Turkey wants Fremont school board to reject charter school

San Jose Mercury News ^ | Rebecca Parr

[artichokegrower]

A Southern California charter school wants to expand into Fremont, despite a history of financial problems and accusations of it being linked to a controversial Turkish cleric, which its leaders emphatically deny.

In a bizarre twist, an attorney representing the Turkish government spoke against the Magnolia Public Schools charter application at a recent Fremont school board public hearing, saying it has ties to Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen. John Martin of Amsterdam & Partners in Washington, D.C., also alleged that Magnolia was not factual in its application.

[artichokegrower]

Followers of Gulen, a Muslim imam, have U.S. charter schools that emphasize math and science.

This is not a "Turkish" cleric this is an Islamic cleric. These schools are Islamic schools being subsidized by the California taxpayer.

[artichokegrower]

Like saying the Pope is an Italian cleric