From the Times-Picayune, "Workshop focuses on Muslim culture: Session designed to aid understanding," with thanks to Twostellas:
If a Muslim or Arab family is slow to respond to a note sent home by a school or is running late for a teacher conference, school officials should not feel snubbed but should understand the cultural influences behind that behavior.That's been the message delivered this week to about 250 Jefferson Parish public school teachers and administrators as part of a four-day workshop designed to help them work better with Muslim and Arab families in the school system.
The seminar, which comes after an incident last year in which a teacher was accused of using religious slurs against a Muslim high school student, focused not only on religious tenets but also on the geographical and cultural aspects of Muslim life."I want them to be able to better understand their Arab and Muslim students and their families," said Audrey Sabbas, a nationally known speaker on Middle Eastern culture who ran the workshop Wednesday for about 50 teachers and principals.
Sabbas, who is married to an Arab man and converted to Islam decades ago, discussed a list of values that guide Muslim life, including family-based support systems, a need to build trust with those with whom they work and a strong respect for authorities, especially educators and doctors.
Those values can affect practical, everyday matters, Sabbas said.
Because Muslims like to build trust, verbal communication tends to get better results than written documents, she said. Correspondence sent home by schools is the "least effective" way to communicate as opposed to a phone call or visit, Sabbas said.
"They want to develop a sense of you before getting down to business," she said.
In addition, Muslims have a different "time orientation," she said. Immediate matters, such as a family member stopping at their house unexpectedly, take precedence over previously scheduled events, Sabbas said.
That can lead to a parent missing, canceling or running late for appointments, including teacher conferences, she said, prompting some grumbling from the audience.
One educator asked how she could better stress the need for Muslim families to keep their appointments. "You just have to keep delivering that verbal message," Sabbas said.
At the suggestion of visiting families' homes, a principal quietly complained about giving that kind of attention to one student in a school that serves hundreds.
Indeed.
Related: Why we Must take back our schools from the left- The NEA and islam:
http://www.cwfa.org/articles/926/CWA/education/
http://yconservatives.com/Zeiger-64.html
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/8/20/130642.shtml
http://www.dondodd.com/april/091602.html
http://www.cblpolicyinstitute.org/sept11ann.htm
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/000310.php
http://www.blessedcause.org/Righteous%20Out/NEA%20betrayal.htm
http://www.freedom21santacruz.net/issues/Family-autonomy/9-11/news-commentary.html
http://www.danielpipes.org/comments/18589
Teachers fighting back against NEA over islam:
http://www.newbusinessnews.com/story/08190201.html
...and one liberal's response to Any attempt to take back our schools:
'Next, we’ll conservat-ize the the so-called “science” books and tell the kids the truth about evolution: the world is 6,000 years old, the earth is square, pi = exactly 3, the study of foreign languages goes against the Lord ©, WE were meant to rule the mudpeople. And the Jews are the children of Satan.)' ~kj
Special treatment?
Dear Muslims:
Here's a kick in the ass and a reminder that you're in the United States of America, and therefore, you are to behave in accordance with our laws, or you'll be receiving another kick in the ass, then another, then another, until you finally understand that special treatment is not available to you simply because you belong to a racists, murderous, moon god death cult.
One would have thought that the seminar should be directed at Muslim parents. They are living here, in an Infidel country, and can attend seminars teaching them how to adjust. Audrey Sabbas has a good gig and no doubt wants to hold onto it. Fine - but let her direct her remarks to those who, after all, should be doing the adjusting. One does not believe that Americans living in, say, Saudi Arabia, have seen the Saudi authorities lining up to find out just how they should adjust to their "Infidels," the mores and manners that are so foreign to them. It is the Americans and other Infidels who are expected in every way to adjust.
Just a tiny sense of what is required of immigrants, even those special Muslim immigrants for whom so much amazing solicitude is shown, would be nice.
Problem is, we in the West are too polite. What needs to happen in these sorts of seminars, is instead of mumblings and groans from the audience, is for them to tell twits like that Sabbas cow to shut up and get with the program. Then the principals and teachers and audience need to tell her the way it is in the US, or whatever country, and tell her to like it or lump it. That's the only way to deal with arrogant Islam. They'll push and shove and make demands for as long as we allow them. And they know it. They know we're restricted and gagged by Political Correctness, so they take advantage.
These cases convince me more and more, that though Islam may be a problem and a danger, our own society is the bigger problem. Not people like us on this forum and similar forums, but the PeeCee-addled segments of our societies. The ones who allow these things to occur, who threaten the general informed public with harsh consequences if we don't play along with their PeeCee agenda.
So try being a little late with the benefit giro (or whatever is used in the US)and requiring a personal visit for it's collection. And that a personal request is needed for time off for a visit to the sick room for prayer. Or find something else more pressing to do when Moslems require attention.
Patience is not one of their virtues when it comes to their rights.
I know quite a few Christian Arab/Americans. They have no problems showing up on time for business appointments, getting their kids to school on time or getting the kids to activities at school, etc. I suspect that the Muslim problem with conferences and other interactions with the school systems is that the schools are run by inferior infidels and that Muslims don't appreciate being told to show up at 4:00 pm for a school conference by persons considered less than themselves. It most likely influences the way that the Muslim children think about their teachers too. The main issue for the Muslims is not time but the feeling of superiority. If I were a teacher in that school system, I would deeply resent the occasion spent lecturing me on why someone else's time is more important than my own.
Muslim immigrants must be encouraged to adapt to the way we do things here in America. Many immigrant groups have had to do so in the past.
My experience is with Cuban immigrants in South Florida that were used to doing things on "Cuban time," that is, running late, chit chat and so on. Some of these customs are endearing but don't do well when mixed confronted with bluntness and punctuality that is required in American business. Parents did attend seminars and school open house meetings to learn how to fit into the American school system. Nothing less should be expected of Muslim parents.
Younger generations have made the transition because they had to do so to function in American culture and the business world. It appears to me that many Muslims are attempting to strong-arm the American culture and business world to adapt to them. Yes, we should understand different cultures, but they shouldn't be given a permanent pass to do as they please. If we do, we will invite them to walk all over us.
But even after all their whining and bitching
they still come to America to escape the pressure to adhere to the rules imposed on them,seems they don't mind imposing their values, or lack of them,on 99 percent of the population.
Hell,it would be easier to look after a Chia-pet
that comes with far less instruction and lists of how to care for it.
Are you absolutely SURE that these islamic Louisiana families aren't jihadists pretending to be average Americans?
I suspect that the family dog may have eaten the Louisiana School District's homework...
In addition, Muslims have a different "time orientation," she said. Immediate matters, such as a family member stopping at their house unexpectedly, take precedence over previously scheduled events, Sabbas said.
Like their terrorist buddys to make plans??
Yea like the Poor girlfriend on 24 who showed up and got herself killed??
This woman has been smoking something and it aint Marlboros???
Hope the Teachers told her she had better run back to her people and tell them to get with the program or they will be sending the Sherrif to get them!!!
Part of the American Tribe
Squirrel Hunter
Spider Killer
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and ALL who Fight with her give them Strength, Wisdom, Sight, and Courage to stay the course to Victory to Defeat ALL Islamic Terrorist and ALL who SUPPORT them Amen
They are aliens in OUR country, but it's always them giving the lectures and holding the seminars, telling US that we must understand, respect, and defer to THEIR culture. To HELL WITH THEIR CULTURE!
Do we go through this bullshit for ANY OTHER IMMIGRANTS FROM ANYWHERE? No, of course we don't. Only MUSLIMS.
If these incongruous, recalcitrant, obnoxious people can't accept and adapt to OUR CULTURE, they should NOT BE HERE.
This muslima revert says that muslims are very respectful of authority figures, then contradicts that statement by saying that unannounced guests are more important to them than keeping appointments with their children's educators! Typical Islamic doublespeak. Muslims are ignorant, arrogant, irresponsible, and suffer from delusions of superiority. ( Go figure!) I pity the poor people who have to deal with them on a daily basis.
They are not worth the trouble they cause. If they contributed ANYTHING in return for all the inconvenience, expense, and general malaise they create, I could understand making the extra effort. BUT THEY DON'T. All they do is demand and take.
Something else to keep in mind: INTENT is very important, especially to Arabs. "I will (fill in the blank here), inshallah." If (fill in the blank here) does not happen, clearly Allah wasn't willing.
So much for "when in Rome...."
Maryrose may have a point here - if Arab Christians make this adjustment, why not Arab Muslims? It can't be a cultural thing, so could it be psychological?
Geoff
Geoff:
Culture is more discreet than that. In the West, we talk about corporate culture. You can wander from workplace to workplace in the same economic sector and find cultural distinctions between large corporations.
And "Arab Christians" aren't Arabs -- descendants of the tribes of the Arabian peninsula. They are, primarily the descendants of aramaic-speaking peoples, possibly Jews who converted and others, who have adopted the Arabic language as it gained economic and political dominance.