The Islamic Saudi Academy in Fairfax, VA has been using text books which teach 12th graders that it’s permissible for Muslims to kill those who convert out of Islam. The Academy is funded by the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Saudi Ambassador sits on its board. The Academy’s website states that their “Islamic Studies Program is unique and comprehensive” and leads of by stating that the students study Arabic (but I’m not sure what is so unique about Arabic language studies when it comes to Islamic studies).
This report from the Washington Post about the June 9, 2008 arrest of the Academy Director also mentions the textbook situation.
Indeed, the law of apostasy in Islam is clear regarding how Muslims should treat former Muslims who have left Islam. The teachings and actions of Muslims demonstrate this reality. For example:
Afghan scholar Dr. Niaz Faizi Kabuli writes on pages 106 and 107 in his book, Democracy According to Islam, “We must point out, however, that Islam is strict as regard apostasy. . . . punishment is death for a person who, after having adhered to these dogmas, reject them.” Here “a person who. . . . adhered to these dogmas” means a former Muslim.
(By the way, Dr. John Esposito at Georgetown University’s Prince Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding has written an endorsement of Dr. Kabuli’s book. “Niaz Faizi Kabuli’s Democracy According to Islam, “ Esposito writes, “provides an early and important analysis of the scriptural and conceptual resources of Islam that are relevant to contemporary discussion of the compatibility of Islam and democracy.” Therefore the Saudi’s should not be too quick to denounce Kabuli’s book as a fringe work.)
On September 10, 2001 (a day of tolerance toward the Islamic law of apostasy) Hadi Elmi of the Islamic Education Center in Houston, TX was protesting and chanting “death to Rushdie” in front of the theater where the writer was invited to speak. According to The Houston Chronicle Elmi said, ”those who commit evil must be punished”.
The textbooks also teach that Muslims are justified in taking the property and lives of those they call “polytheists”. Note to Hindus: the Muslims put you in this category.
According to the June 17, 2008 Washington Post article,
The school issued a statement saying the textbooks had been mistranslated and misinterpreted and that some of the textbooks studied by the commission are no longer in use. But the statement offered no detailed explanation of the specific passages cited by the commission, and school officials have not returned calls seeking comment.
Generally, the school has said in the past that some of the textbooks it uses come from Saudi Arabia and contain harsh language inappropriate for use in the United States. The school has said it revises the textbooks as needed.”
Indeed, the commission found evidence that individual passages were removed from individual textbooks, sometimes covered up with correction fluid.
It sounds like the Saudi Academy is saying that they are trying save the harshest teachings of Islam for their students for the semesters they spend in Saudi Arabia since the Americans are too sensitive about things like Muslims killing Hindus and former Muslims.
It’s time for the Islamic Saudi Academy to forget what is “inappropriate for use in the United States” and instead come out clearly and teach that Islam tolerates, allows, and embraces freedom of religion to the extent that Muslims are free to leave Islam.
On September 17, 2001 I wrote that it’s time for moderate Muslims in America to renounce the law of apostasy in Islam. That time is past due.
Let the renouncing of the law of apostasy be printed in their Arabic language text books. You never know what might happen next. Maybe the Islamic Saudi Academy can be a conduit of tolerance back into Saudi Arabia to forever transform Islam into a religion of peace and love and tolerance where Christians can worship freely in Mecca and even buy up a few local mosques to change them into churches.
