Abu Dhir has been writing about Yahyia Emerick and his publisher Noor Art. But I’ve been thinking more about the Weekend Learning textbooks, written by South Asian immigrants like me. I’ve been reading through their textbooks with great concern.
Emerick offers his readers a clear and consistent ideological message. His readers know exactly where he stands. It may be odious, but at least it’s honest and unambiguous.
The authors of Weekend Learning are not as overtly hard-line as Yahyia Emerick. A parent picking up their textbooks designed for Sunday School might initially not notice any problems. The first page of one of the textbooks has the word God written in English, Arabic, and Hebrew. A section recognizes that “some Jews and Christians are actually better in the sight of Allah than some Muslims.” The authors are not afraid to admit: “The conditions of women in some Muslim countries are often deplorable.”
At first glance, Weekend Learning seems like a great solution for parents whose kids are in public schools without any religious instruction. Alas, parents who read a bit closer will be disappointed.
I hope Abu Dhir can look into the authors of these books because they are terrible.