Tarrant activists, officials ask Texas education board to ‘keep Islam out of social studies’

April 12, 2026 - 23:56

A coalition of conservative activists and local officials appeared before the Texas State Board of Education this week, urging the removal of Islamic historical and cultural topics from the state's social studies standards. The group, led by members of the True Texas Project, argued that current curriculum guidelines disproportionately emphasize the religion and its global impact.

During public testimony, speakers contended that lessons on Islamic beliefs, practices, and historical empires should be minimized or excluded to prioritize what they called a "Judeo-Christian" foundation in Texas education. They expressed concern that teaching about Islam in a historical context could constitute religious indoctrination.

The appeals come as the board undertakes its regular, years-long review of the state's essential knowledge and skills for social studies. This process determines textbook content and classroom instruction for millions of students. Proponents of maintaining the current standards, including many academic historians, argue that a robust world history education is incomplete without studying the significant political, scientific, and cultural contributions of Islamic civilizations across centuries.

The board will consider all public input before drafting revised standards, with a final vote expected at a later date. The debate highlights ongoing national tensions over how religions are presented in public school curricula.