I am not sure which is more infuriating –
- The ludicrous assignment handed to eighth graders in the Rialto Unified School District, miles and days from civilization, or
- That the inattentive parents of the district have not yet filed a single protest.
But what would you expect when the interim super of the Rialto District is one Mohammad Z. Islam and the district spokeswoman is Syeda Jafri.
Probably just a coincidence.
Why not ship Rialto and its ignorant, bigoted denizens to Munich or Berlin with one-way tickets – or better yet, a Muslim land where they all can frolic happily ever after, hating Jews without fear of contradiction.
Sixty-eight years and a few days have passed since the Holocaust and World War II ended.
Why, in this supposedly enlightened era when many who were alive at the time survive today, does this outrageously ugly, hateful question arise, in a region run by a gentleman named Islam?
Coincidence? No doubt.
Granted that Jews are scarce in a neighborhood so distant from urban living, even if Rialto’s population is 100,000.
The Daily Breeze’s newspaper group reports this morning that, in the name of learning to develop critical thinking skills, Rialto eighth graders have been asked to determine whether the Holocaust happened or was perpetrated by devious Jews.
From Hitler’s ghost, the KKK and communities of Jew-haters, I would expect this preposterous premise to be raised. But in a government school?
Sheer coincidence, undoubtedly.
“When tragic events occur in history,” the assignment says, “there is often debate about their actual existence. For example, some people claim the Holocaust is not an actual historical event, but instead is a propaganda tool that was used for political and monetary gain.
“Based upon your research on this issue, write an argumentative essay, utilizing cited textual evidence in which you explain whether or not (sic) you believe the Holocaust was an actual event in history or merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain.
“Remember to address counter-claims (rebuttals) to your stated claim…”
Scrambling to defend the Rialto district from the hate-fueled examination, Ms. Jafri burbled to a reporter: “There is no doubt the Holocaust was one of the most horrific, traumatic timepieces in our history,”
Yeah, sure, baby. Tell it to your therapist in Saudi Arabia.