Wall of silence broken at state's Muslim public school

[Zebulon]

http://www.startribune.com/local/17406054.html

By KATHERINE KERSTEN, Star Tribune
Last update: April 10, 2008

Recently, I wrote about Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA), a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights. Charter schools are public schools and by law must not endorse or promote religion.

Evidence suggests, however, that TIZA is an Islamic school, funded by Minnesota taxpayers.

TIZA has many characteristics that suggest a religious school. It shares the headquarters building of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, whose mission is "establishing Islam in Minnesota." The building also houses a mosque. TIZA's executive director, Asad Zaman, is a Muslim imam, or religious leader, and its sponsor is an organization called Islamic Relief.

...

"The prayer I saw was not voluntary," Getz said. "The kids were corralled by adults and required to go to the assembly where prayer occurred."

...

[Zebulon]

I searched the FFRF and AU websites, and didn't find anything about the story. But the ACLU-Minnesota has announced an investigation into the school.

http://www.aclu-mn.org/home/news/aclumnopensinvestigationof/

ACLU-MN opens investigation of Tarek Academy

For Immediate Release
March 18, 2008

After receiving complaints that Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy in Inver Grove Heights is violating the Establishment Clause the ACLU-MN sent a letter to the academy questioning their practices. In the letter that was sent the ACLU-MN questions some of their practices, including addressing allegations that the school sponsors prayer.

Teresa Nelson, an attorney for the ACLU of Minnesota, says "We currently do not have enough facts to state whether or not the school is in violation of the establishment clause. The American Civil Liberties Union is a strong defender of separation of church and state and will take action if we find they are violating the establishment clause."

You can also read the letter that was sent to Tarek Academy.

http://www.aclu-mn.org/downloads/LettertoTarekAcademy.pdf

[linwood]

I can`t wait to see the Christian hypocrisy concerning this.

[Worldtraveller]

Yer already seeing the xian hypocrisy. The same Kersten woman who wrote the article in the Op is apperently a right wing xian nutbag who has no problem trying to get fundamentalist xianity into schools.

I'm not familiar with the politics in that part of the country, but I agree with PZ Myers (http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/04/islamic_schools_christian_scho.php) on this one.

Cheers.

[laughing dog]

I would take this with a grain of salt. Ms. Kersten is a right wing Islamophobe, who regularly misrepresents any sort of interaction with the Muslim community in Mn into an alarmist light. She is not a reporter but a columnist. She wrote half-truths about this academy earlier in the year, and had her ass handed back to her. None of the allegations have been confirmed yet. I am not claiming the allegations are false - they are serious and merit further investigation. It is just this columnist has a lousy track record.

[linwood]

Well, The school website looks relatively clean (accept for noting all muslim

Who is this school named after?

Tarek ibn Ziyad

Who was Tarek ibn Ziyad?

A Muslim conqueror of Spain.

Tariq ibn Ziyad (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarek_ibn_Ziyad)

Why name a secular school after a bloodthirsty religious zealot?

[Pavlov's Dog]

I don't care if it is Hitler who is bitching about the school. It is obviously something that needs to be looked into.

[Worldtraveller]

I don't care if it is Hitler who is bitching about the school. It is obviously something that needs to be looked into.

The local ACLU is looking into the issue, in spite of the fact that the recent rulings by SCOTUS are going to make it very hard to show standing under the circumstances. Even more difficult than the Newdow and the Hein case, although the courts might grant in this case because it's an Islamic school. Should be interesting to watch.

[Pavlov's Dog]

I don't care if it is Hitler who is bitching about the school. It is obviously something that needs to be looked into.

The local ACLU is looking into the issue, in spite of the fact that the recent rulings by SCOTUS are going to make it very hard to show standing under the circumstances.

Not really. You just have your kid apply to the school. He gets rejected, you blame it on religion and there is standing. He gets accepted and they are praying and preaching, then there is standing.

That being said, the courts are not the only branch of the government that can do something about these.

[laughing dog]

There are interesting implications from this situation. Friday prayers are important to Muslims, but school is held on Friday. Schools is typically not held on Saturday or Sunday - days that are important to either Jews or Christians. Why is permissible to structure school days around Jewish and Christian rituals and expectations, but not Muslim? I think this case is the tip of the iceberg in Mn. I would love it if this iceberg "sinks" the accommodation of religion in general. Then Katherine Kersten - this whistleblowing asshat - can try explaining herself to the religious right (her base).