Religion monitor: Shut Saudi school

Washington Times ^ | October 18, 2007 | Julia Duin

[3AngelaD]

An independent government agency that monitors worldwide religious freedom will suggest today that the State Department shut down the 23-year-old Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia on the grounds it is fomenting hate and religious extremism.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which advises Congress, the State Department and the president on religious-freedom issues, has issued a 30-page document saying the Saudi Embassy, which operates the 933-student academy, is violating U.S. law...

Foreign governments can engage in nondiplomatic activity on American soil...but cannot do so via their embassy, according to the 1982 Foreign Missions Act. The State Department can require an embassy to divest itself of property and close down any businesses not embassy-related.

Embassy spokesman Nail al-Jubeir did not return a call seeking comment. His brother, Saudi Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir, is chairman of the bilingual English/Arabic academy's board of directors.

At issue are textbooks the USCIRF says contain "highly intolerant and discriminatory language, particularly against Jews, Christians and Shi'a Muslims." Its findings are based on a three-year study of Arabic-language textbooks, some of them from the Saudi Academy, by the Center for Religious Freedom in the District.

The textbooks instructed students to "hate" Jews, Christians, "polytheists" and other "unbelievers," praised violent jihad as a "religious duty" and to believe as fact the anti-Semitic forgeries known as "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion."

Saudi officials said in response that the textbooks were being revamped and an official at the academy, who asked not to be named, said school textbooks were revised in 2006....The Saudi Academy is one of 20 international Saudi schools around the world. The Virginia academy's main campus is on Richmond Highway in Alexandria and a west campus for young children is on Popes Head Road in Fairfax.

[3AngelaD]

Close them down. Today. Here is what they produce: In 2005, the Justice Department accused 23-year-old Virginia native Ahmed Omar Abu Ali of plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush. Media coverage has predictably centered on Abu Ali’s claims of torture while he was held in a Saudi Arabian prison and on the fact that the accused was “his high school’s valedictorian.” Largely omitted from this coverage is the fact that his high school operates under the authority of the Saudi Arabian government, teaches an extremist form of Wahhabi Islam, and has direct ties to at least three other terrorists – two of them, like Abu Ali, former students. This private nexus of Saudi money, fundamentalist Islam, and terrorism has led many to question: Does this high school’s curriculum create an environment in which terrorism can thrive?...Abu Ali was the 1999 valedictorian at the Islamic Saudi Academy (ISA) of Alexandria, Virginia.

[SmoothTalker]

Shocking that the Saudi’s would run something like this :)

[Ron in Acreage]

Wouldn’t be PC to close it. Bush doesn’t have the cajones.

[sageb1]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1912947/posts

Seems there are some who would prefer to allow the school to continue.

[martin_fierro]

N. Va. PING

[xsmommy]

the jihad academy has been in business quite a long time here!

[dfwgator]

The modern-day version of the German-American Bund.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"on the grounds it is fomenting hate and religious extremism."

Even a simple reading of mad moes terrorist training manual (The ignoble queeranus) will give you that impression.

What took them sooooo long?

[cake_crumb]

I'd like this madrassa shut down too, but isn't it up to the Education Department? All the president can do is tell them he wants it shut down. They [the education department] can fight that.

Speaking of schools, civics classes would be nice....

[cake_crumb]

According to the other thread, the school board says they don't teach hate and don't understand why the commission didn't ask for their textbooks because they have an open policy.

I smell a rat. Maybe this IS another Turkey.

[rawcatslyentist]

Have you ever read any of the koran? It is an instruction manual for murder, mutilation, misogyny, slavery, and child porn.

Wonderful little "religion" they have there.

Heard of any Buddists bombing buildings? How about those bloodthirsty Shintos. Dont forget the Amish, what with their invading elementary schools taking hostages, and killing children.

is-Slime needs to be BANNED. It has all the same social redeeming, and society building qualities as the Jivaro headhunters religion.