Simply Erroneous
Reader comment on: A Madrassa Grows In Brooklyn

Submitted by Daniel Meeter, Apr 28, 2007 09:51

Daniel Pipes, in his article, A Madrassa Grows in Brooklyn (April 24), first states that it "appears to be a marvelous idea" to open the Khalil Gibran International Academy in Brooklyn. This public school will teach a general curriculum at high standards, plus Arabic language and culture. It will be open to all students, and will be strictly non-sectarian. But Mr Pipes says he opposes the school because teaching Arabic is "inevitably laden with pan-Arabist and Islamist baggage." (Tell that to the Arabic-speaking Christians of Brooklyn!) His view makes it impossible to teach Arabic in America. Well, we in Brooklyn know better than this kind of isolationism, and we have more confidence in the intellectual power of American ideals.

More egregious is Mr. Pipes' slander-by-implication of the school's future principal, Ms. Debbie Almontaser. He pictures someone other than the bridge-building woman New Yorkers know. Ms. Almontaser has spoken in our churches and our synagogues. She works tirelessly among immigrant groups to promote American values and loyalty to the American flag, for heaven's sake. We have attended her academic programs featuring the historic Jewish, Christian, Druze, and Muslim cultures of the Arab world. If Mr. Pipes doesn't believe this, he can check with us. We know that his suspicions of anti-Zionism, proselytizing for Islam, and promoting anti-American sympathies are simply erroneous.

The Advisory Council of Khalil Gibran International Academy

Rev. Dr. Daniel Meeter, Old First Reformed Church

Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, Abyssinian Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Charles H. Straut Jr., The Riverside Church

Rev. Khader N. El-Yateem, Salem Arabic Lutheran Church

Rabbi Andy Backman, Congregation Beth Elohim

Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, Rabbis for Human Rights

Rabbi Micah Kelber, The Bay Ridge Jewish Center

Lisel Burns, Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

Imam Talib Abdul-Rashid, Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood, Harlem

Imam Shamsi Ali, 96th St. Mosque, Manhattan

Imam Khalid Latif, Chaplain, NYPD

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
The blatant and terrifying bigotry, racism, and ignorance--not to mention misinformation--on display both from the author of this article and... [MORE]	Jessica	Sep 16, 2007 13:39
In September, 2001, I warned a close friend that the ugly mushroom cloud of bigotry would soon envelop our nation.... [MORE]	JIm	Sep 4, 2007 16:10
The parents should consider that they are possibly training their children for no job opportunities later in life. Job opportunities... [MORE]	Dusty	Aug 8, 2007 22:02
↔	Sharry	Sep 7, 2007 11:17
↔ The goverments job should be to help assimilate immigrants into the "American Way of Life" . At home you can... [MORE]	NYKEVIN	Aug 8, 2007 11:14
↔ Regarding the example that Arabic promoted an Islamic outlook. Isn't it more probable that those who learned Arabic had a... [MORE]	ora	Jul 19, 2007 11:59
↔	The Mechanic	Jul 17, 2007 00:40
↔ It never ceases to amaze me when people like Ms. Almontaser say the Sept. 11 attacks were our own fault... [MORE]	Derek	Jul 12, 2007 03:20
↔ Since we are all being so multi-cultural, why don't we open a companion Hebrew speaking school in Brooklyn. There are... [MORE]	Cezanne270	Jul 8, 2007 20:51
↔ I completely agree with Dave Hall. Arab does not equal Muslim, and yes, the author and readers are definately confused... [MORE]	HMG	Jun 27, 2007 19:49
↔ Such a policy is hardly calculated to promote acculturation, assimilation, American history and values, or even teach English, which are... [MORE]	John K	Jun 20, 2007 22:40
↔ I applaud the idea of a school where students can learn Arabic and have a different window on the world.... [MORE]	Karen Vaughan	Jun 18, 2007 13:36
↔ For all of you who are putting in your two cents, you should get a perspective from someone who has... [MORE]	Flora Huang	May 31, 2007 19:51
↔ ↔ Commentator and Public school educator of "ten years", Flora Huang, indicated on her posting that this Arab public school... [MORE]	susan gill	Jul 16, 2007 07:41
↔ ↔ ↔ The school will not teach Islamic doctrine; it is a completely secular school. Someone pointed out in a previous post... [MORE]	Flora Huang	Oct 18, 2007 10:34
↔ ↔ ↔ Read the book "While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam Is Destroying the West from Within" by Bruce Bawer. He talks... [MORE]	Mary	May 21, 2007 12:11
↔ ↔ ↔ It's normal, even necessary, to learn about the accompanying culture when learning a language. I do so with Spanish and... [MORE]	Jeteon	May 18, 2007 20:30
↔ ↔ ↔ When I was using textbooks to teach English in Arab countries - I often found the texts to be culturally... [MORE]	lawrence	May 16, 2007 03:47
↔ ↔ ↔ I am a graduate student in history. I am not a Middle East expert; Russia is my field. Recently I... [MORE]	Timothy Buchanan	May 11, 2007 10:11
↔ ↔ ↔ The article by Daniel Pipes decrying the proposed Khalil Gibran International Academy is a classic polemic. Mr. Pipes, you are... [MORE]	Tim Geoghegan	May 8, 2007 22:21
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Mike	Jul 15, 2007 13:01
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ I am deeply disappointed at the outcry over the Khalil Gibran International School. An American, I lived in North Africa... [MORE]	MLO	May 4, 2007 14:14
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Brendon Carr	May 22, 2007 07:05
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Omar Sawaf	Apr 29, 2007 21:10
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Rev Deeter is right. I think Mr. Pipes should have done a little more research. Actually the title of his... [MORE]	Omar Sawaf	Apr 29, 2007 20:59
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ I am convinced America is filled with ridiculously gullible people! For being a supposed literate nation, I find it amazing... [MORE]	Lorrin	May 8, 2007 09:05
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Daniel Pipes, in his article, A Madrassa Grows in Brooklyn (April 24), first states that it "appears to be a...	Daniel Meeter	Apr 28, 2007 09:51
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ In this country, we speak English as our first language. English as a second language is an acceptable subject to... [MORE]	ex-teacher	Apr 28, 2007 00:29
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ To Ex-Teacher from another ex-teacher, there are, in fact, dual language English/Spanish and English/Chinese schools found throughout the city, such... [MORE]	f	May 31, 2007 19:25
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ What you say is true, our country is going crazy but do your reseach please. Spanish is our second language.... [MORE]	ANONYMOUS	Jul 2, 2007 21:56
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ The Sun is right to give room in its pages to people who espouse views, like Daniel Pipes ("A... [MORE]	The Rev. Charles H. Straut, Jr., DMin	Apr 27, 2007 20:53
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ When I first read the article, my first reaction was, "Are American taxpayers now going to fund another politically correct... [MORE]	Arthur O. Milller	Apr 25, 2007 11:47
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Indoctrination was part of the educational system in this country from the beginning. It's simply that in recent years the... [MORE]	Beth	Aug 14, 2007 08:28
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ According to Daniel Pipes' article, it appears that there are too many serious consequences to consider in permitting the establishment... [MORE]	Judith Carpet	Apr 24, 2007 23:00
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Mr. Pipes should ask himself this simple question: would he have been opposed to the idea of KGIA before 9/11?... [MORE]	Robb	May 16, 2007 22:37
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Martha Jennings	May 25, 2007 14:44
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Do you think the mayor or the chancellor have given any thought as to how the subject of Israel would... [MORE]	Irene Alter	Apr 24, 2007 21:04
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Ed Bennett	Apr 24, 2007 15:44
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Mr. Pipes is absolutely right on the money. There is no way to learn Arabic without having to swallow a... [MORE]	Luigi Frascati	Apr 25, 2007 01:14
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Tim	Apr 24, 2007 11:23
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ Aleopard does not change its spots. Pipes is correct and thepast performance of recent Arabic education will continue heading in... [MORE]	alfred ritter	Apr 24, 2007 09:51
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Ed	Apr 24, 2007 07:14
↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔ ↔	Jack	Jun 4, 2007 01:36