Pro-Islamic Textbooks

Alright, this really ticks me off:

The Texas State Board of Education today passed a resolution warning textbook publishers to scrub their books of "gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian" bias.

and

Proponents of the measure, including board members and witnesses, argued that world history textbooks spend too much space discussing Islam, and in too positive a light, when compared with Christianity. 

and

One of the board's most conservative members, Don McLeroy, who is serving the last months of his term, said textbook publishers have been biased in favor of Islam for years. He argued that "one of the greatest gifts to the world was medieval Christendom," citing an essay he had written in 2002 titled "The Gift of Medieval Christendom to the World."

The only gift medieval Christendom ever gave to the world was the crusades.  While Europe was going through the dark ages and trying to recuperate from barbarian invasions, the Islamic world was at the height of mathematical and scientific discovery.  It wasn't until the late middle ages that Europe finally got its act together and began achieving on its own - thanks to material they got from the Islamic world.  For hundreds of years the church held back science, and women, all in the name of God.  It's kind of hard to spin that into a positive light.

So why do I care what a bunch of Texans say?  Because that board is one of the most influential, among textbook makers.  I'm not sure if it's because of the size and population of Texas, or because they talk really loudly.  They say everything's bigger in Texas.  Even their stupidity.