After reading the article, it was clear to see that there is a presence of authoritarianism. An assignment that asked high school students in their world geography class to copy a Muslim creed in Arabic calligraphy. The teacher was trying to demonstrate the “artistic complexity of calligraphy.” This had led to terrible circumstances as parents of the students felt as though the teacher was forcefully converting the students to Islam faith. Parents rioted against the school district, disturbing student’s from the curriculum. This resulted to the closing down of the entire school which displays authoritarianism. The school district had similar hands-on activities to other religions and cultures, not just Islam. Therefore, the practice of a certain religion is not pressured onto any student to follow. Although, I do agree, the teacher should not have forced a student to wear a head scarf. Teachers should be cautious when teaching a controversial lesson.
Alisha Alex