Thursday, October 05, 2006

Eklund v. Byron School District

By refusing to allow an appeal, the United States Supreme Court has now confirmed that the public schools may teach your children how to pray to Allah, but not to Jehovah or to God as taught by Jesus Christ.

California public schools had a role-playing teaching device on Islam. Students were encouraged to take Muslim names, to memorize Koranic verse and to pray to Allah. Outraged parents challenged the teaching in Eklund v. Byron School District in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. On December 5, 2003, United States District Judge Phiyllis Hamilton ruled that the Byron School District program did not violate the First Amendment separation of church and state. the Nith Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that decision.

The parents and other interested persons (known as "amicus") asked the United States Supreme Court to review the decision. On October 2, 2006, the United States Supreme Court issued its order refusing to review the case.

Bottom line: Teaching Islam is OK in schools. Teaching Christianity or Judaism is not. At least in the Ninth Circuit.

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Gender Silliness