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Debbie Almontaser, the erstwhile head and founder of Brooklyn's Khalil Gibran International Academy, will sue the city for violating her freedom of speech. She also claims Mayor Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein forced her to resign as principal under threat of closing the dual-language school.
The KGIA, named after the Lebanese Christian poet, teaches students Arabic and English and aims to foster cross-cultural understanding, but critics accused Almontaser of establishing a madrassa to indoctrinate children into a life of jihad. When she left, Danielle Salzberg (an Orthodox Jew) was named temporary principal. Schools spokesman David Cantor denies anyone threatened to close the new dual-language school and said Almontaser's resignation came after a controversy involving a shirt with the word "Intifada" (a term commonly associated with the militant uprising in Israel).
Additionally, Almontaser wants to be reinstated as the school's principal. She said establishing the school was her American dream but "it turned into an American nightmare." Almontaser, who immigrated to the U.S. at age 3, also criticized the organizations and individuals of fostering hatred of Arabs and Muslims. For one, many used her Arabic first name, then placed "Debbie" in quotes, implicitly suggesting her English name was an alias and the one she used professionally - see this Post story for an example.
There are currently 24 other applicants looking to supplant interim principal Salzberg, and the Post says, via an aide to Klein, there is no way Almontaser will get her job back. And shortly after September 11, 2001, Almontaser wrote an essay in the Gotham Gazette, encouraging understanding and respect between communities: "We must get to know each other by speaking to one another. We need to make sure that everyone's voice is heard rather than silenced, to overcome our fears."
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, three City Council members, and other Jewish and Muslim community leaders supported Almontaser during a press conference yesterday.
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The controversy over this school is stunning, but unfortunately not surprising. I don't know anyone is in the right, but I do think Almontaser was beat up by certain parties.
This ought to test the new comment policy!!!
This woman was the victim of an outright attack of bigotry. She had no connection to terrorism other than her race. I guess, being Irish, that makes me a terrorist, too.
critics accused Almontaser of establishing a madrassa to indoctrinate children into a life of jihad.
While I have no idea the extent of the above statement, I'm pretty sure inciting insurrection is one of the things you can't do under the First Amendment.
But where is the proof??? If someone has proof that she is a terrorist sympathizer, or that she was, in fact, establishing a madrassa, or she believes in jihad, then let's see the proof. Right now it's she's Muslim, they're Muslim, we're scared. Absent anything else, that's bigotry.
If someone can link to the proof, then please do so. Right now all I see is someone who wants to establish understanding between two groups who sure seem to need it.
Ms Almontaser put her foot in her mouth with her glib dismissal of concerns about the "Intifada" tee shirt. The school has been unfairly attacked as a madrassa, with the implication that it would support terrorism. Khalil Gibran Academy needs a more skillful leader than Ms Almontaser has shown herself to be. It is primarily a city high school that provides an opportunity for students to learn Arabic and develop an understanding of Arab history and culture.
Agreed, she shouldn't have been so tone deaf over the word "Intifada." Women "shrugging off"? C'mon. Yes, "Jihad" literally means "struggle" but if someone showed up with a "Jihad NYC" on your flight to the coast you'd be getting ready to roll, as it were. Likewise, if you showed up in Medina with a t-shirt that said "Crusade Medina", you'd be parting with your tongue (and your shirt) pretty damn quickly.
Someone in charge of that school's going to have to be more in touch than that to act as that bridge between these cultures.
LANGUAGE LESSON
For the uninitiated,
Intifada means, Be nice,
While jihad, wrongly hated,
Means, Share my bowl of rice.
Yeah as in:
"Look at all those young Palestinians sharing a bowl of risotto!"
This is all a sad story. It takes away from any discussion about the school, and it's merits, pro or con.
She should have known better that regardless of the meaning of the word "intifada", that it would cause an unnecessary kerfuffle.
Bear in mind, though, that the T-Shirts had nothing to do with the school or Almontaser, nor did the group that produced them have anything to do with her or the school. The only reason she was asked was because she's Muslim and the Post and others were looking to trap her.
Doesn't sound very different than stopping a black person on the street and asking them what they think of rap, because, well, rappers are black and you're black, so...
She misspoke while under attack. God help us if the penalty for that is losing your job and your reputation.
Almontaser misspoke, she should have been savvier, but only b/c the environment of New York allows public officials/figures very little room for dissent on the question of Israel. It would have been like wearing a Che shirt in Little Havana.
off topic, but comments have improved amazingly since guest comments were turned off. awesome!
Anyone else love the irony of her replacement being an Orthodox Jew?
School? Probably breeding home grown terrorists. god willingly!
Just to clarify a bit of the backgroud.
The "scandal" of the Intifada NYC t-shirt began because a group Almontaser belonged to (a Yemeni organization, I think) shared office space with an Arab-American women's group with produced said t-shirt.
As is so often the case with attacks from the far right in the US, her "mistake" was to give an intellectual honest answer to a question that was designed to provoke and trap her.
They askerd her what intifada means and she gave an answer, perhaps a translation from Arabic. Who are we to say, as non-Arab speakers, that her definition was incorrect or merely her opinion. Also, let's not forget that she is an educator, not a public relations guru. She shouldn't have lost her job over such a silly gaffe.