The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to reverse recent “biased, racist and exclusionary” changes to its statewide social studies curriculum, including removing all references to Palestine as part of a process that excluded input from Maryland’s Muslim and Arab community.
CAIR said the revisions, undertaken in coordination with Jewish community leadership but without any consultation with Arab or Muslim educators and advocates, would result in the complete erasure of Palestine from the curriculum, a move the organization condemns as disingenuous, harmful and exclusionary.
SEE: Maryland social studies curriculum update reflects concerns about antisemitism
The controversial rewrite is billed as part of an initiative aimed at addressing antisemitism. In addition to removing any reference to Palestine, the social studies curriculum would stop educating students about any events in Israel and Palestine after 1994, erasing critical history and developments necessary to understanding current events.
In a statement, CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“The complete removalof any reference to Palestine from Maryland’s social studies curriculum is a blatant erasure of Palestinian history that not only marginalizes Arab and Muslim students, but also undermines the very goals of inclusive education.
“The unacceptable and dishonest message that this committee has delivered is that combating antisemitism mandates erasing the existence, history and lived experiences of Palestinians, who are currently being subjected by the Israeli government to among the worst forms of slaughter, mass destruction, ethnic cleansing, and genocide in modern history.
“The social studies curriculum was revised without any meaningful input from some of the most directly impacted communities, including Maryland’s Arab and Muslim community, and it implies that some narratives deserve more prominence than others. Education should not be weaponized to silence or exclude under the guise of combating hate. Rather, it should empower students with critical thinking and the truth.
“Students deserve factual and comprehensive representation in how history is taught. At a time when society needs honest, nuanced understanding of global conflicts more than ever, MSDE must demonstrate its commitment and ability to exhibit moral courage in objectively upholding the truth in order to preserve integrity in this institution.”
CAIR has issued a formal letter to State Superintendent Dr. Carey Wright and the Maryland State Board of Education outlining the following demands:
1. Reopen the curriculum development process to include Arab and Muslim scholars, educators, and advocates.
2. Restore accurate historical references to Palestine and ensure the “Israeli-Palestinian conflict” is taught in its full, accurate context spanning decades, including the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide and campaign of forced famine in Gaza.
3. Establish a formal advisory committee inclusive of impacted voices previously excluded—particularly Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs—for all relevant curriculum revisions.
4. Publicly acknowledge this oversight and commit to prompt structural reforms that prevent similar occurrences in the future.
CAIR has requested a meeting with Dr. Wright and relevant Board members to address these concerns and chart a path forward.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR Maryland Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Syuardi, ksyuardi@cair.com, 202-850-9293