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| Fifth Column |
| Arabic school causes stir in NYC |
| 2007-10-26 |
| A coalition opposed to a new Arabic-language school in the city has filed a lawsuit against the New York City Department of Education. Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition is attempting to shut down the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn, which opened this fall under intense scrutiny. The coalition is taking its case to the New York Supreme Court following a Freedom of Information Law request. It claims the Department of Education failed to provide sufficient information about the charter school's curriculum and text books. The group is asking for all records relating to the school's staff, including Debbi Almontaser, the founder who resigned as principal following a controversy that erupted after she was quoted in the New York Post defending the use of the word "Intifada" on a T-shirt. uh huh..."but it's all the rage!" In the past few months, the coalition has increased its efforts to close the middle school, a college preparatory program with an emphasis on Arabic language, culture and history. It claims the school indoctrinates students with a radical Islamist agenda. The coalition has also requested all documents and records relating to the citizenship, race and religious affiliation of the school's students and those seeking to enroll. It said the Department of Education had until November 6 to respond. "We don't comment on pending litigation," Department of Education spokeswoman Melody Meyer told The Jerusalem Post Wednesday. "I can say nothing! but...." But the department's press secretary said: "All you need to know about Stop the Madrassa is that the lawyer who represents them has a Web site that rejects democracy and suggests that America has declined because it has become less white." attack their lawyer instead of defending the school, classy The group behind the coalition has also established a nonprofit organization called Citizens for American Values in Public Education Inc., which intends to "halt the imposition of radical Islamist agendas" in curriculum, Arab-language programs, history classes, textbooks, teacher training and charter schools nationwide. "We started that national group because we need to start educating people to educate themselves, watch their boards of education, so these things don't suddenly arise," said Stuart Kaufman, a member of the the coalition's national advisory board. "What we are doing, the government should be doing - but they aren't, so it falls to us." The coalition has also been accused of being racist and fear-mongering. accused by whom? The Jewish Week in August reported that one of the coalition leaders, David Yerushalmi, has condemned democracy in the United States. He said he had found truth in the view that Jews "destroy their host nations like a fatal parasite," the paper reported. Yerushalmi has denounced Zionist Israel, calling on it to "cast off the yoke of liberal democracy," according to The Jewish Week. Yerushalmi has since been removed from the coalition's Web site but continues to be affiliated and is behind the current lawsuit. Almontaser spoke out publicly last week for the first time since she resigned. On the steps of City Hall, she said she had been forced into giving an interview with the New York Post and resigned under pressure from "right-wing bloggers," several newspapers and representatives of the mayor. "Leading the attack was the Stop the Madrassa Coalition run by Daniel Pipes, who has made his career fostering hatred of Arabs and Muslims," Almontaser said. "The coalition conducted a smear campaign against me and the school that was ferocious. Members of the coalition stalked me wherever I went and verbally assaulted me with vicious anti-Arab and anti-Muslim comments. They suggested that, as an observant Muslim, I was disqualified from leading KGIA, even though the school is rigorously secular, and its namesake, Khalil Gibran, was a Lebanese Christian. "To stir up anti-Arab prejudice they constantly referred to me by my Arabic name, a name that I do not use professionally. They even created and circulated a YouTube clip depicting me as a radical Islamist." Kaufman said the name-calling was unjustified, but dismissed claims that the group stalked Almontaser. "Is it racist to say we are entitled to see what the curriculum is?" he asked. "We are concerned about Islamists, a fanatic Islamic faction that says they want to destroy us. If all they can do is call us names, go ahead. They love to be victims, but we won't be victims - we are entitled to these things." Almontaser last week submitted an application to become principal of the school and is preparing a lawsuit against the Department of Education "for violation of my constitutional rights." The Department of Education said it would not consider Almontaser for the job. "In August, Ms. Almontaser said she resigned as principal from Khalil Gibran International Academy to protect the stability of the school and give it 'the full opportunity to flourish,'" it said in a statement. "The chancellor agreed with her decision, accepted her resignation, and now considers the matter closed." buh-bye Debah |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #19 "Leading the attack was the Stop the Madrassa Coalition run by Daniel Pipes, who has made his career fostering hatred of Arabs and Muslims," Almontaser said. Pipes should sue her for slander, as well. |
| Posted by: Grumenk Philalzabod0723 2007-10-26 22:01 |
| #18 #12 Your donated dollars at work, for more activism please make checks payable to Islamophobes-R-US c/o People For A Secure America Drum Stick, Arkansas 814U2 Posted by: wxjames 2007-10-26 18:20 I have to object: A phobia is an *irrational* fear of something that is otherwise nothing to fear. Given that over 90% of the wars and terrorist actions have Islamists as one side, and pretty much everyone else if collected as a set on the other, I think my extreme caution and skepticism about Islamist militant activity is perfectly rational and logical. One has to wonder if verito-phobia (fear of the truth) is the underlying affliction of those yelling "Islamophobia!" |
| Posted by: Ptah 2007-10-26 20:06 |
| #17 Should the current political status quo persist, expect this new movement to become quite violent. Where do I sign up? |
| Posted by: Natural Law 2007-10-26 19:58 |
| #16 Darrell, why don't you harness together your last lonely synapses and start backing your accusations with proof? Until then, I suggest you stop making a fool of yourself. I am already hard at work doing my part to defend America. My Christian nextdoor neighbors recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. I took the opportunity to inform many of their fellow believers about Islam's threat. Many of them had never even heard of Beslan and were stunned by my detailed account of the atrocity. After explaining to him about taqiyya and other Muslim doctrines, my neighbor suggested that I go on radio and broadcast this same information due to how well I presented it. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 19:52 |
| #15 Historically, the problem with vigilante justice is that it often renders punishment without proof. Zenster, why don't you harness some of your verbosity and apply it to making "Islamic indoctrination" a crime in this country? |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-10-26 19:02 |
| #14 No argument, DepotGuy. Proof is a good thing, even if that concept eludes another of this thread's participants. However, I don't think you'll disagree that the odds are not in favor of Ms. Almontaser being entirely candid about her intentions nor that the school was likely free of Islamic indoctrination materials. I certainly wouldn't bet a plug nickel on either. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 18:57 |
| #13 Zen, My point is simple. If they donÂ’t know the curriculum (which is what the lawsuit is about) then it is speculation (and speculation only) to suggest that the school is some sort of Madrassa. Without that little something calledÂ…uhemÂ… proof it is equally plausible it could simply be a totally innocuous cultural immersion school. Furthermore, given the divide between cultures that might not necessarily be a bad thing. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2007-10-26 18:38 |
| #12 Your donated dollars at work, for more activism please make checks payable to Islamophobes-R-US c/o People For A Secure America Drum Stick, Arkansas 814U2 |
| Posted by: wxjames 2007-10-26 18:20 |
| #11 Given the founders pedigree it is very plausible but itÂ’s still just speculation. DepotGuy, you may wish to check out the Daniel Pipes: Debbie Almontaser donated to Cynthia McKinney thread. It certainly appears as though Almontaser is funneling Islamic funds into the campaigns of those who are a little too friendly with our enemies. Did you watch the video that I linked to? Almontaser is quoted as saying that she would rather DIE than forsake wearing the hijab. I find it difficult in the extreme to believe that such a fundamentalist individual would not feel entirely compelled to institute Islamic indoctrination given the least chance to do so. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 18:11 |
| #10 DepotGuy, how many times must Lucy snatch the football away from you? Next time, she surely will play fair. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-10-26 18:08 |
| #9 Love how the islamic supremacists have appropriated a Christian Arab's name for the madrassa. And "Debbie"? I don't think so. Kitman at it's best. |
| Posted by: ed 2007-10-26 18:05 |
| #8 “It [Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition] claims the Department of Education failed to provide sufficient information about the charter school's curriculum and text books.” “It [Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition] claims the school indoctrinates students with a radical Islamist agenda”. One would assume that if they don’t know the school's curriculum it would be impossible to know if the school indoctrinates students with a radical Islamist agenda? Given the founders pedigree it is very plausible but it’s still just speculation. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2007-10-26 17:57 |
| #7 You just cannot resist quoting out of context, can you, Darrell? Thus begins the rise of an honest vigilante movement in the face of government inaction and complacency. What part of "honest vigilante movement" don't you understand? "What we are doing, the government should be doing - but they aren't, so it falls to us." Stuart Kaufman is a member of the the coalition's own national advisory board and he willingly describes his actions as those of a concerned citizen who is doing what the government should be but isn't. That is a classical definition of vigilante behavior. From the Merriam-Webster online dictionary: Main Entry: vig·i·lan·te Function: noun Etymology: Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans Date: 1856 : a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate); broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice But of course, in your haste to smear me and make unwarranted negative connections you ascribe perjorative connatations to a word I have specifically used in its proper and worthwhile context. Should America's Democrats and liberal Left continue their program of treason and betrayal of Western civilization, they too should expect to become targets of that violence. You claim that my speculative statement "extrapolates to violence" instead of recognizing that I observe as to how Democrats and the Left can also "expect to" bear some of the brunt on the condition that they "continue their program of treason and betrayal". Perish the thought that you would include that important qualifier. It might make your argument seem like the useless, inappropriate and intentionally misrepresented steaming puddle of bull hocky that is it. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 17:51 |
| #6 "vigilante movement... expect this new movement to become quite violent... they too should expect to become targets of that violence" A coalition files a lawsuit and Zenster brands them vigilantes and extrapolates to violence. Who is out of context? |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-10-26 16:24 |
| #5 Should America's Democrats and liberal Left continue their program of treason and betrayal of Western civilization, they too should expect to become targets of that violence. There's some on the right that don't mind living in denial as well--some of them sit in high places. |
| Posted by: Crusader 2007-10-26 15:53 |
| #4 Quoting out of context is the hallmark of a feeble and inadequate mind. Using slanderous innuendo as a smear tactic is intellectually bankrupt. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 15:37 |
| #3 They suggested that, as an observant Muslim, I was disqualified from leading KGIA How to parse this? If she truly represents all "observant Muslims" then such Muslims are indeed a tremendous danger to America and our civil liberties. If, instead, she is lieing to conceal her anti-American radical Islamist agenda of 9-11 denial, participation with known terrorist fund-raising groups and her status as a receipient of an award from CAIR—an unindicted co-conspirator in the ongoing government legal case against the Holy Land Foundation—then she is an even greater danger to America. "To stir up anti-Arab prejudice they constantly referred to me by my Arabic name, a name that I do not use professionally. They even created and circulated a YouTube clip depicting me as a radical Islamist." It ain't lieing when you refer to facts. Almontaser is nothing but another Muslim terrorist skank and has no place in any educational institution on American soil. Here is a link to the PipeLineNews video about Almontaser. It's well worth the five minutes needed to view this clip. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 15:32 |
| #2 "vigilante movement... expect this new movement to become quite violent... they too should expect to become targets of that violence" Projecting again, Zenster? You're getting yourself quite worked up again. Time to take your meds. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2007-10-26 15:03 |
| #1 The group behind the coalition has also established a nonprofit organization called Citizens for American Values in Public Education Inc., which intends to "halt the imposition of radical Islamist agendas" in curriculum, Arab-language programs, history classes, textbooks, teacher training and charter schools nationwide. History books will refer to this group as "the survivors". "We started that national group because we need to start educating people to educate themselves, watch their boards of education, so these things don't suddenly arise," said Stuart Kaufman, a member of the the coalition's national advisory board. "What we are doing, the government should be doing - but they aren't, so it falls to us." Thus begins the rise of an honest vigilante movement in the face of government inaction and complacency. Should the current political status quo persist, expect this new movement to become quite violent. Should America's Democrats and liberal Left continue their program of treason and betrayal of Western civilization, they too should expect to become targets of that violence. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-10-26 14:51 |