Class 6 ICSE Book Shows Mosque As Source Of Noise Pollution? 2017 Controversy Viral As Recent

Several social media users are circulating what appears to be a page grab of a newspaper, claiming that a Class 6 ICSE textbook purportedly showed a mosque as a source of noise pollution. The image has evoked reactions of outrage from users, who called it “blatant Islamophobia creeping into education, poisoning young minds with communal bias.”

“The Hindutva hatred has reached school textbooks. A Class 6 ICSE science book disgracefully labels a mosque as ‘noise pollution’-brainwashing kids to see Muslims as a ‘problem.’ This isn’t education; it’s RSS,” read an X post, sharing the image.

The archived version of one of the viral posts can be seen here, which has clocked 213.5K views so far.

Fact Check

Newschecker ran a keyword search for “ICSE Class 6 book mosque noise pollution”, which led us to multiple news reports from July 2-3, 2017 by major media outlets, including NDTV, Hindustan Times, Times of India, and India Today, sharing the illustration seen in the viral claim.  

According to the reports, a science textbook prescribed for Class 6 in certain schools under ICSE (Indian Certificate of Secondary Education) board had identified a “mosque” as a source of noise pollution, sparking a row, which had then prompted an apology from the publisher and the promise that the picture would be removed in subsequent editions.

“The issue first came to light after someone reportedly circulated a message on Whatsapp about the pictorial used in the textbook titled, Integrated Science… The picture, shared widely on social media, shows a train, car, plane and a mosque, all with symbols depicting loud sound, next to a man grimacing and shutting his ears,” read a Deccan Herald report, dated July 2, 2017.

‘”If any book with objectionable content is being taught at certain schools, it is for schools and publishers to ensure such a thing does not happen,” news agency PTI quoted Gerry Arathoon, then chief executive and secretary of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations. After social media users reportedly launched an online petition, demanding the book be withdrawn, the publisher acknowledged the mistake and apologised, while also assured that the illustration will be removed in subsequent editions.

“The diagram on page 202 of our publication Integrated Science for Class-VI has a structure resembling a portion of a fort and other noise producing objects in a noisy city. We apologise if it has hurt the sentiments of anyone. This is to inform all concerned that we will be changing the picture in our subsequent editions of the book,” Hemant Gupta reportedly said on behalf of Selina Publishers in a statement uploaded on social media sites.

Newschecker also learnt that the viral page grab is from page 8 of the July 3, 2017 Delhi edition of the Hindustan Times, further confirming that the viral claim and page grab is pertaining to the controversy from 2017.  A July 2, 2017 X post by HT, sharing the article can be seen here too. We have reached out to ICSE and Delhi-based Selina Publishers and will update this copy once we receive a response.

Also Read: N Chandrasekaran Arrested After Air India Plane Crash In Ahmedabad? No, False Claim Goes Viral

Conclusion

An old controversy that was sparked by an ICSE board Class 6 schoolbook for showing a ‘mosque’ as a source of noise pollution, which had prompted an apology then, resurfaces on social media as recent.

Sources
HT report, July 2, 2017
Deccan Herald report, July 2, 2017
Times of India report, July 2, 2017
Hindustan Times Delhi edition, Pressreader, July 3, 2017