Houston Muslim leaders say they are registering about 1,000 voters a week at area mosques after the State Board of Education adopted new social studies standards.
Islamic Society of Greater Houston President Emran Gazi described the effort at a press conference where Muslim leaders and their allies criticized the new standards, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“I can guarantee you, if you all go out and vote this time, Muslims’ vote will make a difference in Houston and Harris County,” Gazi said, according to the Chronicle.
The press conference focused heavily on the State Board of Education’s recently adopted social studies standards, which critics at the event argued portray Islam unfairly.
Daa’iyah Farooq, a retired Houston school counselor, said the curriculum could lead some children to view themselves as inferior and others as superior, according to the Chronicle.
“We are not asking the board to hide an uncomfortable history, but to apply the same intellectual standard to everyone,” Farooq said.
The Islamic Society of Greater Houston also oversees a network of Islamic schools throughout the Houston area and describes itself as an organization serving Muslims throughout the Houston area.
“Five full-time Islamic schools throughout the Greater Houston Area educate over 1000 children from Pre-K through high school under the Islamic Education Institute of Texas (IEIT), a subsidiary of ISGH,” the organization states on its website.
“ISGH also offers over 10 Weekend Islamic Schools and several hifz schools to thousands of Muslim children in our community,” the organization added.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Texas education officials approved new high school social studies standards following months of debate and public testimony.
The State Board of Education gave final approval on September 4 to revised standards for Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for U.S. History, U.S. Government, World History and World Geography. The standards also implement legislation passed by Texas lawmakers requiring instruction on certain civics topics and communist regimes and ideologies.
Moms for Liberty members were among those who urged the board to approve the new standards ahead of the final vote.
State Board of Education Member Brandon Hall told The Dallas Express that the political fight would now move to the November election.
“First we beat them at the SBOE, now we will defeat them at the ballot box in November by electing Ken Paxton and the entire Republican ticket,” Hall told DX.
The Dallas Express reached out to the Islamic Society of Greater Houston for comment but did not receive a response by publication.
