ABC News: A Public School With Mandatory Arabic
Protest Greets the Opening of a Muslim School in New York
The biggest school system in the United States began the new school year today by opening its doors to controversy, as New York City introduced the first public Arabic school in the nation. It was, to put it mildly, an unusual first day of school for the 60 students at the Khalil Gibran International Academy, where students arrived to see press and police outside the new school, as those who
oppose the school fear it will spread radical Islam.
"When I came down the corner and saw the mobile police unit and the news cameras swirling around, then I was very nervous," said Susan O'Grady, a parent of a student at the school.
What's your opinion about a Muslim-based public school? Share your thoughts in the right column of this page.
Supporters say Brooklyn's new sixth through 12th grade school should not be controversial. Students will follow the same curriculum that every other school in the city uses, except that classes in Arabic language and culture will be mandatory.
Ok... This post is not about Muslim School. This post is not about religion. This post is not about the public outcry. This post is about ABC News' SENSATIONALISM of this story. Read the underlined portions. The headlines says MUSLIM SCHOOLS. The story, for those of us who read, says ARABIC. What's the difference? Nothing to those who don't read. However, this kind of story fuels ignorance that already runs rampant.Don't get me wrong, Muslims are stupid- as stupid or perhaps, in some ways, more stupid than Christians. But stories and sensationalism like this are like tossing twinkies between two quarreling fat kids. Ha! Childhood obesity.
3 comments:
Given the current climate, wouldn't ALL students be benefited by classes on Arabic culture? Asian and Latin culture as well, for that matter.
Yes, I saw the difference in the way ABC used the word Muslim and the school used the word Arabic. However, it would be interesting to examine the real motives of the schools Arabic curriculum. Do they really want to use taxpayer dollars to teach about the Muslim religion or just Arabic culture? In this day and age, students with an opportunity to learn Arabic culture would possibly have an advantage over kids without. In the future it’s quite possible that kids who don’t learn about the Middle East will be at a disadvantage compared to the majority of others.
This brings up the whole topic of immigration and whether English should be the official language. I don’t think that Arabic or Spanish should be ‘mandatory’ in any school that is paid for with tax dollars. I bet if the New Yorkers could vote on the topic, it would not pass. I’m sure there was no vote.
Bottom line: I think Americans should embrace new cultures and ideas into our melting pot. I’m not even against allowing anyone to practice their religion in this country. I am definitely against using government funding for anything ‘respecting an establishment of religion’.
The news market is like any other. ABC is catering to bigots the same way that Mountain Dew caters to teens.
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