An Islamic school in northern Virginia with close ties to the government of Saudi Arabia has revised its religious textbooks to try to end years of criticism that the school fosters hatred and intolerance. The Islamic Saudi Academy has deleted some of the most contentious passages from the texts. The academy, which teaches nearly 900 students in grades from kindergarten through high school, developed new Islamic studies textbooks for all grades after a 2008 congressional report called portions of the previous editions troubling. The new textbooks revise language on hot-button issues such as requiring women to cover their heads and how Muslims should relate to people of other religions. School officials say the books are part of the school's effort to promote universal values of tolerance and kindness and to modernize some of the lessons. They've had to make similar defenses before.
