Rally to support Khalil Gibran International Academy

As New Yorkers and others in support of quality public education for all of our communities, we stand in solidarity with the Khalil Gibran International Academy (KGIA), which has sustained hateful and false attacks by anti-Arab media and extremists. In the post-9/11 world, a school educating our children about Arab history, culture, and language is not only crucial for the next generation to become informed leaders for positive change in our communities; it is also an extraordinary place of hope for peace, understanding, and justice for our embattled world. We regret that Debbie Almontaser was pressured to resign and applaud her work to establish this school and promote intercultural exchange in this diverse global city.

Those who seek to equate the study of Arabic language, culture, and history with religious fanaticism and violence are irresponsibly aggravating a present moment of hysteria against Arab and Muslim communities, and are using this moment to promote hatred in a time of war. We urge our public officials to reject these racist and inaccurate attacks, and continue to work towards building a lasting educational institution that promises to bring our communities together, rather than divide and pit them against each other. We call on all communities who want to see peace on our streets and in our world to stand with us in support of the Khalil Gibran International Academy.

For more information on this event, visit http://www.lifeorliberty.org/libertyblog/archives/000170.html

this video bulletin was produced by Life or Liberty, http://www.lifeorliberty.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Arab
• Almontaser
• Khalil
• Gibran
• International
• Academy
• Muslim
• New
• York
• Brooklyn
• madrassa
• school
• intifada
• racism
• bigotry

[pavlopwnsyourface]

i'm a left wing individual but this pandering by the left to the muslim agenda is simply sickening. Have we forgotten 9/11?

[konradical]

a good demonstration how both left and right wing people think demonizing a culture makes us safer.

[pavlopwnsyourface]

no, it's just about not allocating public funds to a supposed "multi-cultural" school that focuses on and caters to one culture, and is run by muslims, making it more than likely that this "arab language school" will be run more like a madrassa than a place of learning. Almontaser also has ties to organizations that fund islamic terrorism. Are those good enough reasons for you?

[konradical]

Are you aware that there are a dozen other similar schools in NY, each focused on different languages? Are you also opposed to a tax-funded school that teaches Mandarin? Why do you think Muslims would run the school like a madrassa? What terrorist organization does Almontaser have ties to?

[pavlopwnsyourface]

I think it would be run as a madrassa because the school is almost exclusively run by muslims. Muslims almost always regard the western concept of separation of church and state to be a rebellion of god's law and the koran explicitly encourages the creation of islamic governments and sharia law. Therefore, muslim teachers will feel free to proselytize in the classroom. Islam's values of submission, violence, and oppression and the western values of freedom and equality simply are not compatible.

[konradical]

I see. I'll leave it to a Muslim to address your opinions about their beliefs. So you think Muslims should not be allowed to teach, and Islam, among all religions, should be excised from the United States culture?

[PH03N1XM4N]

I am a Christian Agree with the reverend, Arabic is just another language.. there's even bibles that's translated into Arabic. just make sure they teach the correct translation of the Koran because in my country Indonesia they teach how to read the Koran in Arabic, but they don't know what the correct translation or context of what they're reading. God Bless y'all.

[gabrielkbelaid]

I am responding to "pavlopwnsyourface" comments. What evidence do you have, if any, that slavery is a de facto thing in Mauritania, Iran, etc...? And even if so, why should it be associated with Islam? Also, can't we stop associating arab countries with Islam? There's a hughe gap between Islam and what's seen in those countries. Stop following 'Fox News', and perhaps 'CNN'. Pls go to the source and read about Islam. Be educated and get it from the source.

[althganur]

bull shit

[LothairOfLorraine]

Muslims demonize everything, and the 'Arabic school' is a front for Islamization.

[girl1888888888888]

A message from Islam to Europeans go to  v=WWCgNG6xJJs

[pavlopwnsyourface]

Yeah, that's more or less how I feel. I don't understand why muslims feel the need to settle in western countries rather than live in an islamic nation where sharia law exists such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Mauritania (slavery is de facto legal there! how modern!). If muslims want to live in the dark ages over in the middle east, that's fine by me as long as they don't fly planes into our buildings, try to create a worldwide islamic caliphate, or just kill us infidels in general.

[pavlopwnsyourface]

I support foreign languages of all kinds being taught in public schools but I am against foreign language oriented schools. I appreciate public officials trying to make the effort to accommodate communities that have a high immigrant population, but making schools that teach in their language almost all the time is detrimental. It ends up segregating those groups of people from the rest of society and could hamper their progress in learning english.