Coptic Christians Protest Indoctrination of Islam In Public Schools

Coptic Christians in California are in protest against indoctrination of Islam in the state’s public schools. More than 200 Coptic Christians recently gathered outside Royal Oak Intermediate School, passing out information to falsify altered versions of the Koran that are being used in many public schools. There was a sidewalk protest yesterday, Dec 1, known as “peaceful educational seminar,” with a number of experts in Islam who are able to quote the Koran in Arabic and English.

American Middle-East Christian Associate (AMECA) was appalled by the assignment given to students at Royal Oak Intermediate School in Covina. A world history teacher at the school gave an extra credit assignment that involved practice of Islam tradition such as fasting during the month of Ramadan and exploring other tenets of Islam so that the students can gain greater understanding of Islam religion.

AMECA is a large group of Coptic Christians who fled the Middle East after their family members were murdered, raped, or had their houses burned down by Muslims.

The spokesperson of AMECA, Steve Klein, who tries to stop people from being misconceived of Islam as a peaceful religion, believes the teacher who initiated such assignment has “bought into the lie that Islam is a peaceful religion.”

Klein notes that President George W. Bush and others continue to call Islam a religion of peace, and the teacher in question apparently shares this misconception. "We've contacted and spoken to this gentleman -- he's a very kind, very nice Catholic," Klein says, "and he's under the impression that Islam is a peace-love-dove religion. He wants all the kids to know how peaceful and loving and kind Islam is, which is certainly not the truth of the Koran."

Klein says several Korans being passed around in the California public schools have been altered and all the words having to do with killing, hatred, and jihad have been taken out. "Now it's all peace and love, and the kids are being brainwashed," he says.

Klein says it puts him and other Christians into outrage that the traditions of Christianity and Judaism are not allowed to practice in public schools because of the constitution that separates church and state yet Muslims are allowed not only to practice Islam in schools but to push their religion on other students.