by FERN SHEN

Seems pretty straightforward. To learn about Islam, Deloris Jones’ sixth grade students at the Friends School of Baltimore make a trip every year to the Islamic Center in Washington and the Saudi Arabian Embassy.

This year, though, National Public Radio’s Jamie Tarabay tagged along and heard how well-versed in Muslim religion these social studies students are. (No surprise, there. “Jonesie” is legendary at Friends for being as academically ambitious as she is fun.)

The class trip was pretty routine. It’s the reaction to Tarabay’s piece on NPR’s website that’s interesting. There were, at last count, 58 comments, including a fair number who were quite hostile toward the idea of such a field trip.

 If  they’d listened to the segment that aired Sunday, you’d think they would have heard the kids’ pointed questions about such issues as the role of women in Islam, the Saudi’s speaker’s somewhat evasive answers and Jones’ tart comments at the end and known this was true intellectual inquiry and not indoctriniation.

Listen and decide for yourself.