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Recently, I wrote about Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA), a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights. Charter schools are public schools and by law must not endorse or promote religion.
Evidence suggests, however, that TIZA is an Islamic school, funded by Minnesota taxpayers.
TIZA has many characteristics that suggest a religious school. It shares the headquarters building of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, whose mission is "establishing Islam in Minnesota." The building also houses a mosque.
Students pray daily, the cafeteria serves halal food - permissible under Islamic law -- and "Islamic Studies" is offered at the end of the school day.
Zaman maintains that TIZA is not a religious school. He declined, however, to allow me to visit the school to see for myself, "due to the hectic schedule for statewide testing." But after I e-mailed him that the Minnesota Department of Education had told me that testing would not begin for several weeks, Zaman did not respond -- even to urgent calls and e-mails seeking comment before my first column on TIZA.
Arriving on a Friday, the Muslim holy day, she says she was told that the day's schedule included a "school assembly" in the gym after lunch.
Before the assembly, she says she was told, her duties would include taking her fifth-grade students to the bathroom, four at a time, to perform "their ritual washing."
Afterward, Getz said, "teachers led the kids into the gym, where a man dressed in white with a white cap, who had been at the school all day," was preparing to lead prayer. Beside him, another man "was prostrating himself in prayer on a carpet as the students entered."
"The prayer I saw was not voluntary," Getz said. "The kids were corralled by adults and required to go to the assembly where prayer occurred."
TIZA requires all students to learn Arabic as a second language English.
State law requires the school to fly an American flag during school hours, however no flag flies outside of TIZA Academy.
Zaman told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he didn’t know how to work the flagpole.
Originally posted by NGC2736
... I bet someone would make sure heads rolled.
Originally posted by The Nighthawk
Oh, sure, blame Liberals. That's a cheap shot.
Actually, considering this is not really a "public" school, but a "charter" school, they technically may have the right to do this. Charter schools are something of a grey area; there are Christian charter schools too.
[edit on 4/10/2008 by The Nighthawk]
We've all seen the uproar over Christian prayer and even celebrating holidays such as Christmas in public schools. Now this is discovered and being funded by taxpayers.
Double standard and hypocrisy - the only words to describe the situation.
It needs to be stopped NOW.
Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
[
So speaking of Christian prayer in schools. What's your position?
Originally posted by centurion1211
Originally posted by TheWalkingFox
[
So speaking of Christian prayer in schools. What's your position?
My position on this and a lot of other issues is the same as it has always been. I hate hypocrisy and believe in a level playing field for all. One side of an issue can or can't do something, then all parties get the same rules.