As the acceptance of once taboo ideals like gay marriage and legalized marijuana signify a more progressive United States, the temporary closure of a school district as a result of a lesson semi-related to Islam paints a very different picture. Let’s face it; the actions of ISIS and other extremist Muslim groups around the world have resulted in Americans stereotyping the actions of all Muslims and the teachings of Islam. And as silly as generalizing an entire religion is, the coverage of Islam in the media and the negative connotations surrounding Islam as a whole make disliking anything relating to Islam easier than ever. In the Virginia school district case this distortion of Islam caused the district to adopt authoritarianism as a way to suppress “this evil” as one parent put it, and appease the Christian parents, perhaps creating a dangerous precedent for future situations involving certain religions and races.
Matthew Epstein