SPIRITUAL LIFE IN BRIEF

Published Saturday, June 7, 2008

Parents object to Muslim presentation at school

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (AP) - Parents of some junior high students are upset they weren’t notified about a school presentation on Islamic culture, an omission that violated school district policy.

The parents’ letter-writing campaign stems from a May 22 presentation at Friendswood Junior High, where two Muslim women gave a 30-minute presentation about Islamic life as part of a yearlong study of respect, tolerance and culture. The school is on Texas’ Gulf Coast between Houston and Galveston. The guest speakers discussed Muslim culture, including topics such as beliefs, food and dress.

District policy states parents are to be informed about presentations so that they can keep their children out if they think the material might be offensive or inappropriate. Still, district spokeswoman Karolyn Gephart said, "If you pulled a book about Islam from the library, you would find the same stuff in the book. There was no proselytizing."