TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A Muslim activist group says a bill that would require the state’s school districts to review textbooks used in classrooms creates an unfunded mandate and opens the door to biased learning materials.
Ghazala Salam, with the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, says the bill unfairly burdens school boards with the approval of textbooks, which is now handled at the state level. School boards can currently select textbooks from a list drawn up by the Florida Department of Education or review the books at the district level.
The group contends the bill sponsored by state Sen. Alan Hays is based on an anti-Muslim bias. Hays introduced the measure after hearing complaints from constituents that a history book emphasized information about Islam and underrepresented Christianity.
