Virginia country to examine Islamic school books

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Officials in Virginia are reviewing textbooks at an Islamic school following a recommendation that the school be shut down.

A spokeswoman for Fairfax County said Monday that there is no expectation of problems with Arabic-language books at the Islamic Saudi Academy, but wants to “put the matter to rest,” the Associated Press reported.

Earlier this month, a federal human-rights panel recommended that the State Department pressure the Saudi government to shut the school down until the textbooks could be reviewed and procedures instituted to ensure the school’s independence. Though it had no direct evidence of problems, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, in a report issued Oct. 17, said it was concerned that the school closely resembles typical Saudi education.

The academy, which is subsidized by the Saudi government, has nearly 1,000 students at two campuses in Alexandria and Fairfax.

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