An update on this story: State is allowing the Islamic Saudi Academy to continue operating because school officials have assured them that they will -- in effect -- stop teaching things they have been teaching as basic tenets of Islam. And State bought it. Of course.
"State lets Islamic school operate: Officials say Saudi institute will revise violent textbooks," by Gary Emerling in the Washington Times, June 13 (thanks to Ruth King):
State Department officials said Thursday they have no plans to close a Saudi-financed Islamic school in Northern Virginia that has failed to eliminate violent and intolerant language in textbooks. "They told us they would revise the textbooks by the 2008 school year," State Department spokesman Rob McInturff said. "We don't plan to take additional action apart from the discussions that have been going on with the Saudi government."Results released Wednesday from a federal investigation into the Islamic Saudi Academy - with campuses in Alexandria and Fairfax - found textbooks at the 900-student private school had passages that blame the Jews for "discord" and say it is sometimes permissible to kill non-Muslims. The investigation by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom focused on 17 textbooks used during the last school year and obtained from independent sources.
The panel, formed by Congress, last year recommended the State Department close the school, though members had not yet reviewed the textbooks....
State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos on Thursday cited the Saudi government's 2006 acknowledgement of a need to revise its textbooks and agreement to do so "in time for the start of the 2008 school year," which starts this fall....
The passages found in the review, according to the panel, include:
-- A passage in a 12th-grade Koranic interpretation textbook that states it is permissible for a Muslim to kill those who have left the faith, an adulterer or someone who has murdered a Muslim intentionally: "He (praised is He) prohibits killing the soul that God has forbidden (to kill) unless for just cause ...."
The commission said the text defines "just cause" as "unbelief after belief, adultery and killing an inviolable believer intentionally."
As I explained here, that is simply traditional, mainstream Islam. And now this school is going to stop on a dime and teach the opposite? I've got a bridge to sell you, too.
Man is lazy as he dare be. In the current political climate, this statement is never truer. It is now 2008. How long would it take to determine if the promise of textbook and doctrinal revision take? Unless people read really slowly, not that long. If the promise has not been fulfilled, then remove the school's charter.
It will not happen because it would take intestinal fortitude, and that particular quantity cannot be found in most of our politicians today. We need leaders, not followers of money or polls.
"Oh, ok, you'll just go ahead and revise those text books then, eh? Good enough for me."
Well, when is this going to be implemented and what proof will we be shown that it's been implemented and you didn't keep the naughty set of text books to use if/when we're not looking?
Is the Congressman from Virginia, Virgil Goode, doing anything about this?
http://goodeblessamerica.com/
In light of the 2006 Freedom House report that revealed the hate content of textbooks in Saudi schools -- after years of assurances following 9/11 that said content would be expunged -- this is nothing less than a gross dereliction of duty on the part of the State Department.
Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at Freedom House, wrote on the report at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051901769.html
Shea also testified at a November 2005 hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee titled "Saudi Arabia: Friend or Foe in the War on Terror?", as did Steven Emerson:
http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearing.cfm?id=1669
Andrew Cochran at the Counterterrorism blog noted in 2007 that the same thing has happened in the UK:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/02/saudi_and_iranian_textbooks_al.php
An excerpt from Shea's 2005 testimony strikes a chill:
"Some, such as Alex Alexiev of the Center for Security Policy who testified before this Committee in 2003, have estimated Saudi spending on the export of extremist ideology globally to measure three to four times what the Soviets spent on external propaganda during the height of the Cold War. As oil revenues rise for the Saudis, this might well increase."
And what are their oil revenues doing right now?
The transparent dishonesty of the State Dept. is infuriating.
I don't believe they fell for anything. I'm convinced that their basic intentions and sympathies are in favor of the Islamic Saudi Academy -- and their actions are a particularly insulting, as they are a transparently false pantomime of stemming the proliferation of anti-American jihaddi propaganda right here in America.
They do not even bother to put up a convincing pretense. Presumably they see no need.
The State Dept has become more or less a distinct and completely unaccountable branch of gov't - beyond the reach of the electorate, or perhaps even the courts.
Of what use is it to elect a president to conduct the affairs of state, if the decision making and enforcement process is ultimately controlled by unaccountable career bureaucrats, of questionable intentions and sympathies?!?!?!
When are our fellow citizens going to wake up and put a leash on this renegade department?
Or:
They promised they'd lie to us better in the future.
How sage.
(Or is that skunkcabbage?)
Patrick Poole has more on the Saudi madrassa:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/what-virginias-islamic-saudi-academy-doesnt-want-you-to-know/
And here's why the State Department may be trying to sweep this under the rug:
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=313791&paper=69&cat=104
Excerpt:
"Twenty two soldiers from Fort Belvoir now have a working knowledge of the Arabic language as well as a better understanding of Middle Eastern culture. And, they have the certificates to prove it.
"On April 16 they became the second contingent of Fort Belvoir military personnel to graduate from the Islamic Saudi Academy's 'Arabic as a Second Language.' For the past 10 Saturday mornings they have been voluntarily enrolled in the course taught by Dr. Ibrahim Sakaji, chairperson of the school's Arabic as a Second Language Department. ...
"ISA's partnership with Fort Belvoir is only one of the school's many community involvements, but, one of which Al-Shabnan is extremely proud. The 'Arabic as a Second Language' program received a commendation from the U.S.Military, which occupies a prominent place in Al-Shabnan's office.
Disgraceful. There is nothing more to say.
I am confused.....am I missing something?
Why is the State Department sounding in, commenting, or making decisions for a school on American soil? And the fact that it is foreign funded does not matter.
And the content of what was in these books is not any differant then is taught at Rev. Jeremiah Wrights 'Christian School', Sunday School, or church services. The content is the same as Black Liberation Theology that Barrack Obama has listened to for 20 years and his daughters are taught regularly.
The Left can hate America and conservatives and teach hate and breed hate, and the Right can say nothing without being accused of 'hate', insensitive, bigot. But the Left has passed 'hate laws' and is removing 'free speech' from the Right to shut us down.
If this were a Christian school the lawsuits would be stupifying. The administrators would hardly be able to show their faces. The children would have to be re-programmed. Public officials would lose their jobs. The media and the Left would scream for new laws restricting this.
But instead we hear from the Left that they treat all religions equal and we are mistaken that there is a declared war on Christianity.
Fox in charge of the hen house alert!
Well, between Al Saud and al Fuqra, Virginia is now firmly in the pocket of Al Qaeda Way to go State!
Yeah, their 1999 valedictorian joined Al Qaeda.
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/06/13/remember-that-saudi-academy-in-fairfax-va-yeah-their-1999-valedictorian-joined-al-qaeda/
For some reason, my mind is wanting to paraphrase Mike Myers in Wayne's World over this story:
State says they might revise the textbooks.
I say that monkeys might fly outta my butt.