NYC Principal at Center of 'Intifada' T-Shirt Controversy Resigns

Fox News ^

[Sub-Driver]

NYC Principal at Center of 'Intifada' T-Shirt Controversy Resigns

Friday , August 10, 2007

NEW YORK — A New York City principal who came under fire for controversial comments about an "intifada" T-shirt that seemed to condone terrorism has resigned.

On Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg accepted the resignation of Debbie Almontaser, principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, an English-Arabic school set to open next month in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Almontaser had come under fire for comments she made to the New York Post about an "Intifada NYC" T-shirt that is sold by an activist group that shares an office with the Yemeni-American association that Almontaser represents.

Before condemning the T-shirt message's connection to Palestinian terrorism, Almontaser told the Post that "intifada" means "shaking off" and the shirts represented women "shaking off" oppression.

[KarlInOhio]

Before condemning the T-shirt message's connection to Palestinian terrorism, Almontaser told the Post that "intifada" means "shaking off" and the shirts represented women "shaking off" oppression.

Yeah, and "Mein Kampf" just refers to a personal struggle.

[Tamar1973]

Almontaser told the Post that "intifada" means "shaking off" and the shirts represented women "shaking off" oppression.

If Arab women want to "shake off" oppression, they'll shake off Islam first!

[Badeye]

The chick in Debbie Does Dallas is much more intelligent than this Debbie.....

[AbeKrieger]

Sure. "Shake off" or whatever but you still disrespect yourself by being subjugated by a religion of hatred, the Koran, and a culture of violence, and are so brainwashed that you think it is "your choice" to dress as you do.

[hsalaw]

The New York Post reported Friday that the school had attracted only a handful of Arabic-speaking students.

Sounds like this attempt to pander to the islamofascists hasn't worked.

[PinkDolphin]

Most people equate Kahlil Gibran with 2000 positions of sex, not educating young people.
and if she is this clueless, she doesn’t need to be a principal.

[Moleman]

Accept for the stupid comment about “shaking off” I believe she condemned the message and that is naturally what the teachers association objected of.
Am I missing something? Sounds like she condemned the message and then resigned under pressure from the PC crowd.

[DogBarkTree]

If Arab women want to help themselves they would stop boinking arab men and raising islamo children.

[sageb1]

http://stopthemadrassa.wordpress.com/

[PinkDolphin]

They (ewwww) glory in it! Excuse me while i throw up

[VOA]

Yeah, and "Mein Kampf" just refers to a personal struggle.

If there was such a category....I'd nominate you for "most historically-
relevant" post of the day.

[Vision]

[Yehuda]

Bloomberg and Klein, at least sharing a small pair...

[Tzimisce]

Aw come on, it’s not like the guy flushed a Koran down the toilet or something..

[SengirV]

You need to work on your message there. Twas difficult to decipher what you are trying to get across. Many believe that the ONLY reason she “condemned” the message is because she got causght. Tryin to lie to make it look not quite as bad was anything but coming out aginst the message. She is out specifically because of the pressure from NON PC people. The PC crown WANTS Jihad against America.

[stanz]

Is this madrassah still going to operate? and on the taxpayers’ dime?

[Yehuda]

“Is this madrassah still going to operate? and on the taxpayers’ dime?”

More than likely - hey this is NYC!

Everywhere else, you find yourself in a hole, you stop digging.

Here’s it’s “Dig We Must, for a more PC NYC!”

[stanz]

This is disgraceful. Whatever happened to the separation between church and state? A public school should be non-sectarian. That means no cultural or religious affiliation. Or am I not getting something? This is nothing but a vaguely disguised attempt to legally promote hate and deception on our own soil.

[Moleman]

ASHHH Spell check is not my friend...

[durasell]

NYC has always cut people a lot of slack. Many schools still have Christmas plays, decorations, etc. There are many specialized schools designed to meet the needs of a particular community.

When folks try to take it too far they get kicked to the curb.

[bboop]

Well done, Michelle Malkin. Keep up the heat. This school should NOT be funded by the taxpayers. What a travesty. Where’s the ACLU??

[woollyone]

...yet

[Rummyfan]

We should deport her hijab-wearing self back to Yemen! Now close the madrassah er ... school too!

[Rummyfan]

On Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg accepted the resignation of Debbie Almontaser

Um, I believe her name is Dabhah........

[hunter112]

Yow! She makes my first-grade nun look kindly!

Now that's interesting, a woman dressed like that talking about women "shaking off" oppression!

"Debbie Does Dhimmies"

[wtc911]

Most people equate Kahlil Gibran with 2000 positions of sex,

___________________________________________

Explain yourself please.

[PinkDolphin]

I can’t. I got the K mixed up with something else. I was emailing someone back and forth when I wrote that and wasn’t paying attention here and I ....
just don’t ask.

[jimfree]

This is somewhat confusing. Gibran was born Maronite Christian and best I can tell was never a fan of Islam even though some of his writings criticize Christianity. I'm very fond of a series of stories Khalil the Heretic.

[firebrand]

"Debbie brought to the work of creating the school strong dedication and a commitment to the success of all of New York City's children," New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein said in a statement. "She reflected that commitment by stepping aside as the schools leader when controversy about her remarks threatened to destabilize the school."

Klein has quite a large pair for issuing this whitewash, if you ask me. It was all done out of love on Debbie's part, don't you know.

[Malsua]

Debbie?

He real name probably sounds like someone hocking up a lung.

[firebrand]

Am I missing something?

Either your name is particularly apt or you simply have it completely backwards. It was the non-PC crowd that got her bumped. This was so egregious that even the head of the teachers' union joined on in a letter to the New York Post, becoming non-PC for a day.

[Yehuda]

good catch. (now go wash your hands... ( : >)

[Yehuda]

” This is nothing but a vaguely disguised attempt to legally promote hate and deception on our own soil.”

Hammered!

[stanz]

Someone in the office here in NYC receives e-mails from the NYC Dept of Education. She was just notified that Debbie “Intifada” Almontaser has been replaced by a JEWISH principal!

Yuk yuk

[Coleus]

NYC Principal at Center of 'Intifada' T-Shirt Controversy Resigns
The Culture Wars: Former Christians Running Away [Alert]

 

why would a Jewish chancellor, mayor and teachers' union president want to push an Islamic School

 

more to the story is this:

 

The principal of a controversial city-funded Arab-themed school abruptly resigned yesterday after she ignited a firestorm by saying there was nothing wrong with T-shirts that said “Intifada NYC.”  Pressure for Debbie Almontaser’s ouster had mounted all week since her tortured explanation that “intifada” was a message of empowerment. The inflammatory statement was about Arab women in New York City “shaking off oppression” and not supporting the Palestinian uprising that killed thousands, she said.

 

http://stopthemadrassa.wordpress.com/

 

Did JFK "Steal" from Gibran the Words for his "Ask Not What Your Country Can Do for You" quote?
New York City’s school chancellor wants an Islamic public school
NYC Principal at Center of 'Intifada' T-Shirt Controversy Resigns