Ahmad Sakr says the last thing he wanted to do is offend anyone.
| Then why go through the motions of doing it? |
Over the past seven years, the Muslim scholar and director of the Islamic Education Center in Walnut built a close relationship with the Charter Oak Unified School District. The board for the Islamic Education Center helps fund an Arabic language program at Charter Oak High School. But in one day, part of the relationship between Sakr and the district crumbled.
| Oh, dear! I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding... |
It happened during a presentation earlier this month for a seventh grade class at Royal Oak Intermediate School in Covina. Sakr, who holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry, brought in ethnic clothing, greeting cards and stamps, and began talking about Islamic culture and traditions. The next tradition ended his visit. Sakr began giving his spiel on Islam, just as he says he has done in years past. "I was told, ’Pack up your things and leave,’’ Sakr said. "Every year they invited us to talk about our culture, our religion and how we practice it.’
| "Pack your shit and get the hell out!" From a school system. Oh, I like that! |
Rob Arias, an assistant superintendent and spokesman for Charter Oak Unified, confirmed that Sakr was asked to leave. "Any time a speaker comes into a school, we review their presentation to make sure it is appropriate for students,’ Arias said. Arias said the principal felt the presentation focused too much on religion. Sakr says Islam is a vital part of the culture.
| Islam is the culture. Such cultures as today's Islamic countries had were destroyed... |
"It seems the more people attack Islam, the more people are accepting it,’ he said. "Learning about it is a real eye-opener for them.’
| My eyes have certainly been opened in the past two years... |
Sakr’s presentation was the second time in as many months the district grappled with the delicate balance between cultural sensitivity and a state curriculum that requires seventh- graders to learn about religion as part of world history. The first flap happened when Royal Oak Intermediate history teacher Len Cesene issued an extra-credit assignment at the 1,600-student middle school. A permission slip sent home with students in November asked them to fast for one to three days during Ramadan, an Islamic practice. Students who did not want to participate could write about sacrifice and how it applies to any religion.
| [Gag.] I feel so... so... multicultural. |
Although Cesene stressed the assignment was extra credit, some people were offended by it. Others, including community members and Superintendent John Roach, said the district did nothing wrong. When a Christian radio station received word of the assignment, more than 300 protesters from throughout Southern California marched in front of the school. They questioned how any assignment in a public school could be so closely tied to a religious practice. A few of the protesters said they were from Egypt, where they were imprisoned and tortured for wanting to convert to Christianity in their home country.
| Well, obviously they're not unprejudiced observers, like the school authorities. I mean, what to they know? |
The district decided to keep the assignment.
| That was oh, so sensitive of them... |
Parent Becky Hernandez, whose family is Christian, said she objected to her two children participating in classroom activities and assignments about the Muslim religion. Three years ago, a guest speaker at the school told her son’s seventh-grade class that they were all actually born Muslims, according to Hernandez.
"He was proselytizing in the classroom,’ Hernandez said. "My son was disturbed by this.’ Hernandez was taken aback after going to the school to discuss it with administrators. "I walked through the door and what do I see? A large Muslim prayer rug with a mosque on it,’ she said. "It was very intimidating.’
| "Separation of church and state, but only when it suits us." |
Sakr said he donated the tapestry to the school as a cultural gift. "I love this district and I don’t want to give fuel to anyone who wants to harm it,’ Hernandez said. "I just want them to do the right thing.’
| Sounds like doing the right thing involved throwing your ass out... |
Arias says that’s what the district is attempting to do. "Religion is a very sensitive topic and it’s something that people take very seriously,’ Arias said. But religion, in the context of world history, should be taught in schools, he said.
| Yeah? Then have them write papers comparing religions and their rise. Maybe the kids will learn something. |
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