Presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden told a Muslim audience he wants public schools to teach more about Islam.
He was addressing the “Million Muslim Votes” summit hosted by the Muslim political action committee Emgage Action, reported the Christian Post.
“I wish we taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith,” said Biden, a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
See his comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RravqCAhby4
“I wish we talked about all the great confessional faiths. [Islam is] one of the great confessional faiths. What people don’t realize is … we all come from the same root here, in terms of our fundamental basic beliefs,” he said.
Emgage Action endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and now backs Biden.
“Donald Trump has fanned the flames of hate in this country, across the board, through his words, his policies, his appointments, his deeds and he continues to fan those flames,” Biden said. “Under this administration, we have seen an unconscionable rise in Islamophobia, including kids being bullied at school and hate crimes in our communities.”
Biden claimed Trump put people “with open Islamophobia” in key leadership roles in the Department of Defense and U.S. Agency for International Development.
“What message does this send to the rest of the world?” he asked.
The Christian Post said that despite “calling out administration officials he accused of being Islamophobic, Biden mentioned nothing in his speech about confronting the presence of radical Islamic extremist groups that are responsible for the killing of thousands around the world.”
Biden slammed Trump over his “vile Muslim ban,” but the Post noted it was not a ban on Muslims. It was an executive order during the first days of the Trump administration that temporarily halted immigration and refugee resettlement from Muslim-majority nations that failed to meet “minimum security and information-sharing requirements.”
Biden claimed that what followed was “nearly four years of constant pressure and insults and attacks against Muslim American communities, Latino communities, black communities, AAPI communities, Native Americans.”
He promised that as president he would incorporate the ideas of Muslim Americans on everyday issues.
The Christian Post pointed out that many public school districts already have units on Islam in high school and some in middle school social studies class.”
Conservative commentator and former Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate Wayne Allyn Root reacted on Twitter: “Outside of radical Dementia-crats, his comments scare the be-Jesus out of Americans. ‘Teach Islam in schools.’ No wonder they keep him in basement”
Christian Broadcasting Network Chief Political Analyst David Brody tweeted, “Christianity and its history/values are being eliminated/distorted in public schools and @JoeBiden wants MORE teachings on Islam?”
