has shown public support for Israel and does not recognize a country called “Palestine.” How can the U.S. publicly support Israel while simultaneously support anti-Israel ideologies being taught in its public schools?

There is a certain point where education transforms into indoctrination, in this case, Islamic fundamentalist indoctrination. Many people have accused Access Islam of crossing this lin e, based on the fact that no other religion is taught this thoroughly, if at all, in American public schools and with no critical eye.

Parents across the U.S. have objected to a Department of Education program called “ Access Islam .” The federally-funded program is directed at children from grades 5-12 and is also featured on various websites, including PBS Learning Media.

Parents charge that the course amounts to nothing less than proselytizing about Islam in public schools. In addition, they note that the Department of Education provides no comparable study or promotion of any other religion.

A video from the course prominently features a Christian convert to Islam, who declares emotionally how he has found the true religion without any “intermediaries.”

In addition to videos, students are given worksheets to learn the Five Pillars of Islam and how to pray. Children are also expected to memorize verses from the Quran and know the meaning of those verses.

In fact, no other religious program of this scale has been backed by the U.S. Department of Education. Moreover, in states where the program is taught, it is not offered as an elective course, but rather a required subject. The program is not even taught in religious studies classes (which most American public schools do not offer).

Students encounter Access Islam lesson in their mandatory classes, such as history and geography.

There have been multiple cases of parents requesting that their child receive an alternative assignment, but their requests have been refused. Children are told they will receive a failing grade if they do not complete the Access Islam assignments.

There has been a nationwide outrage against this program in recent years and with a new school year about to start, it is important to get all the facts out.

Access Islam is more of an Islamist indoctrination program than an educational program. It lacks the objectivity required to legally implement a program of this manner in our public schools.

Maryland

Clarion Project As part of the school’s “World History” curriculum, high school students in Maryland were taught extensively about Islam — without any context of current events — and required to list the benefits of the religion.

In one homework assignment obtained by a news outlet, the question was asked: “How did Muslim conquerors treat those they conquered?” The correct answer was, “With tolerance, kindness and respect.”

One parent, John Kevin Wood, who objected to the mandatory class said, “I don’t force my religious views on them, so don’t force your religious views on me.”

His wife, Melissa, noted, “We cannot discuss our Ten Commandments in school but they can discuss Islam’s Five Pillars?”

The couple asked that their daughter be excused from this part of the curriculum and given an alternative assignment, a request which was refused. The father was told that the assignment must be done or his daughter would receive a zero. Students are allowed to opt out of other modules in the high school, for example, sex education.

New Jersey

Two mothers who spoke up about the courses on Islam that they charge amounted to indoctrination about Islam were smeared with the label of “Islamophobes” after bringing up the issue at a school board meeting. The mothers objected that their children were required to learn intricacies of Islam but no similar courses were being taught about Christianity or Judaism.

One of the mother’s also noted that her son her was previously censored for proselytizing when he was in fourth grade for a presentation he made about giving to the poor which cited a line from the Bible.

An op-ed written against them for a local newspaper generated a considerable amount of hate mail on social media sites and even animosity at the grocery store.

Massachusetts

Charges that teaching materials about the Middles East are biased and funded by Saudi, Palestinian, and other Arab states were levied against Newton high schools.

One of the books the schools recommend as reading material included extremist writings by Muslim Brotherhood leaders Sayyid Qutb and Yusuf Qaradawi, who is known for his sermons calling for the murder of Jews and homosexuals.

Newton schools officials have continuously refused to make school curricula and teaching materials available to residents.

Public pressure previously forced the high schools to discontinue using the Saudi-funded Arab World Studies Notebook, which makes spurious charges against Israel. The book has been rejected by a number of other school districts as well. School officials claimed the book helped to develop the students’ “critical thinking skills.”

A number of anti-Semitic incidents were reported in Newton high schools during use of the book. School officials, in violation of mandatory reporting procedures, failed to inform parents and police of the escalating incidents.

Watch below a video about the indoctrination of high school students in Newton:

Tennessee

Concern about a course in Islam, which parents charged amounted to religious indoctrination, reached all the way to the Tennessee state legislature where a bill was passed allowing local school boards to decide how they want to teach about religion.

Parents were concerned about a course teaching about the Five Pillars of Islam that they charge was giving false information to children. As a result, in many locations in Tennessee, the curriculum was streamlined and in some cases, the course was been cut out entirely.

Virginia

In 2015, parents and students protested after a teacher asked students to copy the shahada , the Islamic declaration of faith, as an example of Arabic calligraphy. The shahada states: “There is no God but Allah , and Mohammed is his messenger.”