Posted on 05/04/2007 11:00:39 AM PDT by neverdem
The Khalil Gibran International Academy was conceived as a public embrace of New York City’s growing Arab population and of internationalism, the first public school dedicated to the study of the Arabic language and culture and open to students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
But nearly three months after plans for the middle school were first announced, a beleaguered Department of Education is fending off attacks from two angry camps: parents from Public School 282, the elementary school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, that was assigned to share building space with the Khalil Gibran school, and a handful of columnists who have called the proposed academy a madrassa, which teaches the Koran.
Now the chancellor of schools, Joel I. Klein, is considering other locations for the school, or even postponing the opening for a year, according to several people involved in the discussions, and the whole endeavor has been turned into a test of tolerance — and its limits — in post-9/11, multiethnic New York.
The principal, Debbie Almontaser, who came to America from Yemen at age 3 and who organized peace rallies and urged tolerance after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has been vilified on Web sites as having an “Islamist agenda.”
Ms. Almontaser said she was prepared for the reaction. “Quite frankly, I don’t let it bother me,” she said. “I don’t lose sleep over it. My main objective is the opening of the school.”
Friends of the teacher, who is known as a moderate active in interfaith groups, call the accusation preposterous.
“It’s tragic that they should be targeting her,” said the Rev. Dr. Daniel Meeter, pastor of Old First Reformed Church in Park Slope.
Some call the controversy over the school heartbreaking. “Now is the critical time to teach young people Arabic,” said Eileen F...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
P.S. We need more folks who can speak Arabic but without those promoting the Islamist ideology.
A headscarf-wearing moderate. How interesting.
“Now the chancellor of schools, Joel I. Klein, is considering other locations for the school”
In another country, I hope.
This is a dumb idea on a myriad of levels.
But, hey, New York already has the Harvey Milk High School for gays.
|
whatever. it will be occupied by low-IQ hate-filled minorities and arabic terror tots, no matter what happy little tag line they choose to use to describe it.
Are you serious about a high School for gays?
I wonder if we’ll see them beating young girls for trying to leave when it’s on fire.
I’m willing to bet we will.
Hardly. It is a test of assimilation by the families of the potential students and those who seek to lure them, not of the tolerance of the rest of us, which is by global standards beyond generous.
There is simply no reason for a public school to be subsidizing the private cultural practices of particular groups. That is the parents' job. If the private practices turn out to be Islamist, so much the worse.
Everything I heard about the founder of this school indicates she’s one of the good guys and is dedicated to pro-American teaching to combat the islamo-fascists.
Wow. I thought you were kidding.
..“Now is the critical time to teach young people Arabic,”...Don’t think so...Since you are all living in America, learn American history and culture.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
Actually, teaching Arabic is a good idea. As is teaching Chinese, Spanish and Japanese. It's the madrassa part that I object to.
Yes, that’s where the hate classes will be taught.
Where’s the public Hebrew school? Is that coming up next, after the public Christian school?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
