Justice and common sense. Debbie Almontaser Update: "Lawsuit Filed by Principal Fired From Arabic School Is Dismissed," by Anahad O'Connor for the New York Times, September 1 (thanks to James):
A federal judge on Tuesday ruled against the founding principal of an Arabic-language school who sued the city, claiming that her rights were violated when she was fired in 2007 for defending the word "intifada" on a T-shirt.The principal, Debbie Almontaser, had argued in her suit that the city violated her First Amendment rights when it fired her for explaining in a newspaper interview that the word had nonviolent origins. Judge Sidney H. Stein, who dismissed the case in Federal District Court in Manhattan, rejected her claims, saying that Ms. Almontaser made her statements in the course of her duties as an administrator -- not "as a citizen on a matter of public concern" -- and that employers have some rights to control their employees' words and actions....
The controversy over Ms. Almontaser's statements began in August 2007, when she was questioned by The New York Post about T-shirts that bore the phrase "Intifada NYC." The shirts were sold by the group Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media, and had no relation to the school. But when Ms. Almontaser defended the meaning of the phrase as literally meaning "shaking off" instead of something more violent, the Education Department was besieged by complaints, and Ms. Almontaser was asked to resign.
Shortly afterward, Ms. Almontaser filed her lawsuit against the Education Department, the chancellor and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, saying that they not only violated her right to free speech but also "conspired to deny her the opportunity to regain her position as principal."...
Sweet justice.
A win here for the kuffaars. Good. Every setback to Islam's supremacist designs (which so often come via deception, frequently masquerading as something noble or innocuous) should be applauded.
Right on! Every battle won is a step in the right direction.
Wait, however, for her to go to the Supreme Court with the financial backing of CAIR.
There, she will have Judge "Supremicist Sotomayor", Obama's Supreme Court nominee, to reverse the decision. I'll bet ya!
"Debbie Almontaser, had argued in her suit that the city violated her First Amendment rights.
Judge Sidney H. Stein, who dismissed the case in Federal District Court in Manhattan, rejected her claims."
Check and mate.
Pay attention, Yom-seem.
21 July 2006: A PAKISTANI man convicted in November, 2003 of participating in an al-Qaeda plot to blow up service stations and refineries inside the United States was sentenced to 30 years in prison by US Federal Judge Sidney H. Stein. Uzair PARACHA was found guilty of five charges following a two-week trial; charges included conspiracy to provide material support to al Qaeda, a foreign terrorist organization. He was convicted of agreeing to help a former US resident, Majid KHAN, an al Qaeda operative with terrorist plans sneak into the United States by posing as KHAN to obtain proper immigration papers.
Looks like this Judge Stein has his shit in one bag.
So I can wear a t-shirt at work saying "Islam is of the Devil" without a problem then, right Debbie?
http://www.doveworld.org/islam-is-of-the-devil-t-shirt
dang...nice display of common sense...
Maybe the word does have a non-violent origin, but it certainly has a violent application. Of course, Ms. Almontaser is plugged into the wider stealth jihad network, so this is a setback, if only small and temporary, for their plans to wage their grand jihad against Western civilisation (or at least that part of it that is New York).
Words derive their meaning from their commonly-accepted usage. We all know, despite the best efforts of the armstrongs and espositos, that the Arabic word for struggle, that is Jihad, ordinarily refers to the struggle by Muslims on behalf of Islam, and more exactly, the struggle to remove every obstacle to the spread and then the dominance of Islam. This struggle can employ many instruments besides violence, whether that violence be qitaal (combat) or terrorism as we in the advanced West understand that term.
We all know perfectly well what the word "Intifada" means. And so too, all along, has Debbie Almontaser.
School Sends Girl With Anti-Islam Shirt Home
Posted: 8:31 am EDT August 25, 2009Updated: 7:44 am EDT August 26, 2009
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- A 10-year-old girl was sent home on her first day back to school in Gainesville for wearing a shirt that was deemed offensive.
Faith Sapp wore a shirt to class Monday with the words 'Islam Is Of The Devil' printed on it. The words are the same of those at an outreach center where her father serves as the pastor.
Bye, bye, Ms ("Debbie Does Da'wa") Almontaser. Don't let the door hit you in the....well, you know the rest, I'm sure.
Meanwhile, my NYC borough seems to be multiplying shrouded women each day. Not a good sign, I'm afraid.
[Side note: in decades past, I would have silently cheered them for "getting out" of the Islam-infused societies they came from, thinking they'd finally get a chance to find freedom for themselves. Now - well, now I know better. And yes, I have experienced their "holier than thou" supreacist attitudes.]
Oh, Vee, I know what you mean...I see more and more 'covered' women in the local malls--mostly hijab but now and then niqab as well--the father and kids are in shorts and tshirts, while mom sports black from head to toe.
I can't help but wonder what little girls of 8 or 10 must think when they are suddenly forced to go from American clothing like shorts and tshirts to the tents?
"Infitada NYC" my ass.
Good on NYC for a change.
"...Words derive their meaning from their commonly-accepted usage. ...the Arabic word for struggle, that is Jihad, ordinarily refers to the struggle by Muslims on behalf of Islam, and more exactly, the struggle to remove every obstacle to the spread and then the dominance of Islam..." Hugh Fitzgerald.
I guess if a person was trying to sell 'My Struggle' as the benign personally motivated self improvement motives, of say, someone who was quoting 'Mein Kampf'- it would be instantly understood for the 50 millions who had to die in holocaust, in wars to end and the misery attendant to the 'struggle' such people created.
Mohammad's struggle, his 'Jihad', even if one forgets all the homicidal assaults, murders, terrorism he and his band of terrorists and pirates performed- ended with his decree that Arabia would be free of all jews and christians, and pagans, forever.
That was his and their Jihad. 'My struggle', mein kampf, indeed.
And Mo's 'Struggle', his 'Jihad' was what it was and has been and is.
Hell.... 120 millions of black people who were animists, christians, were murdered to conquer and submit the 14 millions of muslims enslaved. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Yes. It's mostly hijabs at this point, but the full body bags willmake their way from Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn to my own borough, I'm sure. (Muslims were the fastest-increasing demographic here as of last November's election.)
I am seriously considering moving, but I've seen them in almost every corner of America that I've travelled to over the last five years.
This is so not good. Obama's doing a bang-up job getting more to move here, but one cannot say that Bush's administration worked to prevent this "infiltration". He did not.
Brings back some fond memories of sweet success!
Say What?
You'll like it...
This was a pretty straightforward case and one that she should lose, but I'm often wrong about how court cases are decided. Fortunately there was no technicality to twist the result.
She made some questionable public comments and VOLUNTARILY resigned her position; then she changed he mind and sued, claiming she had been forced to resign - no - illegally fired.
The NY Times City Room on-line section provided details in articles and links, but also had a lively comment section. I had been visiting because I found the T-shirt and the Principal's participation offensive. On one article I commented that the headline of the article was incorrectly stating that she had been "fired" and I mentioned the correct term should be "resigned" per the Times own articles. It was extra relevant because one of the prominent discussion themes had been contention about characterizing the nature of her departure; quit, fired, or "forced to resign"?
The editor acknowledged the error and changed the on-line headline but he also wrote back, in the comment section, to try to diminish my correction and made comments supportive of Almontaser. The problem was his comment was factually incorrect.
So, I posted another comment, letting him know that the information in his comment was incorrect. I checked back later and noticed that my second comment had been removed, and that his earlier comment had been changed and corrected, without notation.
So, I posted another comment, this time complaining that he had removed one of my posts without any valid reason, and pointing out that he had "gone back in time" to modify his comments while wondering if readers would be allowed the same privilege. When I went back later, post removed.
So, I poste... No Account?!?. I had been BANNED BY THE NY TIMES
I sent a email to the City Room Editor; what is your problem?
I received an email reply telling me that the Editor had his privileges and that I was no longer welcome to comment in the City Room section. After an exchange of emails he realized I was a rational reader with an interest in the issue seeking accuracy and not just trying to "catch him" in mistakes, to make him, personally, look bad.
Censored by the NY Times for insisting on accurate headlines, factually correct comments from Editors, and valid archives. I wear it as a badge of honor.
An earlier rant #164: "Pogrom NYC"
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/under-fire-arabic-themed-school-principal-resigns/?apage=7#comments
You know kids, I just spent the last two weeks in South Cal and nary was there a hijab to be had. I saw one in the airport on the way on a stop at Dallas/Ft. Worth. The only other time I saw one was on a woman pushing a stroller at 10:45pm, coming out of an elevator with her family, at the Paris Casino in Vegas. I sure was glad to see that Muslims practice what they preach, knowing how opposed they are to gambling, and of course, any establishment that would promote it.
Perhaps the Southern California baby boomers haven't gotten the message. They are still way into too much sun, shorts and flip flops and acting like they are 20 years old. Good luck saddling them with the old Hefty Bag. ; )
Sashland, nice manning of the bastions!
Ms. Almontaser defended the meaning of the phrase as literally meaning “shaking off” instead of something more violent
"We all know perfectly well what the word "Intifada" means. And so too, all along, has Debbie Almontaser." -- Hugh
Almontaser would likely have recourse to the old Two-Step:
1) First maintain the denial that Intifada means anything violent for as long as she can and for as long as circumstances (including Infidel ignorance) allow;
then when intelligent people confront her with the mountain of data that shows that the Intifada has been in fact ultra-violent --
2) Step Two: Admit that it's violent (thus suddenly contradicting Step One) but immediately recontextualize that violence as "freedom fighting" of decent people driven to "desperate measures" against the "oppression" of the Israeli "Apartheid" regime.
Thanks H.
I find that I can't, and don't want to, withhold 'focusing' comments when confronted with bombastic ignorance. Always civil, but I do find myself in some hotspots at times.
Remind me to tell you the story some time about going to my Senator's Town Hall meeting a couple of years ago to support the surge and the Iraq War, at what effectively was an anti-war rally. Stirred it up a little (insert little yellow smiley face here). Gives me a small measure of pride to think that in my own small way I helped to move people towards active vocalization (along the lines of that 100th monkey dissemination theory).
I think the worst part was the blog editor changing his prior comments without notation. Just not done. And, of course, pulling my factual, civil, and embarrassing corrections. All showed a lack of ethics and violated what I understand are blogging (and professional journalism) standards.
Jew Lover,
http://www.doveworld.org/the-sign
Its a sign that is the truth, this muslimah is a bloody lair. As struggle is the peaceful eternal jihad, intifada was used peacefully against israel. Only there were stacks of dead people at the end. The religion of peace(eternal peace of the dead).
I think Mayor Bloomberg needs to explain his support for this woman at this juncture.
Sashland, those actions at the NYT blog sure do violate certain standards. Perhaps you could put up a blog that documents that incident in all its particulars, just to have it on record out there on the Blogosphere. As for your participation in the town meeting, while I commend you for your activism, I'd have to demur on the matter of the Surge, as I tend to lean in the direction of Hugh Fitzgerald here, and of Diana West in her fine reporting and analyses on the whole catastrophe of Iraq (and Afghanistan) on her blog, in their view that our efforts there have been chasing a tragically unrealistic dream based on the preposterous notion that Muslims are capable of democracy and genuinely pro-Western (and pro-American) support. Had the Surge been predicated on the type of strategy & tactics of a Patton, a Curtis LeMay, or a MacArthur, I'd have been for it. Not only wasn't it, it was so far off the mark of those real strategists & tacticians as to be grievously comical (e.g., to pick one example out of thousands from a turban, giving Muslims a few minutes so the women can be sure to be moved into separate rooms before a military search team moves into a habitation complex to search for terrorists, all in the name of "respecting" their culture of treating their women like shit, thus giving terrorists a few minutes, obviously, to escape, if not to attack the search team since the element of surprise was compromised).
Everyone knew exactly what Debbie's intent was by wearing that T-Shirt.
Debbie does New York? Sorry-wrong decade.