Fairfax County Public Schools is facing criticism for a new instructional guide on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, which retired Vice Admiral Lou Crenshaw says downplays the role of extremist ideology and the severity of the event. Crenshaw, who was in the Pentagon when it was attacked, described the guide as overly focused on Muslim sensitivities and insufficient in teaching the historical context of the coordinated terrorist assaults by al-Qaeda.
The six-page document, titled "25th Anniversary and Commemoration of 9/11," reportedly dedicates a significant portion to creating "safe spaces" for Muslim and Middle Eastern students, while only a smaller percentage addresses the specifics of the 9/11 attacks. Critics argue this approach sanitizes history by avoiding a direct link between the attacks and the extremist interpretation of Islam used by al-Qaeda.
Crenshaw, who served in the Navy for over three decades, was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, when a hijacked plane struck the building. He recounted the chaos and destruction, emphasizing that the attacks were a strategic act of war carried out by a religious extremist group. "What we saw in 9/11 was a religious extremist group, al Qaeda, who did not tolerate what the United States was doing around the world, and decided to react violently," Crenshaw stated.
The Fairfax County guide advises teachers not to "associate the 9/11 attacks with Islam or Muslims" and not to "center the extremists or the acts of the extremists." Instead, it directs educators to focus on the victims and first responders. The document also warns that lessons might "intensify anti-Muslim and anti-Middle Eastern rhetoric" and instructs teachers to challenge "Islamophobic rhetoric."
In contrast, the guide mentions military families only three times and first responders once. It references Islam, Muslim families, and anti-Muslim racism 30 times, including a section on "Responding to Racism, Hate, and Bias against Muslims and Middle Eastern People."
A statement from Fairfax County Public Schools acknowledged the community's "deeply personal connection to September 11" due to its proximity to the Pentagon and its military-connected families. The district stated its commitment to remembering the victims, survivors, and first responders, and to creating an inclusive environment where all students feel welcome and respected.
However, Crenshaw argues that by omitting a clear explanation of the ideology behind the attacks, the guide fails to convey the full lesson of 9/11. He believes that while it is important to avoid shaming Muslim students, the historical context and the nature of the perpetrators' motivations are essential for students to understand. The guide's approach, he contends, makes the commemoration "vanilla" and hinders a true understanding of the events and their perpetrators.
This debate over how to teach 9/11 reflects a broader tension surrounding the commemoration of the attacks, particularly as various groups advocate for specific framing and emphasis. The incident follows similar controversies, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's initial guidance to journalists to avoid calling 9/11 a "terrorist attack," a directive later reversed after public backlash.