The Texas Board of Education has given final approval to significant changes in the state's high school social studies curriculum, a decision that has sparked controversy regarding its portrayal of Islam and Christianity. The amended curriculum, which covers U.S. history, government, and world geography, faced public opposition from numerous speakers during testimony.

Key revisions include language that asserts "radical Islam" motivated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, shifting focus from the specific terrorist groups involved. The curriculum also mandates that students study early Islam by examining Prophet Muhammad's "brutal military campaigns against Jewish and Christian tribes," the "normalization of slavery," and the practice of taking female captives as "harem slaves."

Republican board members, who hold a majority, approved these sections and other changes on Friday, despite pushback from Democratic members and objections from Muslim groups, students, and curriculum experts.

Habiiba Quresh, a 15-year-old Muslim student, testified that the changes made her feel attacked and that she should not have to defend her religion in class due to content written by board members. "I feel attacked, as if my religion doesn’t belong," Quresh stated. "I shouldn’t have to defend my religion in the middle of history class because of one sentence someone on this board wrote."

Several curriculum experts appointed by the board also voiced concerns. Andrea Hutchison, a social studies curriculum coordinator for Prosper ISD, argued that the material lacked historical scrutiny. Robert Koons, a philosophy professor at UT-Austin, noted that most nonreligious scholars consider the claims unreliable and advised against including material not based on established secular sources.

The Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) criticized the board's decision, calling it an affront to education and the First Amendment. "No credible scholar of history validates the bigoted caricatures of Islam this curriculum teaches," CAIR Texas and CAIR Action Texas said in a joint statement. "Even the board’s own appointed experts warned it doesn’t hold up to historical scrutiny, yet the board voted against removing it. Texas students of every background deserve an education that tells the truth about their history and their neighbors’ history, not propaganda that teaches them to see each other as threats or erases them from the story altogether."

The newly approved curriculum is slated for implementation in classrooms during the 2030-31 school year.