Muslim civil liberties group seeks FBI probe of charter school threats

This from the Star Tribune:

The Minnesota chapter of a national Islamic civil liberties group has asked the FBI and local law enforcement officers to investigate reported threats against a Twin Cities charter school as possible hate crimes, while a Jewish organization deplored the threats.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) made the request Monday after the director of Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy in Inver Grove Heights told police that he and the school had received threatening and harassing phone messages and e-mails.

The group is concerned about the safety of the school's students, many of whom are Muslim, said CAIR chapter coordinator Chris Schumacher. Tagging the threats as possible hate crimes also makes it clear that prejudice could have prompted them, and "we wanted to bring that to light in case that wasn't already obvious to people," he said.

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas also condemned the alleged threats in a statement released Monday.

As of Monday, the charter school had not filed a complaint with the Minneapolis FBI office, but agents will reach out to the school and get more details about the messages, said Special Agent Paul McCabe. Identifying the messages as possible hate crimes would put them under the jurisdiction of federal as well as local law enforcement authorities, he said...

Turning to Home Schools for Religious Reasons

Many American families have turned to home schooling as a means of controlling the curriculum and assuring that an appropriate amount of attention is drawn to Christian principles - said to be lacking in American schools.

Increasingly, Muslims are turning to home schooling for just the opposite reason - to protect their children from a school-going population that is too Christian for their children's comfort.

LODI, Calif. — Like dozens of other Pakistani-American girls here, Hajra Bibi stopped attending the local public school when she reached puberty, and began studying at home.

Her family wanted her to clean and cook for her male relatives, and had also worried that other American children would mock both her Muslim religion and her traditional clothes.

“Some men don’t like it when you wear American clothes — they don’t think it is a good thing for girls,” said Miss Bibi, 17, now studying at the 12th-grade level in this agricultural center some 70 miles east of San Francisco. “You have to be respectable.”

Across the United States, Muslims who find that a public school education clashes with their religious or cultural traditions have turned to home schooling. That choice is intended partly as a way to build a solid Muslim identity away from the prejudices that their children, boys and girls alike, can face in schoolyards.

But in some cases, as in Ms. Bibi’s, the intent is also to isolate their adolescent and teenage daughters from the corrupting influences that they see in much of American life...

This from the New York Times, Photo by David Kadlubowski.

UK Student Government President in hot water after slur

It started when UK student government president Nick Phleps forwarded an untrue email intended to denegrate Barak Obama, which smeared Muslims in process.
SG president's anti-Muslim e-mail draws fire

Pat Terrell, vice president for student affairs at UK, said ...that the e-mail was deeply disappointing."It perpetuated offensive stereotypes regarding race, religion and ethnicity that have no place in civil discourse or on a university campus where values of tolerance and mutual respect should be cherished," Terrell said in the statement. "While not a violation of student code, and therefore not a disciplinary matter, this incident is one that we take seriously."

Then Phelps...apologized...sorta...in the fourth paragraph of a rambling column...

Before I talk about the mess in Frankfort, I want to touch on something real quick. A student leader told me that some students were upset by an e-mail that I sent to my executive staff. I told the leader to tell those students to come talk to me, but none have so far. If you are one, please message me. I would love to talk to you about the matter, and I apologize if anyone felt offended; but after we talk, I am sure you will understand. Thanks.

The Kentucky Kernel responded with, "EDITORIAL: Phelps can't duck public scrutiny over hateful e-mail"

...his actions reflect a startling lack of professionalism, to say the least. As an elected official, Phelps must know that his actions, including those outside his formal duties as SG president, are subject to public scrutiny.Sending an inflammatory e-mail without any kind of disclaimer or explanation is grossly irresponsible...

Then he sorta apologized again before the Student Government:

Phelps apologizes for anti-Muslim e-mail

Student Government President Nick Phelps opened [Wednesday]'s SG meeting with a public apology, saying he never intended to offend students with an e-mail he forwarded that described Barack Obama as a Muslim and derided the religion.

"I was wrong in sending out and forwarding the e-mail," Phelps said... "And I was wrong to not realize the implications of my actions."

About 30 non-SG students attended the meeting. Many students who spoke called for action by the Senate to either impeach or censure Phelps. German senior Rob Colston said he met with Phelps earlier in the day and felt Phelps was not genuine in his apology. Colston asked the Senate to take some sort of action."Removal might be a little extreme, but a censure is my recommendation," Colston said. "(Senators) are bound in duty to uphold accountability so this road is not taken again."

In the apology, Phelps said he would be working to improve diversity at UK.

Lauren Biggs, a classics and history senior, said Phelps didn't seem to understand the issue of diversity on campus."It really bothers me that in this apology he spoke of two sides to the issue," Biggs said. "In campus diversity there is only one side. I feel (senators) as a body should consider removing him from office."

SG Attorney General Beau Baustien said the concerns about diversity on campus were being turned into a personal attack on Phelps' character."Punishments are handled in context, and we'd like to punish Nick for an institution of racism that is, by no fault of his own, here (on campus)," Baustien said. "I feel like everything tonight has been an attack on his character." ...

But in matters of personal character, criticisms are always personal. It's unavoidable. Finally, responding to calls for his resignation, Phelps delivered this thunderbolt of self-delusion:

"I appreciate the honest feedback," Phelps said. "I will sleep wonderful tonight knowing something I've done sparked this reaction and a positive force from this campus."

Right. Heckova job, Nicky.

PageOne weighs in here.