Texas Board Approves Social Studies Standards on Islam; CAIR Vows to Challenge Them

The Texas State Board of Education approved high school social studies standards on Sept. 4 that Muslim advocacy groups say misrepresent Islam, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations has pledged to work to overturn them before they take effect.

The standards, which begin in the 2030 school year, require students to learn that “radical Islam” motivated the Sept. 11 attacks and include lessons describing the Prophet Muhammad’s military campaigns as brutal, according to KERA. The Houston Press reported the board also removed references to Muslim contributions to algebra and astronomy. CAIR also objected to how the revised standards treat Palestinian and Black history.

Board member Brandon Hall defended the wording, calling it a “moral imperative,” KERA reported. Several Democratic members of the Republican-majority, 15-member board objected to the language, Fox News reported. CAIR and CAIR Action Texas said the board’s own appointed experts warned that the text did not hold up to historical scrutiny. A 15-year-old Muslim student told the board she felt attacked.

CAIR-Texas said it will work with parents, educators and coalition partners, and will seek to protect teachers and students who refuse to follow the standards.

Sources: KERA/TPR, Sept. 4, 2026; Houston Press; Fox News; CAIR-Texas press release