'Radical' and 'brutal': Texas curriculum to change how Islam is portrayed

Texas is set to modify how Islam is portrayed in its curricula, according to a new social studies program approved by the Republican-dominated Texas State Board of Education. The curriculum, which will become mandatory for approximately five million students starting in the 2030-2031 academic year, aims to frame early Islam as a violent and oppressive force, contrasting it with the positive attributes of Christianity.

This includes emphasizing the brutal military campaigns of early Islam, while avoiding similar language when discussing Christian wars. Moreover, the curriculum will highlight slavery and female captivity in early Islamic history. Critics, including Muslim lawmakers and civil rights organizations, have criticized the decision as an exercise in selective history that fails to provide accurate, complete, or fair information.

They argue that public schools should teach history, including the history of global religions, without singling out and denigrating any particular religion. Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz defended the move, claiming that students deserve to know the truth about Islam. The decision comes amid a series of actions by Governor Greg Abbott, who has taken a hard-line stance against the state's sizable and growing Muslim population.

These actions include canceling a project to install an ablution station at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair) and the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations, and threatening to withhold state grants from airports that install similar facilities.