TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
County closes schools over response to lesson on Islam
Virginia: Samer Shalaby, member of the Islamic Center of Fredericksburg's board of trustees, shows plans of the organization's proposed new site during a public meeting at the Chancellor Community Center in Spotsylvania County , Va
Change Size
Virginia: Samer Shalaby, member of the Islamic Center of Fredericksburg's board of trustees, shows plans of the organization's proposed new site during a public meeting at the Chancellor Community Center in Spotsylvania County , Va.,on Nov. 17, 2015. The meeting was cleared after after someone was heard saying they were threatening Islam. Muslims around the U.S. are facing backlash following the deadly attacks in Paris, including vandalism to mosques and Islamic centers, hate-filled phone and online messages and threats of violence. (The Free Lance-Star via AP/Peter Cihelka/) (The Free Lance-Star via AP)
V
span class="inline inline-center">Virginia: Samer Shalaby, member of the Islamic Center of Fredericksburg's board of trustees, shows plans of the organization's proposed new site during a public meeting at the Chancellor Community Center in Spotsylvania County , Va.,on Nov. 17, 2015. The meeting was cleared after after someone was heard saying they were threatening Islam. Muslims around the U.S. are facing backlash following the deadly attacks in Paris, including vandalism to mosques and Islamic centers, hate-filled phone and online messages and threats of violence. (The Free Lance-Star via AP/Peter Cihelka/)
Security concerns have prompted officials in a Virginia county to close schools after parental objections to a world geography lesson that included Islam.
Augusta County School Board President Eric Bond announced Thursday that schools would be closed Friday.
Bond says the decision was made "out of an abundance of caution" after consulting with law enforcement. He says there was no specific threat to students but did not elaborate on the safety concerns.
Media outlets report that a Riverheads High School teacher last week asked students to complete an assignment that included practicing calligraphy and writing a Muslim statement of faith. Students weren't asked to translate the statement or recite it.
Bond says that the school district received "voluminous" phone calls and emails about the lesson.
The county canceled extracurricular activities through the weekend.
