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Wall of silence broken at state's Muslim public school

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posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:16 PM
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Wall of silence broken at state\


www.startribune.com

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.
(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 4/10/2008 by centurion1211]



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:16 PM
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More outrageous information from the article:


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.


Eyewitness account from a teacher:


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."


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.





www.startribune.com
(visit the link for the full news article)



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:20 PM
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Update to the story and it only gets worse:

article


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.


People, wake up and look at what is happening (and being paid for with your money).



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:26 PM
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Read this articlle yesterday and I think all public funding should be pulled. If they wish to be a private school let them but even then the oversight needs to be used to watch what is going on in the school.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:28 PM
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If you don't even know how to work a flagpole, what are you doing running a school? This is outrageous and hopefully will be looked into fully.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:34 PM
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It absolutely needs to be stopped NOW.

Welcome to America where we bend over backwards to be so flippn politically correct and apease certain religions, that we end up being complete hypocrites!

Imagine all the others just like this school. This school just got caught! Now the others are probably figuring out ways to be more careful.

I cant wait to see what the appeasers have to say about this.

Practicing Islam in public schools = OK!
Practicing Christianity in public schools - Not OK



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:34 PM
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Double post!

[edit on 10-4-2008 by greeneyedleo]



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:39 PM
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reply to post by greeneyedleo
 


Couldn't have said it better myself, so I won't even try.

If this school wants to practice Islam, or anything else for that matter, the charter should be pulled and they should fund it through private donations.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:54 PM
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reply to post by blackbox
 


Not only should the charter be pulled, but everyone in the school Administration should be arrested. This was fraud, or at the very least, theft by conversion.

It's tax time, if everyone in the state refused to pay their state taxes on the grounds that they would thereby be guilty of contributing to misappropriation of funds, I bet someone would make sure heads rolled.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 12:59 PM
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I absolutely agree that this should be stopped,

whats good for the goose is good for the gander.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 01:08 PM
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Muslims have a perfect right to their own school, but not at the state's expense. If they can have their own taxpayer-funded school, so should the Christians, Jews, Buddhists, etc. This would amount to religious segregation, though.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 01:28 PM
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Originally posted by NGC2736
... I bet someone would make sure heads rolled.


Except remember this is in Minnesota. The most liberal state in the midwest, and maybe even east of California. It's no coincidence that the schools sponsor is from the PRC - people's republic of California.

Like greeneyedleo said, they'll more likely be figuring out how to get away with this than they will figuring out who's head should roll.

I'm also waiting to see how muslim supporters/apologists/appeasers will try to spin this.

[edit on 4/10/2008 by centurion1211]



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 01:50 PM
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Oh, sure, blame Liberals. That's a cheap shot.

I, and most liberals I know, think this is just as outrageous as a public school having Catholic Mass would be. I believe in the firm separation of Church and State. To me, this means no religious "training" or indoctrination in the public school system, period. It's a valid topic to discuss in social studies classes at the secondary level, if for no other reason that to expose students to different viewpoints on religion and teach them the critical thinking skills to make their own decisions. But this kind of thing really ticks me off.

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]



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 02:02 PM
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Originally posted by The Nighthawk
Oh, sure, blame Liberals. That's a cheap shot.


Sorry if you feel it was a "cheap shot", but the fact remains that liberal states like CA, NY, MA and MN are where things like this are more likely to happen. So, why is that? My theory would be that liberals are more likely to have an "anything goes" attitude, while conservatives are more traditional.


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]


The article quite clearly states that this "charter school" is publicly funded and by law cannot engage in these types of religious activites. And then you end with the tired old "the other guy did it, too, so that makes it OK" argument. Wrong is wrong. Simple as that. No gray area exists to make this OK.

[edit on 4/10/2008 by centurion1211]



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 02:22 PM
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I'm not saying it's OK. I'm suggesting there's more to the story than we're getting from this guy's article. Charter schools are publicly-funded, but they are also allowed to play by different rules. Right now I'm researching whether Minnesota law allows for this kind of thing. I'm not going to take one columnist's word for it. What I do know right now is, charter schools are primarily accountable to their sponsors in regards to academic achievement, and not necessarily to the "public".

Update: I found Minnesota's charter school laws. They do indeed state the school must be non-sectarian.

Here's the link:

Minnesota Charter School Laws

But, there is still the question: Does this columnist's story really pan out? We need some more reporting sources on this, and if it's true, then this school needs to be shut down yesterday.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 02:24 PM
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reply to post by The Nighthawk
 


Thanks for your additional research and information.

Starred.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 03:12 PM
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reply to post by The Nighthawk
 


Just so you know....this story was all over the news yesterday, so its not the "columnists story version". It is the version released to the public.

Grant it, I saw it mentioned on Fox news numerous times.

[edit on 10-4-2008 by greeneyedleo]



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 03:16 PM
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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.


So speaking of Christian prayer in schools. What's your position? I presume that you think it should be totally outlawed and stopped, just as you do Muslim prayer in schools?

Me, I figure that public education and religion need to be kept separate, no matter what the religion. Close the school, investigate, shut the place down if the conflict is irreconcilable.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 03:23 PM
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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.



posted on Apr, 10 2008 @ 03:28 PM
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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.


So clarify for me. Is it your take that this school should be closed down for this, or is it that you think the same should be extended for Christian schools?



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