Texas: Textbooks are 'pro-Islamic, anti-Christian'?

In a Friday vote, the Texas Board of Education agreed to warn publishers to eliminate the pro-Islam, anti-Christian bias that the board's conservative, evangelical members say has crept into history textbooks. As an example of past "distortions," the resolution points to a world history book that describes atrocities committed by Christian crusaders while ignoring similar atrocities by Muslim fighters. Is the board, which has already pushed to make Texas schools more friendly to conservative views, just trying to make textbooks more accurate, or are they politicizing education? (Watch the heated debate)

This is pure, anti-Islamic fear-mongering: The members of the evangelical ruling bloc on the Texas school board never tire of "making spectacles of themselves," say the editors of the Austin American-Statesman. This resolution will accomplish nothing, except stirring "anti-Islamic sentiment that conservatives see as politically advantageous."

"Quest to put ghosts on notice"

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Pro-Islam bias has no place in textbooks: Texas is right to say no to "the whitewashing of Islam" in school books, says Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs. The "toxic leftist/Islamic propaganda" machine is trying to hijack "our children's minds" by twisting the truth about Muslims and Christians on campuses everywhere in the U.S. The Texas vote is one "that should be taken in towns across America."

"Texas Board of Ed to vote on Islamic supremacist bias in textbooks"

What phony outrage: Pay no attention to this latest "outbreak of fundamentalist victimhood," says Charles Johnson at Little Green Footballs. The "Republican religious fanatics of the Texas State Board of Education," the "most un-Constitutional school board in the country," are just jumping on the "anti-Muslim bandwagon." The offending books were updated and replaced in 2003. "That’s right — they’re freaking out about books that haven’t been used for seven years."

"Return of the Texas Taliban: Schoolbooks are anti-Christian"