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A New York City-based grassroots coalition is concerned that the Jewish principal of the new Arabic-themed school in Brooklyn will face a language barrier when imams and other Muslim guests visit students.The Kahlil Gibran International Academy opened its doors to more than 40 sixth-graders on Tuesday, despite of the efforts of The Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition, which had grave concerns about the institution.One of the concerns was over the school's original principal, Dahbah Almontaser-a Muslim and Arabic speaker who quit after being caught up in a furor over comments she made about some T-shirts displaying the message "Intifada NYC." She denied that the T-shirts alluded to the Palestinian struggle and the "shaking off" of Israel.Almontaser was later replaced by Danielle Salzberg, an Orthodox Jew who had helped Almontaser develop the school's curriculum. Sara Springer, a resident of Brooklyn and a leader in The Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition, says the school's leaders are trying to "pull the wool over people's eyes" by appointing a Jewish principal."Just the way they call the school the Kahlil Gibran International Academy," she asserts. "[Gibran] was a Maronite Christian. He was a wonderful writer and he would never have endorsed an Islamic ideology," says Springer.On top of that, Springer says the Jewish principal cannot even speak Arabic. "How will she ever possibly know what's going on in the school? How will we know what these people are being taught in the classroom, in the cafeteria of all places when community members come in?" she wonders.Springer says the Stop the Madrassa Community Coalition plans to monitor the school and hopes to keep tabs on what is going on inside.As in the days of Noah...
