New York's first Arabic school opens under police guard

Under police guard, about 60 pupils at New York's first Arabic bilingual school turned up for classes on Tuesday amid accusations the institution is a potential breeding ground for Islamic extremists."This is absolutely not a religious school.The kids are here to be citizens of a school committed to excellence,"Garth Harris, head of development for New York City's Education Department,told a crowd of reporters gathered outside the school building."There are 200 small schools in New York teaching Chinese, French or Russian,"Harris said.The students who arrived for opening day came from a range of ethnic and racial backgrounds, with some of the girls wearing headscarves. Outside,more than a dozen police were on hand to make sure reporters did not cross a yellow tape posted a few meters(yards)from the school building.Principal Danielle Salzberg, named in mid-August,declined to speak to journalists."She is with the children, "Harris said.The previous principal,Arabic speaker Debbie Almontaser,stepped down last month after she was criticized for refusing to condemn T-shirts inscribed with "Intifada NYC."One pupil, 11-year-old Salima Abdulhassim,sporting a white headscarf,said she already spoke "some Arabic.""My mother also speaks a little bit,"she said,reluctant to say any more.Harris said she was "disappointed with the controversy" surrounding the school,as she stood before a sign that read:"New Yorkers support the Khalil Gibran International Academy."Supporters of the school, including a Jewish rabbi,were on hand with buttons that said,"Welcome."Harris said criticism had not prompted parents to take their kids out of the new school."Nobody has pulled his children out of the school.Today we are close to 60 children,"she said.Among the 59 pupils in this year's sixth grade class,all 12 years old,only nine speak Arabic well,Harris said.The first language lessons will start with the basics, said Danielle Jeffrey, school coordinator."We will begin with basic conversation skills:'Hi,' 'How are you' and 'My name is.'"She said about two-thirds of the students were black from Africa or the Caribbean, a few were white and a handful were African-American Muslims."But the school hasn't asked their religion," Jeffrey told National Public Radio.Parents had different reasons for sending their kids to the school,she said. Some wanted their children to learn the language of their family heritage while others thought it help their offspring in the "international job market,"according to Jeffrey.And one mother "wanted to give her son exposure to life outside of his private Christian school in east New York," she said.Tricia Hopkins wondered whether Arabic might land her son in the history books."Maybe my son could be a part of the peace talks in the future,because he'll be totally bilingual by the time he graduates,"Hopkins said.But one state legislator from Brooklyn,Dov Hikind,a Democrat,said recently the opening of an Arabic school was a "dangerous idea" that could indoctrinate children.The city of New York has more than 200 public-funded schools with bilingual programs.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070904194002.og6xyvus&show_article=1
PS:Muslims will keep PUSHING and pushing their crazy idea of Islamic Kingdom on earth and they won't stop.This school is a joke and yes,it's dangerous....
By the way the guy in the picture is IGNORANT....Khalil Gibran was a christian not a Muslim...That right there should give you a hint of the dangerous nature of this school.Choosing a Christian revered all over the world as a poet and writer,to try to appease those who know how dangerous this madrassa is....

As in the days of Noah...