The Texas State Board of Education on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a sweeping rewrite of high school history, government and geography standards that explicitly ties the September 11 terrorist attacks to radical Islam. The move signals a decisive shift in Texas’ approach to teaching American and world history.
Controversial Curriculum Overhaul
The 7‑member Republican majority voted 6‑1, despite protests from Texas Muslim groups, and the final vote is slated for Friday. Critics argue the changes threaten religious neutrality in public schools.
Student curricula will now require identification of the significance of the September 11, 2001 attacks motivated by radical Islam, and will cover the violent history surrounding Islam’s rise, including Prophet Mohammed’s military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes, the normalization of slavery, and the practice of taking female captives as harem slaves, according to the draft document. These provisions aim to present a comprehensive, albeit controversial, view of Islamic history.
The proposal also mandates study of jihad ideology, its role in the expansion of Islam, and the conquest of Christian lands, plus a modern examination of radical Islam through Iranian proxies and U.S.-designated groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The language seeks to link historical conquests with contemporary extremist movements.
In June, the same board also adopted new K‑8 social studies standards and a mandatory reading list for grades one through twelve that foregrounds Judeo‑Christian heritage, a move first reported by The Daily Wire. The list includes biblical passages and classic literature intended to emphasize the state’s religious roots.
Mandated titles include a picture‑book adaptation of David and Goliath for elementary students, the story of Adam and Eve for older grades, and biblical passages from Jonah, Psalms, Genesis and Lamentations, alongside classic works such as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. These selections aim to embed Judeo‑Christian narratives across the curriculum.
The curriculum shift follows a separate legal victory in which Texas legislators secured a court decision allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom, a ruling that now faces a pending Supreme Court petition. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the display, potentially reshaping religious‑expression precedent.
Governor Greg Abbott condemned the inclusion of Islamic foot‑washing stations at Dallas‑Fort Worth International Airport, calling the plan illegal and threatening to cut state funding, a stance he outlined in a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. He argues the facilities single out a religious subset and violate state law.
Democratic state Representative James Talarico (D‑TX) has led opposition to the Bible‑centric curriculum, arguing that forcing any religion on students violates the principle of equal treatment for Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist and Christian pupils. He says such mandates betray the pluralistic values of Texas public schools.
Talarico warned that imposing a Christian narrative on Texas classrooms would betray the values of love and inclusion he says Jesus would uphold, adding that such policies could provoke unrest in the legislature. His remarks underscore the growing partisan divide over history education in the state.
