Muslim parents in Maryland tore into Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over fears over LGBTQ themes at schools fueled by American right-wing extremists, with one mother saying Trudeau effectively called her a bigot.
Last week, Trudeau spoke to parents at a mosque in Calgary after hundreds of Muslim parents gathered in Ottawa on June 9 and 13 to protest against LGBTQ education in schools.
Trudeau told the crowd in Calgary that ‘people on social media, particularly driven by the American right wing’, were stirring up the protests and said they were pursuing their own interests.
The Canadian leader said that LGBTQ issues are being weaponized and that what is being shared in the media is not accurate.
However, a family in Maryland took exception to his comments, saying: ‘When we spoke out, we were classified as right-wing. We were classified as fanatics.’
Justin Trudeau was seen meeting with Muslims at a Calgary mosque last week to hear their concerns about LGBTQ topics in the curriculum. He said many of the claims made on social media were misleading, amplified by the far right in the US
Trudeau said those complaining on social media about LGBTQ issues in schools are “spreading a lot of falsehoods about what’s actually in the provincial curriculum.”
He added: ‘They are weaponizing the LGBT issue, which is something that, yes, Islam has strong views on.
‘It’s not about aggressive teaching or transitioning kids about being LGBT.
‘This is something that is being weaponized by people who are not doing it out of an interest in supporting the Muslim community.’
However, in America, at least one set of Muslim parents told Fox News on Tuesday that they were outraged by Trudeau’s comments.
Binnish Mustafa, mother of a seven-year-old child with special needs, said, ‘I am very angry with what he said. ‘It’s something that really affected us in Montgomery County.’
He said that Trudeau was ignorant of the reality of US schools, saying that ‘really he should go into a public school classroom and sit there and watch the discussions that follow some of the classroom books that are being discussed.’
He accused Trudeau of being intolerant of views that differed from his.
‘I would say, Mr. Trudeau, how accepting and tolerant is your view different than yours?’ she added.
‘I mean, you don’t seem like the nicest guy when it comes down to it.’
Binish Mustafa, a Maryland mother, said she was outraged that Trudeau blamed their fears on right-wing paranoia.
Kareem Monib, whose children attend school in Montgomery County, Maryland, said it was “sad” that Trudeau referred to their concerns as “right-wing manipulation.”
Trudeau, speaking at a Pride event in Ottawa on June 8, defended schools featuring LGBTQ characters and themed stories.
Another parent, Karim Monib, told Fox that he felt Trudeau was uninformed about what was happening in US schools and was simply trivializing what his fellow liberals said in defense of a ‘week’ curriculum.
‘It is appalling that Trudeau would use the same stupid logic that is being used in the US,’ he said.
‘I’m surprised they have nothing to say other than to accuse parents who are genuinely concerned and want to pass their religious teachings on to their children – saying it’s right-wing manipulation.
‘It’s just sad,’ adds the boss.
‘He is either lying or giving wrong information. There is a curriculum. Everyone can read.’
Montgomery County, located just northwest of Washington DC, has become the epicenter of Muslim protests against LGBTQ issues in schools.
In June, hundreds of predominantly Muslim parents demonstrated outside a Montgomery County Board of Education meeting to demand that Maryland’s largest school district allow them to shield their children from books and readings containing LGBTQ+ characters.
The books that feature LGBTQ+ characters are part of a supplemental curriculum the school system introduced this school year, with new books for every grade level, including kindergarten through fifth grade.
Muslim parents have argued that the school system is violating their religious rights protected under the First Amendment by not providing an opt-out, and three families have sued the school system.
Under Maryland law, the only opt-out available is for a specific unit on sexuality and family life in the health education curriculum.
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