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From Contra Costa Times A FEDERAL LAWSUIT AGAINST the Byron school district's teaching of Islam to seventh graders will focus on the very significant difference between teaching and indoctrination. Public schools must obviously balance that difference skillfully and sensitively because the fact is any world history course worth its weight must address religion. After all, the reality is religion is often at the heart of controversies that have shaped our world, for better or worse. The question of whether creative teaching methods can be construed as indoctrination is the core of the lawsuit brought by the Thomas More Center for Law and Justice in Michigan. The suit charges that when Byron students simulated various exercises about the Islamic faith, including dressing in traditional clothes, assuming Muslim names, memorizing Islamic prayer and playing a dice game that acted out jihad, or holy war, they were subjected to indoctrination. Although the state mandates seventh-graders students learn about Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions, Byron chose to simulate only Islam in the fall of 2001 for three weeks. At the time, in a post-Sept. 11 environment, many Americans were grappling with understanding more about this religion. In fact, this lesson simulation was held up as creative teaching, and at the same time critics blasted it as unpatriotic. It certainly went beyond simple textbook regurgitation of facts, which is the noble goal of all good teachers as they develop lesson plans. In fact, if the district had exhibited such extensive lessons for other religions the state wants our children to learn about, the indoctrination claim could easily be dismissed as unfounded. But it didn't, and this lawsuit is proceeding. It should be watched very carefully by both school administrators and citizens. The ultimate irony is that this situation may actually teach Byron students more about civics than religion.                      BACK TO NEWS INDEX