Texas School Group Questions 'Spread of Islam in America'

[The Straight Story]

Texas School Group Questions 'Spread of Islam in America'; Private School Assn. Demands That Muslim Applicants Answer Questions on Islam

12/23/2004 12:19:00 PM


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To: State Desk

Contact: Council on American-Islamic Relations-Houston, 713-838-2247 or 832-656-0449; Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, [e-mail]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 /U.S. Newswire/ -- A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on the state of Texas to investigate the discriminatory actions of a private school association that required Muslim applicants to answer a series of hostile questions about Islam.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says at least two Muslims schools in Texas, one in Houston and the other in Dallas, have received letters from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) demanding a response to the biased questions before their applications for admission to the association could be approved.

SEE: "Local Muslim School Taken Aback by Letter" http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2960589

The 10 hostile questions, which listed a number of distorted and stereotypical views of Islamic beliefs, included: (To read the entire TAPPS letter, go to: http://www.cair-net.org/downloads/TAPPSletter.pdf )

-- "Why do you wish to join an organization whose membership is basically in total disagreement with your religious beliefs?"

-- "What is your attitude about the spread of Islam in America? What are the goals of your school in this regard?"

-- "Why do you think the current member schools of TAPPS will not be biased against your school, based on the fundamental difference in your religion and Christianity, since about 90 percent of TAPPS schools embrace Christianity?" (Note: The TAPPS constitution does not list a religious requirement for admission.)

In a letter to TAPPS, CAIR-Houston Executive Director Iesa Galloway

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=41015

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. the ignorance and intolerance of this group is astounding

for one thing, Islam acknowledges Christians and Jews as "people of the Book", the Book being the Torah, Bible, and Qur'an, so they aren't 'infidels' despite what Islamic or Christian fundamentalists may say. Their translations from the Qur'an do not match the translation of my Qur'an, and I would suspect they found the most rw translation to quote. What I found interesting is there is nothing in their charter that says they are exclusively Christian. Wonder if they would answer questions like these:

1. Is your group interested in building bridges between cultures and religions, or are you only interested in perpetrating prejudice and hate?

2. Have any of your group actually met and talked with Muslims as coworkers or friends?

I think I know what the answers would be.

[oneighty]

2. This is a good beginning!

Next question. Will Muslim schools qualify for school vouchers? Will Muslim Mosques qualify for faith based monies?

Texas is as good a place as any to be starting the RELIGIOUS WARS right here in the good old USofA.

[matt819]

3. Sadly, their bigotry no longer fails to surprise

Point 1: Take a look at their membership list: http://www.tapps.net/MembershipSchoolsXcity.PDF. Most of these schools are overtly religious institutions, and I'm willing to bet we're not talking about Unitarians or Quakers. Also, those that are not overtly religious are almost certainly Christian schools.

Point 2: From their own constituion -- http://www.tapps.net/Constitution.html: ARTICLE III

Membership:

1. Membership in TAPPS is limited to private and parochial schools in the state of Texas, with students enrolled in grades 9-12.

a. Private schools are defined as those schools that are established, conducted and primarily supported by a non-government agency -or- primarily supported by student tuition.

b. Parochial schools are defined as those schools that are controlled by, supported by, or within the jurisdiction of a church parish. My comment: Notwithstanding the reference to church and paris, anyone see a restriction to Christian schools?

Point 3: According to their own bylaws -- http://www.tapps.net/Bylaws2001-02.html -- a TAPPS member school must maintain accrediation with one of the following:

a. National Christian Schools Association

b. Independent Schools Association of the Southwest

c. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

d. Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools

e. Lutheran Schools Accreditation Commission

f. Accreditation Commission of the Texas Association of Christian Schools International

g. Texas Catholic Conference Education Department

h. International Christian Accrediting Association

i. Texas Seventh Day Adventist School System

j. Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools

k. Association of Christian Teachers and Schools

l. Accreditation Commission of the Texas Association of Baptist Schools

m. Texas Education Agency

If the Islamic school applying for TAPPS membership has such accreditation, what prevents them from being accepted, other than bigotry and hate?

Point 4: Time for a movement in Texas to remove their non-profit status? Certainly concerned Texas should bring this to the attention of the Texas education agency as well as to Texas dem congressional delegation.