Islamic Saudi Academy

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The Islamic Saudi Academy is a prep school in Virginia, accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It has classes from pre-kindergarten to twelfth grade, and has a current enrollment of more than 900 students. [1] The school has been accused of promoting terrorism.

Contents

[edit] Overview

The school was founded in 1984. It has campuses in Alexandria and Fairfax, Virginia. The Fairfax campus has pre-kindergarten through second grade classes and the Alexandria campus has grades three through twelve. The school is bilingual, with classes in English and Arabic, and a combined American and Middle-Eastern curriculum. Classes are segregated from third grade onwards. The school holds a chapter of the National Honor Society. [1]

[edit] Programs and activities

The school's curriculum includes Islamic studies, Islam for beginners, Arabic language, Arabic ASL, Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, Computers, Art, English, Social Studies, and Physical Education. The school also has an Advanced Placement Program and an English as a second language program. [1]

The ISA is a member of the Northern Virginia Independent Athletic Conference (NVIAC), and participates in the basketball and soccer leagues, fielding both boys' and girls' varsity teams. The school has 3 football fields. [2] The school is a supporter of the Mount Vernon Youth Athletic Association, an all-volunteer community program that uses athletics to teach discipline and good citizenship to area youths.

The school participates in various educational and leadership-oriented extracurricular activities. There is an annual science fair and a Shakespearian drama program. Students are active participants in the Model United Nations program, the Presidential classroom program, Future Business Leaders of America, and various other programs. [1]

[edit] Controversy

The ISA has repeatedly been accused of promoting terrorism. The tabloid Philadelphia Daily News nicknamed ISA 'Terror High'.[3]

On February 23, 2005, the day after Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, ISA's valedictorian in 1999, was indicted on terrorism charges, New York Senator Charles Schumer issued a press release questioning whether the ISA was "another madrassa". Madrassa is the Arabic word for school. Senator Schumer sent letters to Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan and U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.[4]

The Washington Post reported:

"Several students of different ages, all of whom asked not to be identified, said that in Islamic studies, they are taught that it is better to shun and even to dislike Christians, Jews and Shiite Muslims. Some teachers "focus more on hatred" said one teenager, who recited by memory the signs of the coming Day of Judgment [when Jesus will return to lead Muslims in killing all Jews, according to Islam]. "They teach students that whatever is kuffar [pagan], it is okay for you" to hurt or steal from that person."[5]

[edit] Textbook passages

First-grade textbooks state "that all religions, other than Islam, are false, including that of the Jews, Christians and all others."

Eighth-grade textbooks refer to Christians and Jews as "ahl alkitab" (people of the book).

Eleventh-grade ISA Islamic studies, a required class, textbooks instruct Muslims that they must "fight and kill Jews, who hide behind trees that say, 'Oh Muslim, Oh Servant of God, here is a Jew hiding behind me. Come here and kill him.'"[5]

[edit] Notable individuals connected to ISA

  • Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, valedictorian of the academy in 1999, was convicted on charges of providing material support to the al Qaeda terrorist network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His defense team argued that his first confession in Saudia Arabia had been extracted under torture, but the judge ruled his confession admissible. His defense team is appealing the decision.[6][7]
  • Susan L. Douglass, a former social studies teacher at the school, wrote social studies textbooks for the International Institute of Islamic Thought. The Institute was raided by the FBI in 2002 in relation to suspected terrorist links.[8]
  • Ismail Selim Elbarasse worked as ISA's comptroller for 14 years. He was held as a witness in a 2004 case against men accused of raising money for Hamas, but was released without being charged. ISA denies knowledge of his ties to Hamas.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d http://www.saudiacademy.net/html/about_ISA.html
  2. ^ http://www.saudiacademy.net/html/fastfacts.html
  3. ^ Bunch, William. "EX-VALEDICTORIAN AT 'TERROR HIGH' NAMED IN PLOT TO KILL BUSH", Philadelphia Daily News, 2005-02-23, pp. 11-14. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.
  4. ^ senate.gov
  5. ^ a b Strauss, Valerie, Wax, Emily. "Where Two Worlds Collide; Muslim Schools Face Tension of Islamic, U.S. Views", Washington Post, 2005-02-25, pp. A01. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.
  6. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4461642.stm
  7. ^ http://writ.news.findlaw.com/cassel/20050307.html
  8. ^ http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38304
  9. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33718-2004Aug25.html

[edit] External links

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