Should students be allowed to wear anti-Islam shirts on campus?

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the Alachua County School District in Florida because they will not allow their students to wear T-shirts with anti-Islamic messages.

Although the ACLU claims that the organization does not agree with the message displayed on the shirt, they believe that it is their duty to protect the students’ constitutional right to the freedom of speech.

District officials say that the shirts, which were distributed by the Dove World Outreach Center, are disruptive and a violation of the school’s dress code.

In this case, I would have to side with the Alachua School District. If I were on the school board, the shirts would be banned immediately. It is a school’s obligation to protect students from harassment, and a T-shirt that reads “Islam is of the devil” singles Muslim students out, and can lead to a violent altercation on campus.

What amazes me is the fact that the Dove World Outreach Center is a Christian organization that is spewing hateful messages regarding Muslims. Is that what good Christians are supposed to do? Does the Bible permit the spread of hateful and derogatory messages toward religions that do not coincide with their own?

Here is the Dove World Outreach Center’s mission statement:

“Christians must return to the truth and stop hiding. We need to speak up against sin and call the people to repentance. Abortion is murder. Homosexuality is sin. We need to call these things what they are and bring the world the true message: that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

Any religion which would profess anything other than this truth is of the devil. This is why we also take a stand against Islam, which teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God, therefore taking away the saving power of Jesus Christ and leading people straight to Hell.”

This type of intolerant garbage has no place on a public school campus. Students of from diverse backgrounds go to public school in order to learn, not be attacked by religious fundamentalists. Parents who wish to instill hate in their children should look into a private school that allows it.

My argument goes both ways. If a Muslim student wore a T-shirt denouncing Christianity, the entire state of Florida would be up in arms. Why is it acceptable for a Christian student to single out Muslims? Freedom of speech is important. However, speech is limited on a school campus when it could potentially lead to violence.

Would the ACLU find it acceptable for a white student to wear a shirt that calls African Americans the “devil?” That message is also protected by the constitution. But does it belong on a public school campus?

There is a serious problem in the United States that I feel is being overlooked. The attacks on 9/11, and the recent Fort Hood shootings have lead to widespread hate toward Muslims. It would be ideal to think that Americans are intelligent enough to avoid judging an entire population based on the actions of a few terrible people. But that ideal is not evident in this day and age. For some reason, it is deemed acceptable to attack all Muslims and view them with skepticism as if they’re all violent individuals who are ready to destroy the world. That alone makes me sick to my stomach.

Instead of taking a step forward, the country is taking a step back by sending a message that it is acceptable to discriminate against a specific group of people. That is not what I want the U.S. to be known for, and I applaud the Alachua County School District for not encouraging hate on their campuses.