Soapy Asad: gaming public funding of education
April 11, 2008 – 12:07 am by William WallaceIf it weren’t for Katherine Kersten, the token conservative columnist at the otherwise communist progressive Star Tribune, would the ACLU be investigating the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA)?
 combining elements from the Soviet and Chinese flags, as well as color from Al Gore’s environmental movement |
Previously, I blogged on the taxpayer funded Islamic School in Minnesota. I, and other bloggers, have wondered whether the ACLU would be as aggressive against Islamic influences as they are against Christian influences. As Katherine Kersten points out, the liberal ACLU is begrudgingly investigating TIZA.(Kersten 4-9-2008)
Turns out that Katherine Kersten asked 20 questions of the principal of TIZA, soapy Asad, and published those questions and their slick answers:
Soapy Asad wrote:
MN Law requires public schools to supervise students at all times during the school day, including periods where students exercise their constitutional right to pray. TIZA complies with this law. Supervision to maintain student safety is very different from teacher lead and encouragement of prayer. — Asad Zaman(Kersten 4-8-2008)
Soapy Asad basically admits that he has been advised and counsiled by the Minnesota ACLU with this:
That particular statement was placed with the intent to ensure that no TIZA staff members were involved in organizing the Friday prayers. Once the ACLU brought to our attention that this may have represented an appearance of impropriety, we immediately removed it although we have not been informed that there has been any legal violation of the law and we believe that we are not in any legal violation of the law — Asad Zaman(Kersten 4-8-2008)
The slippery Asad astounds:
Q: Who is the gentleman who dresses in white and sometimes leads or participates in prayer at the assembly? — Katherine Kersten
A: Many people dress in white. We do not track the garment colors of staff or visitors. — Soapy Asad
…
Q: What entity conducts after-school religious instruction? Please identify the leaders or teachers in the after-school religious studies program and describe the nature of the program or programs. — Katherine KerstenA: The Muslim American Society of Minnesota is responsible for the program in question. I am not at liberty to provide a list of their staff members.—Soapy Asad(Kersten 4-8-2008)
Soapy Asad also explained why the buses do not pick up students until after extracurricular prayer activities:
Bus transportation is provided at 4:15. Based on our budgetary constraints, this was the earliest time we could negotiate with the bus vendor. This time was also recommended to us through a vote of a majority of parents.—Soapy Asad(Kersten 4-8-2008)
So yes, “Bad”, it does appear that the ACLU has been coaching TIZA to ensure that they can game the system.(Bad 4-10-2008)
As Michelle Malkin writes, “this is just the tip of the iceberg.(Malkin 4-9-2008)
Sources
- ACLU-MN (3-18-2008) ACLU-MN opens investigation of Tarek Academy ACLU of Minnesota
- Bad (4-10-2008) Bads lame trackback @ Coincidence Theories.com
- Kersten, Katherine (4-8-2008) E-mail exchange with TIZA’s executive director StarTribune
- Kersten, Katherine (4-9-2008) Teacher breaks wall of silence at state’s Muslim public school StarTribune
- Malkin, Michelle (4-9-2008) “Establishing Islam in Minnesota” Michelle Malkin (blog)
- Samuelson, Charles (3-14-2008) Letter to soapy Asad Zaman, principal of TIZA ACLU of Minnesota
- Wallace, William (4-9-2008) Where is the ACLU now? Coincidence Theories
See also
- Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy
- ACLU
- Contact Morgan Brown at Minnesota Department of Education (651) 582-8627
- Stop ACLU (4-9-2008) Does the ACLU Believe in the Separation of Mosque and State? Stop the ACLU (blog)
Kudos to Zolton for his comments 869 and 870, which speak for themselves.
Update:
Thanks to Jihad Watch is watching:
- KSTP: Metro charter school accused of teaching Islam: Soapy Asad claims he does not fly the American flag because he does not know how to work a flag pole.
- KSTP: Charter school makes changes after Islamic accusation: Soapy Asad must have taken “how to operate a rope and pully”.
©2008 William Wallace / Corrections Welcome
21 Responses to “Soapy Asad: gaming public funding of education”
“So yes, “Bad”, it does appear that the ACLU has been coaching TIZA to ensure that they can game the system.”
By “appear” you seem to mean “I made it up in my head” because you still haven’t supplied any evidence of this accusation. The ACLU telling them what they can’t do is not “coaching” them to “game the system.”
It’s still quite amazing that after making such a colossally silly accusation, instead of retracting it and maybe thinking why you got it so wrong, you’re still straining to find some way to redeem your paranoia.
By Bad on Apr 11, 2008
I am concerned that it won’t be long before Minnesota mosques start praying via loudspeaker five times a day.
By Concerned on Apr 11, 2008
Loose the Bad guy.
By Concerned on Apr 11, 2008
The ACLU can’t act without information - so yes, no doubt in every case you will find they are only getting involved because somebody passed information to them.
They will also, in the first instance, try to work with the ‘offending’ party to try and get them to comply with the law. This is not ‘gaming’ the system, unless they are also helping Christians, Wiccans, Atheists, Muslims, paedophiles, racists…well everybody ‘game’ the system.
Unless I’ve missed something critical about their handling of similar non-Muslim cases.
By Mod on Apr 11, 2008
If these slicksters want an Islamic school, they should find families who are willing to pay to send their own children to their school–Christians do for Christian schools.
By Pay as you go on Apr 11, 2008
Take a look, they have a blog on this over at Jihad Watch: Minnesota publicly-funded madrasa doesn’t fly the American flag:
From KSTP:
Soapy Asad? Why not greasy Asad?
By Jihad Watch is watching on Apr 11, 2008
Fatwā be issued. The honorable Asad Zaman does not use pig soap.
By khalid muhammad akbar abdul on Apr 11, 2008
He doesn’t know how to work the flagpole? That takes the cake. Thanks Jihad Watch is watching!
What kind of education are these children getting?
By William Wallace on Apr 11, 2008
It’s nice to know that in these troubled times, Jihad Watch is keeping an eye on what’s really important: whether or not there’s a flag on the flagpole outside a charter school.
[Insult removed: Please be civil to other guests]
By Nullifidian on Apr 11, 2008
Why are right wingers against freedom of relgion for non-Christians?
By Jack on Apr 11, 2008
You’re welcome.
By Jihad Watch is watching on Apr 11, 2008
Mr. Wallace,
“Argumentum ad hominem” is not a fancy way of saying “insult”. Argumenta ad hominem do not even have to be insulting. An ad hominem argument is an informal fallacy whereby the arguer brings one’s opponent’s personal characteristics into play with the assertion that these personal characteristics renders the argument invalid. Therefore, what I said wasn’t an ad hominem, notably because it wasn’t in response to any argument; it was merely commenting on the silliness of obsessing over whether a flagpole is appropriately adorned with a scrap of fabric. Lastly, many would see my description of Spencer and co. not as an insult, but fair comment.
By Nullifidian on Apr 11, 2008
Thanks, I made the correction. But please don’t insult the guests, especially ones who bring such great material as “Jihad Watch is watching” did. But you’re welcome to disagree and explain why all you want. Thank you.
By William Wallace on Apr 11, 2008
I wasn’t insulting the guests; I was commenting on Robert Spencer & Co.
By Nullifidian on Apr 12, 2008
Pardon me, I thought your insult was directed toward “Jihad Watch is watching”. I’ll restore your text when I get a chance, after I re-review it.
By William Wallace on Apr 12, 2008
By On behalf of Stanton on Apr 13, 2008
By On behalf of Stacy S. on Apr 13, 2008
By On behalf of Flint on Apr 13, 2008
Stacy,
The PT-mafia has put duct tape on my mouth (at least at their site). Oh well. [UPDATE: PvM claims again that this is not the case].
Stanton, a fact check might be better. The school is publically funded.
Flint,
It is clear that the ACLU is coaching and not suing.
By William Wallace on Apr 13, 2008
Muslim Youths
Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist because they have been mis-educated and de-educated by the British schooling. Muslim children are confused because they are being educated in a wrong place at a wrong time in state schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers. They face lots of problems of growing up in two distinctive cultural traditions and value systems, which may come into conflict over issues such as the role of women in the society, and adherence to religious and cultural traditions. The conflicting demands made by home and schools on behaviour, loyalties and obligations can be a source of psychological conflict and tension in Muslim youngsters. There are also the issues of racial prejudice and discrimination to deal with, in education and employment. They have been victim of racism and bullying in all walks of life. According to DCSF, 56% of Pakistanis and 54% of Bangladeshi children has been victims of bullies. The first wave of Muslim migrants were happy to send their children to state schools, thinking their children would get a much better education. Than little by little, the overt and covert discrimination in the system turned them off. There are fifteen areas where Muslim parents find themselves offended by state schools.
The right to education in one’s own comfort zone is a fundamental and inalienable human right that should be available to all people irrespective of their ethnicity or religious background. Schools do not belong to state, they belong to parents. It is the parents’ choice to have faith schools for their children. Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. There is no place for a non-Muslim teacher or a child in a Muslim school. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools. An ICM Poll of British Muslims showed that nearly half wanted their children to attend Muslim schools. There are only 143 Muslim schools. A state funded Muslim school in Birmingham has 220 pupils and more than 1000 applicants chasing just 60.
Majority of anti-Muslim stories are not about terrorism but about Muslim culture–the hijab, Muslim schools, family life and religiosity. Muslims in the west ought to be recognised as a western community, not as an alien culture.
Iftikhar Ahmad
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk
By Iftikhar Ahmad on Sep 13, 2008
Interesting theory completely invalidated by the Sweedish immigrants who swamped schools in Minnesota during the early 1900s. Most of the students came from homes where the parents did not speak English, and went to schools taught by teachers who did not speak Swedish. The children were also mocked as being simple minded. Yet, we didn’t end up with Swedish terrorists in Minnesota.
On the other hand, I do agree with you that government schools have since become more secular.
The answer to that is private schools, and letting the government school system collapse as parents who actually love their children pull their kids from the government school factories.
By William Wallace on Sep 13, 2008