Op-Ed: High school’s misguided Islamic Art assignment shows ignorance on all sides

LONG ISLAND PRESS
By Mark Grabowski

A rural Virginia school district cancelled classes and a holiday concert after being flooded with angry messages over a school calligraphy lesson that involved copying a Muslim statement of faith in Arabic.

A Virginia high school geography teacher’s controversial Arabic calligraphy writing assignment last month is the latest unfortunate example of ignorance in America. Ignorance of history and the law, that is. Located in rural Shenandoah Valley, the Augusta County public school district made national headlines on Dec. 18 when it closed all of its facilities after outraged parents voiced concerns over a homework assignment asking students to write Islamic religious statements by copying Arabic calligraphy. [link]