NYC School Children and Islamic Culture

One thing I am absolutely certain of is that the opportunity to learn to speak, read, write and converse in foreign languages would be a good thing. We have all heard that the lack of such people has a negative influence on the workings of our government, e.g. in intelligence, diplomacy, and many other areas.

Now at last several such schools have opened in America which teach the Arabic language. A good thing, right? Maybe not for at least some of these schools are not secular. While some of them are charter schools they may get away with flouting separation of church and state, but there's no flouting the requirement that all elementary, middle and high schools must teach the mandated curricula for each grade.

By now many people have learned about the controversy surrounding the Khalil Gibran International Academy and its planned opening in New York City in September of this year.
This school has caused considerable controversy even before opening. One justified (in my opinion) complaint is that the school, named for a Lebanese-American Christian will not be teaching his values.
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalil_Gibran

Many have called this school a "madrassa" - but even Wikipedia seems uncertain as to what a madrassa actually is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrassa

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/newscontent.php3?artid=14422

the school's founder stepped down last week after she initially refused to renounce the sale of t-shirts marketed by an organization she was associated with that read "Intifada, NYC." Her attempt to explain the meaning of "infitada" misleadingly angered many and led to her resignation. But criticism of her and the school might have begun earlier if people were aware that it was planned to provide bilingual education. I have given my opinion on bilingual education in posts on 1/22 and 2/27. I thought its weakness and failures so evidents in schools across America had already doomed this expensive and largely ineffective concept. And yet here it is again, raising its uncharming head with claim it will help Arab-American youth to assimilate.

Earlier generations of immigrants went to English-speaking public schools and assimilated. So why does Arabic have to be taught in a school the planning of which was heavily influenced by religious people, imams and rabbis? Why did the former principle wear hijab on the job?

It seems clear that in studying Islamic history culture it will be taught wholly from a partisan point of view. The phrase "brain washing" comes to mind. I don't think we want our children being taught about jihadist ideas by people who think "infitada" is wholly good.

While researching this post I tried to find clear cut answers to my questions, but time and time again got bogged down in contradictory opinions. One interesting thing I came across was that one of the members of the KGIa, Imam Shamsi Ali, was connected to jihadist organizations. This seemed a good place to start but I could find no evidence that this is true, and very little about the man himself, except his insistance that the school will have a wholly secular curriculum. However I found an article on him on this web site:
http://www.islamicthinkers.com/index/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=565&Itemid=74
This seems like a very conservative or even fundamental site dedicated to following the Koran and being "true Muslims" in a "non-violent" way. And they despise Shamsi Ali. The spiteful, highly critical article on the Iman , calling him an "Uncle Sam Muslim" who "wants to lead Muslims toward the American dream" while true Muslims only want Islam.

A fine commendation indeed for Shamsi Ali who may actually be the right person to be on KGIA board after all.

I hope you will read at least a few of the following articles and blogs both for and against this type of school. We need to understand why even the Mayor of NY is so insistent a supporter of it. This is a hugely important issue for America, not just NYC.



http://gothamist.com/2007/08/14/khalil_gibran_a.php

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/khalil_gibran_international_academy/

http://www.danielpipes.org/article/4836

http://educationalissues.suite101.com/blog.cfm/arabic_school_tension
Ignores pipes’ concern about teaching Islamic propaganda on grounds Arabic speakers need to be trained, as if they can't be trained in foreign language academies.

http://www.muslimparliament.org.uk/novice.htm

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/3769

Community wants answers on KGIA
Those for the school say that all the opposition is proof of need for school which will promote tolerance and understanding. But there is a need to examine which “Arab-American” groups are promoting the school and what their aims and their Islamist views are in their own words.


http://educationalissues.suite101.com/blog.cfm/arabic_school_tension
Middle East Scholar Daniel Pipes, a controversial scholar on the Middle East, wrote, "Arabic-language instruction is inevitably laden with pan-Arabist and Islamist baggage." [Alexandra Marks, Christian Science Monitor, csmonitor.com, June 1, 2007]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/16/nyregion/16koran.html?ex=1313380800&en=bfd66b91de7a7870&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=r

Explains how a koran madrassa in NYC flouts law by not teaching regular school subject, just memorization


http://www.pipelinenews.org/index.cfm?page=kgiahamas71807.htm
Brooklyn's young Muslims have been radicalized over the past 20 years, their ideas display hatred and Anti-American opinions, such as 9/11 not being a Muslim plot


http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/758
Re other Islamic schools in USA and backers with jihadist connections