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Schools in Augusta County will be closed Friday after students were given a calligraphy assignment that directed them to copy the Arabic for “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
Extracurricular activities, including sporting events, were also canceled through the weekend.
The school district said they were closing schools after parents objected to the World Geography curriculum, which led to media coverage, which led to “phone calls and electronic mail” that raised concerns because of their “tone and content.”
The district’s statement said there was “no specific threat of harm to students” but they were closing downs schools “on the recommendations of law enforcement and the Augusta County School Board out of an abundance of caution.”
As to the lesson itself, the district said the assignment was not "designed to promote a religious viewpoint or change any student's religious belief." But because of concern, the district said future world religion assignments would use "a different, non-religious sample of Arabic calligraphy."
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