Redefining Jihad for California School Students

California's public school students are being hoodwinked by a loose consortium that includes the school bureaucracy, textbook publishers and Islam apologists.

Let's put this in perspective. Over the past few years we have had numerous examples where the separation of church and state has been used to sweep nativity scenes, crosses and the Ten Commandments from public property. City seals have been changed despite their historic accuracy--(history itself being interpreted as a breach of the church and state stone wall I suppose.) Recently a Michigan school district went so far as to use its students as an instrument to try and force secularization of the municipal Dickens' Christmas Festival.

But, if religion is truly this offensive, dangerous or contrary to the principles contained within our Constitution, how then does Islam get the blessed opportunity to present a demonstrably false representation of itself through the public school system?

An Islamic "jihad" is an effort by Muslims to convince "others to take up worthy causes, such as funding medical research," according to a middle school textbook used in California and other states.

And even at its most violent, "jihad" simply is Muslims fighting "to protect themselves from those who would do them harm," says the "History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond" book published by Teachers' Curriculum Institute.

Hasan Al-Banna's, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood has a different take when he instructs other Muslims. From Jihad Watch:

Jihad is an obligation from Allah on every Muslim and cannot be ignored nor evaded. Allah has ascribed great importance to jihad and has made the reward of the martyrs and the fighters in His way a splendid one. Only those who have acted similarly and who have modeled themselves upon the martyrs in their performance of jihad can join them in this reward. Furthermore, Allah has specifically honoured the Mujahideen {those who wage jihad} with certain exceptional qualities, both spiritual and practical, to benefit them in this world and the next. Their pure blood is a symbol of victory in this world and the mark of success and felicity in the world to come.

Those who can only find excuses, however, have been warned of extremely dreadful punishments and Allah has described them with the most unfortunate of names. He has reprimanded them for their cowardice and lack of spirit, and castigated them for their weakness and truancy. In this world, they will be surrounded by dishonour and in the next they will be surrounded by the fire from which they shall not escape though they may possess much wealth. The weaknesses of abstention and evasion of jihad are regarded by Allah as one of the major sins, and one of the seven sins that guarantee failure.

Islam is concerned with the question of jihad and the drafting and the mobilisation of the entire Umma {the global Muslim community} into one body to defend the right cause with all its strength than any other ancient or modern system of living, whether religious or civil. The verses of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Muhammad (PBUH {Peace Be Unto Him}) are overflowing with all these noble ideals and they summon people in general (with the most eloquent expression and the clearest exposition) to jihad, to warfare, to the armed forces, and all means of land and sea fighting.

So, what should be taught in our schools, the concept of jihad as a Muslim would want a non-Muslim to believe, or the concept of jihad as a Muslim leader would want other Muslims to believe?

Or, outside of the jihad's impact on history, why should the school do either?