Teacher, Mother of 7th Grader Speaks Out about 'Forced Islam Course'

In this exclusive interview on "Jay Sekulow Live," the radio program of the American Center for Law and Justice, Elizabeth Lemings tells Gene Kapp and Jay Sekulow the shocking story about how her son and others were forced to take part in the mandatory Islam course in Byron, CA.
Gene Kapp: Jay, we have been talking about an important case out of California, the Byron California School District where there is a course that is required of seventh grade students there. It deals with Islam and the teaching of Islam but it goes a bit further. There is a course there that requires students to do the following:
To pray in the name of Allah, the compassionate the merciful
To chant praise to Allah, lord of creation
To pretend they are Muslims, wearing Muslim clothing in class
To select a Muslim name from a list to replace their own name.
To stage their own jihad

Elizabeth Lemings is joining us by phone. Elizabeth is a teacher in the school district, also has a son who was required to attend the class in question.

Jay: Elizabeth, what has been the reaction within the community so far to the situation that's developed in your school?

Elizabeth Lemings: There has been an outcry from across the country and back to the school. People have been very shocked to find out that this program was being taught in the public school. Locally the community has downplayed how much this really is a religious program, because they say Islam is a required standard and benchmark that must be covered during the seventh grade.

Jay: And that's not an unusual requirement. I mean, school districts have courses in comparative religions--and that's something that I think is a good thing. The difference in this case--which surprised us--was the nature of the student involvement in what can only be described as a "worship experience" or an attempted worship experience. Children were actually chanting praise to Allah, had to take a Muslim name, and actually engage in the prayer activity.

Gene: Elizabeth, let me ask you this, you had, have a son that has attended that required course and has gone through it much to your dismay. What did the course materials look like, and are we on target here?

Elizabeth: As far as I can discern from talking to my son, they had a Muslim name--his name was Ishmael--and they wrote it on a piece of paper and it was required that he wear it around his neck while in the classroom. They were graded on fulfilling the five pillars of faith: There was a "caravan log" that they had to keep as they did their "pilgrimage." They also had a "faith grade," a "prayer grade," and "alms giving grade," a "fasting grade" along with the "pilgrimage grade."

Jay: One of the things that concerns us here is that you are talking about the five pillars of Islam--which includes the worship experience within the Muslim tradition. Requiring participation in that by the students, in and itself would violate the law. I mean, can you imagine the outcry from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union if there was a course teaching of Christianity like this? A similar course might include saying prayers or the Apostles creed in the classroom where everyone must participate? That's what is so bizarre about this. Have you had any conversations Elizabeth, with the school principal?

Elizabeth: Well, they're looking at it as if it wasn't any big of deal. And I can understand their perspective. But like you said--say we turned it around and taught Christianity in the same way. It would be like us teaching about Catholicism and having the children learn how to say a rosary.

Gene: Or even pretend to celebrate mass or some other religious right that would be connected with Christianity.

Jay: I think the school district has successfully alienated the Jewish community, the Christian community and the Muslim community there in Byron California. Because a sincere Muslim would not want this kind of imitation of a worship service taking place. At the very least, students should certainly have the right to "opt out" of a program like this.

Elizabeth, one of the statements that a been picked up in the newspaper was this concept of a Jihad, that the students had to participate in a jihad themselves. What else was going on?

Elizabeth: Well, they did Jihad by throwing dice in a sort of game.
They had wisdom cards as part of the process, and if you got one, you had to recite one of the Muslim proverbs. When they were actually working in their groups, they were doing other things like drawing pictures. My son drew a picture of Baghdad in the desert and while they were working together as a group, the teacher came and asked them to recite their verse from the Koran. They had to be able to recite it.

Gene: Elizabeth, let me ask you this, has your son already completed the course?

Elizabeth: Yes.

Gene: Is it still being offered even in light of the controversy?

Elizabeth: Well, we have no understanding of what their intentions are for it next year, but it is already completed for this year.

Gene: How many parents feel the same way you do about what has taken place?

Elizabeth: I am not real sure how many parents in my school district feel the same way as I do. But I do have about seven parents that I keep in contact with and they have made me aware of their concerns.

Jay: Well, the whole country is talking about this--in fact there is an article today in the Washington Times. There have been reports in most of the major papers and on radio. We've received requests from people all over the country, more than 40-thousand have signed a letter that's going to your governor as well as the superintendent of education there in California. So we're starting to receive a ground swell of support to-- at a minimum --provide for an "opt out" so that students can have an alternative assignment within the context of learning about Islam--and not be forced to participate in this worship service.

Gene: Jay this underscores what we've been talking about here. In a legal letter to the school district last week, you made this assertion: The mandatory nature of this course violates the constitutional rights of students by making them participate a worship activity.

Jay: It also violates the constitution, as I said, you can imagine what the ACLU would be doing if they were discussing Catholicism or there was a celebration of the Mass or any other Christian service. You can imagine the outcry from groups like the ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Unfortunately, political correctness seems to be carrying the day and we don't hear much from these groups on this particular situation. We are very concerned about it though, so concerned that we've issued this letter to the leadership within the state of California. And we're going to continue looking at the legal options before us. At a minimum, we want an "opt out" option for students and at the end of the day, we may try to have this curriculum changed so it doesn't provide the mandatory worship nature this event.

Gene: In a few short days, more than 40,000 people have signed on to this letter that's going to the governor and the state superintendent in California.