Virginia educators want to ban word ‘terrorists’ in favour of ‘extremists’ to avoid Islamophobia
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Publishing date:Sep 01, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
The Virginia Department of Education hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists” when it comes to discussing the 9/11 attacks.
The Virginia Department of Education hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists” when it comes to discussing the 9/11 attacks. PHOTO BY ISTOCK /GETTY IMAGES
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The Virginia Department of Education hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists” when it comes to discussing the 9/11 attacks.
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A training video for educators in the state also instructs them to stop promoting “American exceptionalism” during lessons about the terrorist, er, extremist attacks.
The nearly 105-minute video, which is posted on the VDOE’s YouTube channel is part of a webinar series that focuses on equity strategies, hopes to promote a “culturally responsive and inclusive 9/11 commemoration” and serve as a guide for teachers on how to broach the subject of the attacks “in a way that does not cause harm.”
Led by American University School of Education professorial lecturer Amaarah DeCuir, she lists what she deems appropriate and inappropriate ways to teach about the events surrounding the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
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She suggests that teachers use the word “extremists” instead of “terrorists” to further “disrupt this false equivalency of Muslims and terrorism.”
DeCuir believes that asking students to “stand and condemn 9/11” in a performative way is “highly inappropriate,” and hopes teachers will instead focus on “our shared humanity.”
She also encourages teachers to “extend expectations of equity” to all students, humanize Muslim students and acknowledge anti-Muslim racism.
One parents group slammed the video, telling Fox News it was “hijacking history” and “sanitizing the truth of the 9/11 attack.”
“As an American Muslim parent and journalist who has investigated Islamic terrorism for the past 20 years, it’s offensive, immoral, unethical, manipulative and dangerous,” said Asra Nomani, vice president of strategy and investigations at Parents Defending Education.
“The Virginia Department of Education is woke-washing the 9/11 attacks,” she continued. “It would be like teaching about the Holocaust without discussing Nazi Germany.”
Nomani accused the DOE of “promoting a victim narrative for Muslims by instructing teachers to focus on ‘anti-Muslim racism’ that allegedly sprang out of 9/11.”
She also claimed the department was doing a disservice to the students of Virginia and hopes they will remove the “irresponsible” video and apologize for endorsing “this dangerous rewriting of history.”
Author of the articleenette Wilford
Publishing date:Sep 01, 2021 • 10 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
The Virginia Department of Education hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists” when it comes to discussing the 9/11 attacks.
The Virginia Department of Education hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists” when it comes to discussing the 9/11 attacks. PHOTO BY ISTOCK /GETTY IMAGES
Article content
The Virginia Department of Education hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists” when it comes to discussing the 9/11 attacks.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
A training video for educators in the state also instructs them to stop promoting “American exceptionalism” during lessons about the terrorist, er, extremist attacks.
The nearly 105-minute video, which is posted on the VDOE’s YouTube channel is part of a webinar series that focuses on equity strategies, hopes to promote a “culturally responsive and inclusive 9/11 commemoration” and serve as a guide for teachers on how to broach the subject of the attacks “in a way that does not cause harm.”
Led by American University School of Education professorial lecturer Amaarah DeCuir, she lists what she deems appropriate and inappropriate ways to teach about the events surrounding the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Flag-draped coffins are seen outside the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario on June 12, 2021, during a funeral for four members of the Afzaal family who were killed in what police describe as a hate-motivated attack in London, Ontario, Canada.
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In this file photo taken on September 11, 2001, smoke billows after the first of the two towers of the World Trade Center collapses in New York City.
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Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Article content
She suggests that teachers use the word “extremists” instead of “terrorists” to further “disrupt this false equivalency of Muslims and terrorism.”
DeCuir believes that asking students to “stand and condemn 9/11” in a performative way is “highly inappropriate,” and hopes teachers will instead focus on “our shared humanity.”
She also encourages teachers to “extend expectations of equity” to all students, humanize Muslim students and acknowledge anti-Muslim racism.
One parents group slammed the video, telling Fox News it was “hijacking history” and “sanitizing the truth of the 9/11 attack.”
“As an American Muslim parent and journalist who has investigated Islamic terrorism for the past 20 years, it’s offensive, immoral, unethical, manipulative and dangerous,” said Asra Nomani, vice president of strategy and investigations at Parents Defending Education.
“The Virginia Department of Education is woke-washing the 9/11 attacks,” she continued. “It would be like teaching about the Holocaust without discussing Nazi Germany.”
Nomani accused the DOE of “promoting a victim narrative for Muslims by instructing teachers to focus on ‘anti-Muslim racism’ that allegedly sprang out of 9/11.”
She also claimed the department was doing a disservice to the students of Virginia and hopes they will remove the “irresponsible” video and apologize for endorsing “this dangerous rewriting of history.”
Virginia DOE 9/11 sensitivity training video tells teachers to reject American exceptionalism
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) posted a video on YouTube that trains teachers not to teach students about American exceptionalism during lessons on the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
foxnews.com
Virginia educators want to ban word ‘terrorists’ in favour of ‘extremists’ to avoid Islamophobia
The Virginia DOE hopes to avoid Islamophobia by asking its teachers to drop the word “terrorists” and replace it with “extremists.”
torontosun.com