I just got this and it was really disturbing that people are letting this go by. I think its really hurtful when young children are targeted as such. if any of you have the time, please email the distributers of the book about how wrong and racial the book is. It does no us no good to have a book like this been read out to our kids.
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CAIR Muslim Parent Alert
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)Alert #234
453 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, D.C., 20003
NEW Tel: 202-488-8787
Fax: 202-659-2254
E-Mail: [email protected]
URL: http://www.cair-net.orgMIDDLE SCHOOL READER DEFAMES ISLAM
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 2/15/2000) - CAIR is warning
Muslim parents about
a middle school reading text that contains a number
of inaccurate,
offensive and stereotypical references to Muslims,
Muslim women,
Arabs, and Islam.“The Terrorist,” written by Caroline B. Cooney (ISBN
0-590-63913-7)
and published by Scholastic Inc. (Nasdaq: SCHL),
deals with an
American student at a private school in London who
seeks revenge for
the death of her 11-year-old brother killed by a
package bomb. Its
back cover carries the statement: “This edition is
only available
for distribution through the school market.”The book was brought to CAIR’s attention by a
concerned Muslim
parent whose daughter read it based on a list
provided by her
teacher.A few examples of offensive content in “The
Terrorist:” (There are
many more examples available.)Page 77 - “‘What country are you from, Mohammed?’
she asked.
‘Palestine.’ [said Mohammed] 'That’s not a
country…It’s Israel.
It’s been Israel since before my father was
born…Is Mohammed a
Palestinian who would throw a bomb?”Pages 107 and 108 - Muslim girl named Jehran
speaking: “I will not
yet be sixteen. The man chosen for me is a general
in his fifties. I
will be his third wife. His is a traditional
household. I will be
forced to wear a black robe like my servant, and
have my face
covered by a solid veil with eye slits. I will not
be permitted to
leave my house. I will not be allowed books to read
or television to
watch or a radio to listen to…It is living
death…My money would
be his, and I would never be permitted to touch it.
I would obey my
husband always, no matter how painful or cruel or
wrong. I would
have no purpose except to give birth to sons. If I
had a daughter,
he would punish me and quickly get me pregnant
again.”Page 111 - “Islam. You thought that religion was a
pact between you
and God, but it wasn’t…Men who hated women. Men
who wanted women
literally locked in their clothes and their homes.”To top off this offensive and stereotypical
material, the author
reveals that “The Terrorist” was in fact the girl
who is trying to
escape the “living death” of a Muslim marriage. The
girl killed the
heroine’s brother just to obtain his passport. So
even the “good”
Muslims are bad.In a letter to Scholastic President Richard
Robinson, CAIR asked
that the book be recalled because it is “targeted at
a captive
audience of impressionable middle school students”
who, unlike adult
readers, do not have a choice in what they read and
absorb.In response to CAIR’s request, Scholastic’s Senior
Vice President of
Corporate Communication Judy Corman wrote in part:
“Taking the book
as a whole, as a novel is intended to be considered,
we believe the
book represents a contribution to the dialogue about
commonly held
attitudes and preconceived notions.” Scholastic is a
$1.2 billion
global children’s publishing and media company.IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED: (As always, be firm,
but POLITE.)
- Contact Scholastic to express your concerns, as a
Muslim parent,
about the negative impact this type of offensive and
stereotypical
material has on your children and their classmates.Contact:
Mr. Richard Robinson
President/CEO
Scholastic Inc.
555 Broadway
New York, NY 10012TEL: 212-343-6100
FAX: 212-343-6930
E-MAIL: [email protected]
COPY TO: [email protected]
URL: http://scholastic.com/
Find out if “The Terrorist” is on the reading
list used in your
child’s school. If it is, bring the stereotypical
content to the
attention of school administrators. Muslim children
should also
express their views about the impact this book could
have on their
lives. Suggest alternate titles such “American
Islam: Growing Up
Muslim in America” (ISBN 0802783430) or “Kiss the
Dust” (ISBN
0140368558).Obtain copies of CAIR’s 16-page booklet, “An
Educator’s Guide to
Islamic Religious Practices,” for distribution to
teachers and
school administrators. ($3+S/H)TALKING POINTS:
Offensive material in a book used as assigned
reading for
students is not the same as similar content in a
book that would be
freely, and voluntarily, accessed by adults.The material concerning Islam’s alleged treatment
of women is
inaccurate as well as offensive.
- PLEASE COPY, POST, DISTRIBUTE, ANDANNOUNCE -
COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS (CAIR)
Southern California
2115 W. Crescent Ave., Suite 260
Anaheim, CA 92801
Tel: (714) 776-1847
Fax: (714) 776-8340
E-mail: [email protected]
URL: http://www.cair-net.orgTo subscribe/unsubscribe to CAIR Southern
California’s e-mail list,
send an e-mail to [email protected]