Today’s Washington Post reports that a government agency is recommending that a private school funded in part of the Saudi Government be shut down:
McLEAN, Va. — A private Islamic school supported by the Saudi government should be shut down until the U.S. government can ensure the school is not fostering radical Islam, a federal panel recommends.
In a report released Thursday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom broadly criticized what it calls a lack of religious freedom in Saudi society and promotion of religious extremism at Saudi schools.
Particular criticism is leveled at the Islamic Saudi Academy, a private school serving nearly 1,000 students in grades K-12 at two campuses in northern Virginia’s Fairfax County.
The commission’s report says the academy hews closely to the curriculum used at Saudi schools, which they criticize for promoting hatred of and intolerance against Jews, Christians and Shiite Muslims.
“Significant concerns remain about whether what is being taught at the ISA promotes religious intolerance and may adversely affect the interests of the United States,” the report states.
Of particular apparent concern are some of the textbooks that may or not be in use in the school:
Several advocacy groups in recent years have cited examples of inflammatory statements in religious textbooks in Saudi Arabia, including claims that a ninth-grade textbook reads that the hour of judgment will not come “until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them
The Commission itself has no power to close the school and, in reality, all that they are recommending is that the State Department pressure the Saudis to either close the school, or change the textbooks.
There’s just one problem, and it’s in the Constitution:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
In other words, the content of what the school is teaching is irrelevant, because the government has no authority to close a school simply because it doesn’t like what’s being taught.
Don’t like the Saudi Academy ? Don’t send your kids there. Otherwise, unless there’s evidence they are committing a crime, then leave them alone.
October 18th, 2007 at 11:22 am
The problem I have with this is that instead of visiting the school and reviewing their text books, they based their findings on visits to Saudi schools in SA. That’s like saying all Christian schools should be closed after the Oklahoma bombing. This is the same school that people protested against when they wanted to move to Loundon County. People there spewed the same hatred without taking the time to actually visit the school and its administration. I did, and quite frankly was suprised when I found that most of the teachers there were not even Muslims. Do they teach Islam there? Yes, and that’s their right, just as Christian and Jewish schools have that right also. Hate something being taught? Make an informed decision and do something about it. Disagree with a religion? Don’t worship under its banner. That’s our right. My heart breaks every time this administration gets away with trampling on the Constitution.
October 18th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Thank you for addressing this issue on your website. I attended ISA from kindergarten through senior year of high school. My parents are immigrants from Lebanon who wanted my siblings and I to attend a school that would teach us our language and religion. I am now finishing my last year at law school and have focused my studies on civil rights.
Please know that the description provided about our school is absolutely inaccurate and incredibly unfair. Yes, ISA is a school that teaches Islamic religious views. However, the type of religious studies at ISA are analagous to those found in a Christian or Jewish school. I was appalled to read the claim that ISA sponsors hatred or promotes terrorism. My friends and I attended ISA for many years and never once has one of my teachers supported or encouraged the use of violence. Our text books also did not insinuate anything of that nature. Before making a judgment on the type of school ISA is, I would urge anyone to consider visiting the school for themselves. Speak to an ISA graduate. Interview a teacher. It is critical that people do their research before blindly agreeing to the mischaracterization of our school.
October 18th, 2007 at 3:55 pm
hi….i am a student at the Islamic Saudi Academy, i’m a junior…i just got home from school, where it was chaotic because of all this media attention and new accusations at our school….it seriously hurts me to hear this and see this all happening, or to even think of my school closing down….I.S.A does not teach hate towards any religion, all we do is learn our language and our religion, we are not taught to hate jews or kill them or any sort of other religion….if only they came into our classes and heard what we actually took, then they would be shocked….its hard for me and my fellow students to concentrate on anything or live like a normal teen in school because of all of this negativity going around…we are normal teens, its a normal school, like any other private school or public school…we do what everyone else does in our age, listen to music, go out, etc….we dont sit around in class learning how to hate other people and religions…instead, we learn to treat them respectuflly and nicely like our prophet muhammed used to…
I’ve been in I.S.A for seven years, it’s my second home, and the atmosphere is very loving and warming…it has so many diverse ethnicities and its just sad to hear all of this or have to go through this…..i think i would know better after seven years in the school. just leave us alone, all we want to do is go to school normally and not have to think of other schools that we might have to go to if they close our down.
October 18th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
[...] a few blog entries that I found interesting: Below the Beltway Okay, I’m waiting for more reputable sources to report on [...]
October 19th, 2007 at 4:35 am
“In a report released Thursday, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom broadly criticized what it calls a lack of religious freedom in Saudi society and promotion of religious extremism at Saudi schools.”
“A private Islamic school supported by the Saudi government should be shut down until the U.S. government can ensure the school is not fostering radical Islam, a federal panel recommends.”
A government agency that criticizes the lack of religious freedom in Saudi Arabia recommends shutting down a Saudi Arab supported school in America for fear of their religious teaching.
I believe that’s what’s known as irony.
“Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House subcommittee on state and foreign appropriations, announced yesterday that he plans to introduce a House resolution requiring Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to close the Saudi Academy until its textbooks are made available for public examination.”
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” — First Amendment to the United States Constitution, (emphasis added).
The Supreme Court has also ruled that unless speech seems intended to lead immediately to violence or criminal behavior and is likely to, it is protected speech. In a free and open nation, the best remedy to speech is more speech and to ideas one deems dangerous, the promulgation of better, less dangerous ideas.
October 19th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
Hello. I am a graduate from ISA. I attended this school from Kindergarten through senior year. I went on to GMU earning a degree in Business Management and plan to study for my MBA soon. To hear these kinds of accusations saddens me b/c I know 100% that this is completely false! Like any other private religious school would, ISA taught it’s students the importance of being positive Muslim Americans in our society. We were never once taught hatred against other nonmuslims. In fact, we were taught the exact opposite. ISA has been open for over 20 years only to have it’s students go on to some of the top universities in this nation. ISA employed Christians, Jews, and other nonmuslim teachers and Vice Principles for as long as it’s been open. ISA has always been fair and honest with its staff, students, and most imporantly it’s community. Our school opened its doors after hours to the community for practices and other school needed functions. ISA has nothing to hide and I know for a fact that ISA urged them to inspect their books because they were so wrongfully accused. Saying that the school administration is lying and refusing to cooperate is a flat out lie.Why haven’t they interviewed the thousands of students who have graduated from ISA or the hundreds of non muslim teachers who have or still teach/work at ISA?! I invite everyone to visit our school and talk with it’s students and faculty and decide for yourself if ISA is teaching hatred. It’s ironic this country preaches freedom of religion yet acts the exact opposite.
October 19th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Some narrow minded people continue their war about closing the ISA. Why because the Islamic Study classes teaches from the HOLY KORAN is the only book of God’s words, not mans word. All the students who graduated from this school have gone on and cotibuted much to improve our country. Its the only school that does not have to worry about students bringing in guns, or any weapons. No student would ever think about coming to school to kill another student, but yet they want to close it. Non-muslims should not fear Islam, it is a religion and until now there is freedom of religion,and speech.
October 20th, 2007 at 11:14 am
No government, local, state or federal has any business criticizing or chastizing, much less recommending closure, of any private independent educational or religous insitution for what it may or may not teach or promote, even if those ideas might be somehow offensive to certain groups of people or even the majority of people. That correctly is a sacrosanct right guaranteed to all the people by the Constitution of the United States and Articles of Amendment thereto. And it is a right I would always defend without qualification.
HOWEVER, the Federal Government has the absolute right to regulate and control actions of foreign governments on U.S. soil, that is a hallmark of the power of a soverign nation, and in accordance with long-established diplomatic protocols.
IN THIS CASE, the Islamic Saudi Academy [ISA] is not an independent private educational institution, but rather an activity funded, underwritten and controlled in large part by a foreign government, the Kindgom of Saudi Arabia, whose Ambassador to the US serves as chair of its Board.
AND THAT is why this is not a constitutional matter.
October 20th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
These allegations are absolutely ridiculous. ISA is a regular private school, the students go to school every morning and learn Math, Science, English, and History just like any other student would in any other public/private school.