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Principal Resigns Over 'Intifada' T-Shirts

AP
Posted: 2007-08-11 10:13:10
Filed Under: Nation News
NEW YORK (Aug. 11) - An Arabic-themed public school will still open in September, despite the abrupt departure of its embattled principal, the city Department of Education said.

So far, 45 students have enrolled in the Khalil Gibran International Academy, which is eventually to cover grades 6 to 12. But the Brooklyn school and its intended principal, Debbie Almontaser, have faced questions and criticism since plans for the academy were announced in February.

Almontaser resigned Friday after coming under fire for failing to condemn the use of the highly charged word "intifada" on T-shirts.

"I became convinced yesterday that this week's headlines were endangering the viability of Khalil Gibran International Academy, even though I apologized," she said in a statement.

Almontaser's departure comes on the heels of an editorial flaying in the New York Post and an article this week that connected Almontaser to Arab Women Active in Art and Media.

That group is selling shirts imprinted with the words "Intifada NYC." It shares office space with the Saba Association of American Yemenis, which counts Almontaser among its board members.

The tabloid asserted the shirts had a subversive meaning: "The inflammatory tees boldly declare 'Intifada NYC' - apparently a call for a Gaza-style uprising in the Big Apple."

Almontaser, a public school teacher with 15 years of experience, told the paper that was a stretch. She said the word, which is most commonly associated with the violent Palestinian uprising against the Israelis, "basically means 'shaking off."'

"That is the root word if you look it up in Arabic," she said. "I understand it is developing a negative connotation due to the uprising in the Palestinian-Israeli areas. I don't believe the intention is to have any of that kind of (violence) in New York City."

She said the shirts provided an "opportunity for girls to express that they are part of New York City society ... and shaking off oppression."

A message left on Almontaser's cell phone was not returned Friday.

The academy, named after the famed Lebanese-American Christian poet who promoted peace, would be one of a few nationwide that incorporate the Arabic language and culture.

It has had a rocky path to its planned opening. Initially supposed to share space with an elementary school, the academy was shut out after parents complained that there wasn't enough space. City officials chose another host school, with middle and high school students, but parents there have raised similar concerns.

Meanwhile, a number of conservative Web sites, blogs and other publications have come out against the school. Some have questioned Almontaser's character and tried to paint her as a radical Muslim with a dangerous agenda.

She has said the school will teach culture, not religion.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on his radio show that Almontaser is "certainly not a terrorist" but called her resignation the "right thing to do."

Still, Almontaser's departure appeared unlikely to end opposition to the school.

"The fact that she is gone doesn't mean anything at all. All the people behind her are still there," said Hope Winters, a Manhattan mother and member of a group that brought the "Intifada NYC" T-shirts to public attention.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2007-08-10 19:09:50
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fha2790584 09:00:36 PM Aug 19 2007

These islamist vermin must really think we are stupid. Like we are going to believe that Intifada only means shaking off. Please. This situation just goes to show how smug, contrite and vicious these muslims are. The utter contempt this woman has for us is to me readily apparent, and we are to just sit there and get some lame explanation and say "Hey its OK, we understand".
If their religion and culture and ways are so wonderful, thats just great. I can appreciate that. However if they want to live this way then they can go back to their Thirld World muslim dungheaps and practice it.
Americans can put up only with so much. Muslims might be feeling powerful and glib because of their successes against weak european governments like in the UK, Germany or France but it is not going to be accepted here. Americans will take a stand and fight to the death if necessary for our beliefs. America was founded on christian principles and democracy and we are not going to sit there quiet and let the

ErikRSwanson75 11:29:00 AM Aug 19 2007

vote for Hillary , maybe she'll handle the worlds problems like she handle her own problems with her husband in the oval office!! GO Hillary.......maybe we can move the whitehouse to arkansas, she can cover things up better there!

ErikRSwanson75 11:26:00 AM Aug 19 2007

I think Amercians will see it the next few years, look in the middle east, they hang homosexuals, they hang thieves,behead christians, yet we want to be sensitive with these peacful groups! Malcom X, no loss! He spoke against the Jews! not peaceful, ANY group that uses a religion to used for violence should thrown out of OUR country.....I have children, I don't want these headcutters around my children, spreading their hatred and filth!!! The true colors of these headcutters will show in time when they hit us again! Than OUR country will want to react instead of being proactive......I guess that is normal of our society, wait till the cochroaches come first, than clean house later, I would rather keep my house clean before I have to exterminate!

WolverineEnt 03:06:55 AM Aug 17 2007

continued from aug 7,07 02:46:24AM (over the draft) is history beginning to sound familiar?President Lincoln resolved to heal the nation instead of subjugating the conquered south as desired by northern industrial interests: assasination. Malcom X begins to return to earliier peacful methods for civil rights movement: assasinated by his own.MLK Jr. successfully advancing peacefull civil rights movement to the mutual benefit of all Americans: assasinated. President Kennedy resolves to withdraw troops from vietnam against recommendations by military leaders: 50 days later assasinated. i would only fear for President bush if he were to announce withdrawal of troops against recommendatiions of 'HANDLER" Cheney. all those in favour of Cheney for pres. insert head in rectum....i didn't think so.

WolverineEnt 02:46:24 AM Aug 17 2007

continued from aug17,07 01:06:21AM ----if altmontaser truly had the best interests AND this counry at heart she would not have chosen to promote an expression that has been subverted by arabic people (NOT american or european people) to symbolize violence). MLK Jr. LED by example for the good of his people(ALL americans black and white and all nationalities)Malcom Little(X), also a minister's son, for most of his life, lived as a selfish criminal and advocated violence by others to advance his personal ideals at the expense of whites and any who disagreed with him. only shortly before his execution by fellow black men did he revert to peaceful change and cooperation. in continuation president lincoln, in the emancipation proclamation, ONLY freed those slaves in states that at that time were still in rebellion--not those which had already been captured or tho border states which had not seceded--and this was only after the war had lost northern support(rioting in N.Y. over the draft

WolverineEnt 01:06:21 AM Aug 17 2007

"not only avoid impropriety, but also avoid the appearance of impropriety" the swastika for over 3000 years was a symbol for good until little adolph bastardized it into a symbol of hate and death. burning cross- a symbol used in scotand as a rallying symbol on the way to war, on hilltops to warn of invaders.even the ku klux klan was formed and styled after "The Society Of The Horseman's Word" and "The Knight's Templar" to oppose, originally, the opportunistic carpetbaggers who instigated the war between the states-not blacks and not the union. opportunistic hatemongers have always have always striven to corrupt honorable symbols and institutions.what makes the arabic people consider themselves immune? each culture's worst enemies and evils come from within because they know us best. to convert good to evil is much easier than to create evil. just as in our own past history those that insist on persisting with corrupted causes and symbols are rarely purely altruistic. if altmontaser

jgirl173 11:53:20 PM Aug 16 2007

Why is there even a discussion about this? That tee-shirt promotes and endorses violence on American people, and apecifically New Yorkers? When are people going to learn that radical islamics want Americans dead?
I hope it does not take another 9/11. Why do these people even have an opportunity to open this school.? We are the only country on earth that would let a clear and present danger to our security open. Wake up people, don't be afraid to be politically incorrect. That's what they are counting on. Maybe this woman is not a terroist, but should have known better wearing a shirt like that. If nothing else it's a stupid action definetly, but it could be more. Why take the risk?

arvig 11:05:00 PM Aug 16 2007

UGH I hate how this new setup truncates posts.

To end my post:

"One last comment. Another nation decided to make a scapegoat out of a culture, for wrongs real or imagined. The other culture worshiped God in a different way, had different holidays, maybe different ways of dressing from their neighbors. They ended up killing six million of that different culture, if I recall right, mostly in concetration camps with gas ovens and other devices set up to perform mass slaughter. The nation was Nazi Germany, the persecuted culture, the Jews. Now..I'll ask people this, do we REALLY wish to start becoming like the Nazis, and persecute a whole culture and religion based on the acts of a small set of extremists, a select few? Simply because they act different, worship God in a different way, talk a language not common in the USA? Have different holidays? Before any other people bash ALL of Islam just for the act of a few terrorists, ask yourself that."

arvig 11:01:00 PM Aug 16 2007

Yay...people are still spewing bigoted stupdity in this thread. Other morons are still twisting this thread into political bashing. Oh goody!

People, Arabic or Islamic doesn't equal terrorist. Extremist equals terrorist. The Provisional Irish Republican Army are terrorists, or are at least an illegal orginization. Does this mean we should demonize all Irish? That we should assume every Irish person in the USA only seeks to dismantle all things American, especially if they DARE to set up a school or center to promote Irish culture here in this nation? Using the logic of so many bigots here, it would.

Feel free to insult me for daring to disagree with you. I know that simplistic bigots have no other recourse or action. Logic doesn't work on them, they are already wallowing in too much fear and ignorance.

One last comment. Another nation decided to make a scapegoat out of a culture, for wrongs real or imagined. The other culture worshiped God in a different way, had differen

Mjmecon 09:35:12 PM Aug 16 2007

This is a great opportunity for the Democratic party to show the american people and the world why we put them in office. Senator Clinton needs to get involved and put this women back into office. The rest of the world will applaude this, and terrorism will end. We have a chance to end it, just like Nacy Pelosi so eloquently made clear during the campaigns. We will work with the world. If you poll people in the rest of the world, the polls will show she should be brought back. I know Clinton will act, and Bush once again will look the fool.

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