This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2816
Islamist and leftist activism of KGIA enterprise members disproves BOE claim that "it will not be a vehicle for political ideology"
April 13, 2007
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---------------- MIM: The KGIA is the culmination of political correctness and 9/11denial run amok. Instead of confronting the Arab and Muslim community and asking them why so many in their midst supported the ideology which lead to 9/11 they asked Why do they hate us?" and expressed mea culpea by falling over themselves to provide services and counseling for Muslims and Arabs whose only concern was how 9/11 would impact their interests. The Board of Education of the City of New York's decision to allow the opening of the Khalil Gibran International Academy is an exercise in affirmative dhimmitude and a slap in the face to New Yorkers whose lives and city were permanently altered by people whose ideology is echoed in the mission statement and mentality of the KGIA organisers and their affiliate groups and institutions. MIM: One example of the leftist Islamist politicisation af all members of the KGIA enterprise can be seen in the account of this "all night candlelight vigil" by organised by the War Resisters League. Both Almontaser (KGIA principal designate) and Emira Habiby-Browne (founder and executive director of the AAFSC)took part as did the Muslim American Society (MAS). The American offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood which is also linked to Al Qaeda. warresisters.org/ Sept. 10-11, 2002, New York City — ALL-NIGHT VIGIL, Washington Square Park, 6:30 pm (Sept. 10) - 8:45 am (Sept. 11); speakers include Martin Luther King III, President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Monica Tarazi, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Amy Goodman, host of "Democracy Now," Vandana Shiva, Indian ecologist, anti-globalization activist, Manning Marable, Director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University, Andrew Rice,* Masuda Sultan,* Dan Berrigan, S.J., Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness, Talat Hamdani,* Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights, Debbie Almontaser, The Muslim American Society, Pat Humphries & Sandy Opatow, folk musicians, Rev. Billy, comedian, Loung Ung, Cambodian refugee, human rights activist, Emira Habiby Browne, The Arab American Family Support Center, Ataur Rahman, Windows on the World worker, Marino Cordoval, Pres. AFRODES (Afro-Colombian Peace Organization), Vivian Itchon Gupta, GABRIELA Network, LaGuardia H.S. Chorale, Dedrick Muhammad, Harlem activist ------------------------------------------------- MIM: The Arab American Family Support Center has posted an information page about the Khalil Gibran International Academy on their websitehttp://www.aafscny.org/KGIA.htm Our Lead Community Partner… The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC) AAFSC is the first and largest Arabic-speaking social service agency in New York. AAFSC's goal is to help new immigrants and their families become acclimated to life in the US, enabling them to fully participate in US society. AAFSC plays an important role in the school. Their On-Site Coordinator ensures that all students and their families have access to a wide range of services, Adult English language instruction (ESL) parenting classes, Arabic language instruction for the first year, counseling and access to healthcare. Our Collaborating Partners: Alwan for the Arts The Brooklyn Museum Lutheran Medical Center Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility MSI Net. Inc Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding Teacher's College – Columbia University And many more! Enroll Now for Fall 2007!! Contact: Debbie Almontaser, Principal Phone: 718-650-9831 Website: www.kgiany.org Email: [email protected] "The Universe is my country and the human family my tribe" - Khalil Gibran Khalil Gibran International Academy A New Century High School Building bridges of understanding one student at a time through community, connection and learning. Inspired by the wisdom of Khalil Gibran whose teachings influenced Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., KGIA's mission is to prepare students of diverse backgrounds for success in an increasingly global and interdependent society. Through our multicultural curriculum and intensive Arabic language instruction, students graduate with the skills they need to become independent thinkers and global citizens. Students graduate ready for college with a deep understanding of different cultural perspectives, a love of learning, and a desire for excellence. What's Special About Our School? KGIA is dedicated to creating a school culture based on high expectations with caring and trusting relationships that enable each student's talents and contributions to be nurtured, acknowledged and celebrated. KGIA Highlights: · 8:00 am – 5:00 pm school day · Small class size · Student-centered teaching · Rigorous college preparatory program · Diverse student and teacher body · Interdisciplinary instruction · Arabic as a second language · Cultural Arts Programs (music, culinary arts, and dance instruction) · Optional Saturday Academy · Project Based Field Trips for real world learning · Peer Mentoring and Tutoring · Personalized student Advisory program · Community Service · Conflict Resolution Classes I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King, Jr KGIA Core Curriculum 6 – 8 grades:Courses for all grades: *Science * ELA *Math *Student Advisory *Art *Technology *Social Studies *Arabic Language * Physical Education Our Middle School Focus: 6th grade - Transition from elementary school 7th grade - Explore our diverse world 8th grade - Explore international careers and prepare for high school KGIA will expand through 12th grade graduating its first class in 2014 8th graders in the lower school will have first priority for the KGIA upper school. Extra Curricular Activities Include:
"Your neighbor is your other self dwelling behind a wall. In understanding all walls shall fall down" - Khalil Gibran.
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Additional documentation:
MIM: According to NYC Board of Education spokesman David Castor the "Khalil Gibran International Academy" "will not be a vehicle for politics. His claim is both dangerous and disingenuous a more apt name for the school would be the Khalil Gibran Islamist Academy because all of the individuals involved are promoting an Islamist/Arab supremist/ leftwing agenda which runs the gamat from diversity to da'wa and will be the first taxpayer funded public madrassa in NYC.
For starters: KGIA Principal Dhabah aka Debbie Almontaser received a CAIR award together with Ghazi Khankan, who shouted "I bring you salaams and greetings from the Mujahideen at CAIR" at one of the group's rallies. Almontaser wears a hijab and has spent years doing da'wa in the public schools after 9/11 when incredibly the NYC Board of Education decided that the best way to deal with 9/11 was to present her with the title of "muliticultural instructor" and send her into public school classrooms to tell students about Islam and Arab culture. As everyone involved with the KGIA she hyped a non existent backlash and hysteria with the operative word being discrimination and fear on the part of Muslims to exploit 9/11 for da'wa purposes. Note that never once does anyone involved with the KGIA allude to the fear and shock which non Muslims felt after 9/11 and it is Muslims and Arabs who are depicted as the real victims which is also given as one of the raison d'etre for the KGIA which will open 7 years after the attacks.
MIM:One example of Almontaser's perifidiousness can be seen in her response to non Muslim public school children who asked why Muslims and Arabs perpetrated the attacks. In reponse Almontaser ,an experienced pedagoge/propagandist exploited the children's naivete and inability to comprehend nuance by telling them that was not really Arabs and Muslims who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks because she as the authority figure and expert has determined that they could not have been.
"I don't recognize the people who committed the attacks as either Arabs or Muslims," ...Those people who did it have stolen my identity as an Arab and have stolen my religion."
Almontaser and some of her colleagues have plans under way to extend her technique and workshops to a wider pool of schools. She and some of her Jewish and Christian colleagues have created a group called Brooklyn Bridges and are devising a "Sept. 11 Curriculum" to be taught in schools across the city. "We're all ignorant until we learn," she says.
"I'm just grateful for the opportunity to educate."
MIM: In a VOA interview Altmontaser explained how she was able to do da'wa funded by Christians and US taxpayers in the public school in the guise of a "multicultural educator". Her position and access to young children is a study in legal Islamism at it's most insidious and is more proof of why she should not be in charge of an Arabic/Islamist public school.
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"...After September 11th, ... I left my job as a classroom teacher, took a leave of absence, to do Islam sensitivity training; Arab culture training, as well as presentations at churches, synagogues, community based organizations…wherever there was a need...There was such animosity and fear, that it was important for me to help people understand who Arabs, Muslims and South Asians were...The Arab and Muslim and South Asian communities really feared having their kids go to school... they kept their kids home for weeks on end ...we were fortunate to get the Christian Children's Fund to pay me a part-time salary. I was able to work part-time and also do this work for free in our schools.."http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2004-11/2004-11-24-voa51.cfm?CFID=56741565&CFTOKEN=53120549
MIM: Here is a description of Almontaser's BOE funded and facilitated jihad through da'wa [Islamic propagation activities) prior to her being given her position as KGIA which will enable her to have an entire school dedicated to turning out students who will promote an Islamist/Arab supremacist agenda and Koranic religious instruction under the guise of multiculturalism.
Twenty-six expectant faces stared at her and the board as they waited patiently for her to tell them why she was there. She smiled warmly to the class and introduced herself, "My name's Debbie Almontaser," she told them, "and I'm a multicultural educator."
Almontaser explained that they would be spending the next hour discussing Arabs and Islam and the importance of acceptance and tolerance among different communities....
After 9/11, Almontaser, whose name means to win or overcome, was overwhelmed with requests to help foster dialogue among different communities. Her occasional workshops transformed into her full time job. "After Sept. 11 there was an unending need to educate people," she said, "and because I had always had a passion for this type of work, I felt equipped to do it."
Just as Almontaser was considering leaving her teaching job to pursue her workshops more seriously, the district superintendent, Carmen Ferenia, approached her to begin a multicultural program designed specifically for school children.
"She was the obvious choice to do the work," Ferenia said of Almonatser.
Today the Board of Education and the Christian Childrens' Fund pay Almontaser to go from school to school teaching children about Arabs and Islam and the importance of tolerance and respect. This is the first time that the Christian Children's Fund has ever sponsored a project of this type in New York.
As part of the sixth-grade workshop, Almonataser asked each student to write questions and thoughts about Islam and Arabs. "It's important to give children a safety net to talk about their concerns," she explained. "They need to feel safe enough to say what they think and feel."
"...I don't recognize the people who committed the attacks as either Arabs or Muslims," Those people who did it have stolen my identity as an Arab and have stolen my religion...".
The board of directors consists of individuals with direct ties to organisations promoting an anti American and anti Western agenda and make up of the KGIA enterprise reveals that all of the individuals and groups are interlocking and will in affect be running an insular institution with federal and state funding under the guise of a public school.
Assad Jebara who sits on the board of directors of the Arab American Family Services Center [AAFSC] and is also on the board of the ADC and one of the groups largest donors. The AFSCF is the main coordinator of KGIA's activities and will be providing the Arabic teachers as well.
MIM: The ADC is heavily funded by Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal a Saudi billionaire who paid for the group's new HQ and has held telethons for the families of suicide bombers. In 2001 then Mayor Giliani rejected Talal's 10ml donation to a 9/11victims fund when he said that American foreign policy was to blame for the attacks. In addition to his board membership of the AAFSC and the ADC Assad Jebara is on the Board of Governors of the Arab American Institute headed by James Zogby.
The American Arab Family Services Center will provide the Arabic speakers for the school which will promote their openly Islamist agenda according to Dr.Daniel Pipes who is opposed to opening the school:
For the heavy ideological freight that Arabic instruction carries, see "Does Learning Arabic Prevent Moral Decay?" where one learns that some Muslims believe "Knowledge of Arabic can then help the Western countries recover from the present moral decay." (This is not as surprising as it sounds, for Muslims commonly assume that a non-Muslim who learns Arabic is en route to conversion to Islam; I experienced this many times during my Cairo years. http://www.danielpipes.org/
Also see: New York set to open Khalil Gibran 'Jihad' School - connected to Saudi funded ADC -principal won CAIR awardhttp://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2755
For more on the ADC see: The ADC shows it's true colors:http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/118
The Khalil Gibran International Academy slated to open in September, as the first Arabic studies school is one very public example of an Islamisation which has been taking place in Brooklyn which has the highest Arab population in New York. Besides pushing an Islamist agenda the sense of entitlement and resentment which emanates from all the organizations and individuals connected to the school give rise to legimate fears that the KGIA will become a hotbed of Islamist activism and a breeding ground for angry Muslim and Arab youth who have no wish to engage with non Muslims because they believe they and their community are superior and priviledged. The KGIA raison d'etre is to propagate the notion that Arabs and Muslims have been and still are the victims of 9/11. There is no mention of who perpetrated the attacks, instead groups like the AAFSC obscenely exploit the events to promote the myth of victimhood.
MIM: The founder of the AAAFS Emira Habiby Browne who is a Christian Arab born in Israel (which she calls Palestine) is a textbook study in how non existent victimhood is being exploited in order to gain financial, social and political advantages for Arabs and Muslims. She told an interviewer that she had nightmares of being "rounded up and put into camps" yet she founded the American Arab Family Support Center to "serve the needs of the Arab American Community in New York City" with state and government help which contradicts her claim that she found "discrimination" in American organisations. Another point which debunks her "poor victimised Arab" status is the fact that she has been feted internationally by the State Department who paid for international junkets so that she could propagate stories about immigrants and multi culturalism in America.
When I heard, when I first heard it and I heard them say Pearl Harbor, immediately I had visions of being rounded up and being put into camps. I mean, every time anything happens I think all of us of Arab background feel this sense of incredible dread and fear of oh my gosh what is going to happen now?"
MIM:. According to the AAFSC Muslims and Arabs in Brooklyn and New York are living under a siege mentality and are being threatened and harassed on a daily basis and are marginalized by non Muslims because they are Middle Eastern yet a look at the board members onf the AAFS shows that all professionally trained with university backgrounds and the woman director Habiby Brown is earning 90, 000 dollars a year.
One of their board members is also part of the mayor's office so the group has direct access to city [8 officials and the group solicits funding [8 of 10 of their board members are engaged in fundraising, yet most of the AAFSC's programs get state and federal funding] .
The AAFSC then extends this use of outside funding by providing legal and counseling services which enables Arab and Muslim immigrants to use taxpayer funded facilities for educational medical and other expenses while contesting their often illegal status at the same time.
MIM: AAFSC board member Assad Jebara is a wealthy CEO of the clothing company and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Arab and Muslim causes and was one of the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committees main donors. Last year he helped finance the new ADC office in New Jersey.
Assad Jebara, President & CEO, Zana Di Jeans/Alpha Garments, Inc. [1]MIM:In 2004 Jabara gave $100,000 to the ADC in what was the single largest contribution during their fundraising banquet. MIM:In 2006 the the ADC in Michigan gave Assad Jebara the Arab American of the Year award at their annual banquet) MIM:In January 2006 the ADC in New Jersey opened a new office. Jebara was one of the main financial contributors:.Retrieved from "http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Assad_Jebara" http://www.arabamericannews.com/newsarticle.php?articleid=6940
- Board of Governors, Arab American Institute
- Director, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Our efforts would not have succeeded without the gracious generosity of two ADC supporters. The financial contribution of ADC National Board Member Assad Jebara made it possible for ADC-NJ to initiate the process of locating an office space and hiring a staff member. We could not be more grateful to Mr. Jebara for his generosity. In addition, Mr. Mohamad Matari of Matari Realty was instrumental in securing the office space and for making ADC-NJ an offer it could not refuse. The Arab American community, and ADC-NJ in particular, owes its undying gratitude to these committed gentlemen. http://adcnj.us/ADc_Office.htm
In 2006 Jebara was the recipient of the ADC, Arab American of the Year Award which was hosted by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al-Thani First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the State of Qatar.
Jebara exemplifies the approach to Arab/Islamist world domination explained by George Habash, the Greek Orthodox Arab the founder and head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [a group which pioneered airline hijackings] who told her in 1972 that: "The Palestinian problem was about far more than Israel. The Arab goal, Habash declared, was to wage war "against Europe and America" and to ensure that henceforth "there would be no peace for the West." The Arabs, he informed her, would "advance step by step. Millimeter by millimeter. Year after year. Decade after decade. Determined, stubborn, patient. This is our strategy. A strategy that we shall expand throughout the whole planet." http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2582&cid=2&sid=2In an interview in the Arab American News,Jebara the CEO of the multi million dollar grossing Zani Di Jeans –Alpha Garments [whose business won the JC Penney Supplier Diversity Award" [for], recognizing "Outstanding Minority and Women-Owned Suppliers] inadvertently showed the absurdity of Arab and Muslim discrimination claims and reiterated the AAFSC mantra that Muslims and Arabs are the ongoing victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Jebbara said that when he heard about the attacks while on a business trip to Syria. Instead of expressing shock or concern for the 3,000 victims his mind immediately turned to how the attacks would affect the Arab community.
[It is also worth noting that many Muslim Islamists condemned the attacks while supporting the ideology behind them because they thought the attacks would make it harder for them to undermine and conquer the United States from within by generating scrutiny of Muslims and their organisations and possibly causing them to lose valuable strategic positions and enterprises as a result].
Jebbara stated that after he heard about the attacks;
"I felt my heart drop" because "… from then on, things would be much harder for Arabs in the U.S."
"I'm a big fan of the ADC".
"We're (Arab and Muslims) going through a tough time right now. We're being picked on and demonized…We have to fight hard to lessen the impact of what happened on September 11th". http://www.adcmichigan.org/pressrelease.asp?ID=32
MIM: AAFSC member Samer E. Khalaf was the former legal director of the American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee [ADC] and now sits on the executive board of the ADC New Jersey chapter whose office was opened mainly due to funding from fellow AAFSC board member Assad Jabara. He is also a member of the New Jersey Attorney General's Arab and Muslim Advisory Committee.http://www.aafscny.org/bod.htm
MIM: Board member Khaled Anasseri is also a board member of the Lutheran Medical Center which partners with the AAFSC and the KGIA He graduated from Columbia University whose teaching college is listed as one of the KGIA's "collaborating partners".
MIM: Board member Christine Moore Vassallo is the secretary of the AAFSC and a board member of the Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee.. She is described as being of "Egyptian -Lebanese descent and uses her position as opera singer to raise for Lebanon. At a dinner in the Mayor's office she lambasted him for stating his support for Israel against Hezbollah.
MIM: AAFSC board member Dina Hanna is the director liason of the AAFSC to the Mayor's office.
MIM: Joseph Botros the AAFSC treasurer bio tells us that he is the founder and president of the Egyptian Arts and Culture Foundation and a "survivor" of the 9/11 attacks.
MIM: According to the AAFSC Mission Statement Arabs in America are being brutalised and victimised on a daily basis which raises the question as to why deportation is depicted as such a terrible prospect. IF things are as horrific for Arabs as the AAFSC writes then they should welcome be welcoming the chance for illegal immigrants and criminals to receive a free trip to their country of origin.
Since the events of September 11th Arabs and Muslims in the United States have been targetted purely on the basis of their ethnicity and religion. They have been singled out for selective enforcement of immigration laws and other types of racial profiling. Members of the community live in a general state of anxiety and fear. Families are threatened with deportation and seperation of husbands and fathers through deportation and detention. Students experience discrimination and harassment at school and shop owners have experienced a significant decline in revenue.
Click here to download the AAFSC "Post 9/11 Report" and "Ten Year Report" detailing the ongoing torment and deprivation and atrocities which Muslims in New York claim they have been subject since they have become victims of 9/11 as well as a list of the services which they need and are being provided by state and federal funding to help Arab and Muslim immigrants benefit from their decision to leave their Middle East utopias of democracy and justice for the hardships and discrimination they claim to be facing in the United States.
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http://www.aafscny.org/KGIA.htm
Our Lead Community Partner…
The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC)
AAFSC is the first and largest Arabic-speaking social service agency in New York. AAFSC's goal is to help new immigrants and their families become acclimated to life in the US, enabling them to fully participate in US society.
AAFSC plays an important role in the school. Their On-Site Coordinator ensures that all students and their families have access to a wide range of services, Adult English language instruction (ESL) parenting classes, Arabic language instruction for the first year, counseling and access to healthcare.
Our Collaborating Partners:
Alwan for the Arts
The Brooklyn Museum
Lutheran Medical Center
Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
MSI Net. Inc
Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious
Understanding
Teacher's College – Columbia University
And many more!
Enroll Now for Fall 2007!!
Contact: Debbie Almontaser, Principal
Phone: 718-650-9831
Website: www.kgiany.org
Email: [email protected]
"The Universe is my country and the human family my tribe" - Khalil Gibran
Khalil Gibran International Academy
A New Century High School
Building bridges of understanding one student at a time through community, connection and learning.
Inspired by the wisdom of Khalil Gibran whose teachings influenced Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., KGIA's mission is to prepare students of diverse backgrounds for success in an increasingly global and interdependent society. Through our multicultural curriculum and intensive Arabic language instruction, students graduate with the skills they need to become independent thinkers and global citizens. Students graduate ready for college with a deep understanding of different cultural perspectives, a love of learning, and a desire for excellence.
What's Special About Our School?
KGIA is dedicated to creating a school culture based on high expectations with caring and trusting relationships that enable each student's talents and contributions to be nurtured, acknowledged and celebrated.
KGIA Highlights:
· 8:00 am – 5:00 pm school day
· Small class size
· Student-centered teaching
· Rigorous college preparatory program
· Diverse student and teacher body
· Interdisciplinary instruction
· Arabic as a second language
· Cultural Arts Programs (music, culinary arts, and dance instruction)
· Optional Saturday Academy
· Project Based Field Trips for real world learning
· Peer Mentoring and Tutoring
· Personalized student Advisory program
· Community Service
· Conflict Resolution Classes
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Martin Luther King, Jr
KGIA Core Curriculum 6 – 8 grades:
Courses for all grades:
*Science * ELA
*Math *Student Advisory
*Art *Technology
*Social Studies *Arabic Language
* Physical Education
Our Middle School Focus:
6th grade - Transition from elementary school
7th grade - Explore our diverse world
8th grade - Explore international careers and prepare for high school
KGIA will expand through 12th grade graduating its first class in 2014
8th graders in the lower school will have first priority for the KGIA upper school.
Extra Curricular Activities Include:
"Your neighbor is your other self dwelling behind a wall. In understanding all walls shall fall down" - Khalil Gibran.
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MIM: The partnering groups listed on the AAFSC website as partners for the KGIA all have political agendas:
Alwan for the Arts
A political anti Israel group promoting an Islamist and anti Western agenda. A recent speaker was Mustafa Bargouti a cousin of the terrorst Marwan Bargouti jailed for several life sentences for the murder of Israelis.
According to their website:
Alwan for the Arts serves the Arab community and educates the broader public by showcasing a range cultural events; thereby enriching the cross-cultural and artistic encounter.
Since 1998, Alwan for the Arts has played a leading role in promoting the diverse cultures of the Arab countries in New York City. It organized film festivals and screenings, book/poetry readings and signings, lectures and conferences, art exhibits, musical and theatrical performances, and language and literature classes. In 2003, Alwan established a center in lower Manhattan which provides a physical base for its diverse cultural activities. http://www.alwanforthearts.org/about.html
MIM: Note that Arab and Muslim groups portray themselves as the real victims of 9/11 and have exploited the attacks to demand more services and funding for their organisations on the grounds that Americans have to better understand and accomodate Arab and Islam interests while hyping a non existent backlash and discrimination.
In a piece titled "Arab Culture near the WTC" Alwan board member Anny Bakalan revealed that for many Muslims and Arabs 9/11 was the best thing that ever happened to America.
There was a silver lining to Sept. 11th," Bakalian said. "In as much as there has been stereotyping and persecution and negative pressure on the Arab and Middle Eastern community, there has also been a generosity of spirit and an openness on the part of Americans to understand fellow Americans."
Her words echoed that of the director of Alwan Ahmed Issawi who stated:
" … it was just a "happy coincidence" that Alwan was located in Lower Manhattan, the place most associated with the result of Arab anger and violence. http://www.alwanforthearts.org/05_06/downtowne_rev.html
MIM: Alwan for the Arts also hosted a virulently anti semitic organisation called Al Awda in support of cop killer Jamal Abu Mumia and fundraised for Addameer a group which has been linked to Hamas.
http://www.newjerseysolidarity.org/alawda/sept2005/nycdppoliprisoners.shtml
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Political Prisoners Recognized at July EventOn July 23, supporters of political prisoners in the United States and Palestine gathered at Alwan for the Arts in Manhattan to hear presentations from various support campaigns and discuss mechanisms for coordination. Lamis Deek, of Al-Awda New York, spoke about the case of Sheikh Mohammed al-Moayad, discussing the case from her perspective as an attorney during al-Moayad's trial. Brother Shep McDaniel, of the Hands off Assata Committee, focused on the case of Assata Shakur and the new threats by the U.S. government against Shakur, currently living in Cuba. He discussed the formation of the Hands off Assata campaign in New York City, and its recent work in highlighting Assata's caseand receiving support from many prominent activists and community leaders. Pam Africa, of the International Concerned Friends and Family of Mumia abu-Jamal, spoke about Mumia's case and current legal situation, encouraging attendees to become involved in support for Mumia, noting the danger of execution looming prominently over Mumia. Noel Winkler, of the New York Committee to Defend Palestine, New Jersey Solidarity - Activists for the Liberation of Palestine and Al-Awda New York, spoke about Palestinian political prisoners, focusing on Addameer, a Palestinian association focused on support for prisoners. The evening was a benefit for Addameer, and participants gave generously in support of Addameer's work in Palestine. MIM: Almontaser is on the board of the Muslim Consutative Network whose chairman Adem Carroll leads ICNA an Al Qaeda linked group which follows the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. MCN BoardExecutive CommitteeP. Adem Carroll, Board ChairSarah Sayeed, Board Secretary Nurah Amatullah, Board Treasurer
Board MembersImam Al Hajj ------------- http://www.curenyc.com/directors.htmThe CURE Community Leaders John Abi-Habib MIM: The groups and members of the radical Islamist MCN network will have access to KGI via Dhabah Almontaser;[ This is the MCN mission statement
http://www.mcnny.org/mission.html MCN seeks to build a strong and vibrant community life in which there is open communication, respect, mutual learning, and collaboration.
CURE Objectives and Activities: 1. Demographic Studies and Analysis C.U.R.E. will conduct demographic studies of areas in New York City, using publicly available census type information identifying the ethnic and racial groups residing within the neighborhoods, and some of the socio-economic characteristics of each group identified. Each area will be mapped to identify concentrations of specific racial and ethnic groups by neighborhoods within the community. These maps will also identify the locations of major ethnic, racial, civic and religious centers within certain target areas. Such studies and analysis will help C.U.R.E. to identify the neighborhoods and communities where various groups are represented so that it can conduct outreach and form partnerships with community leaders. This research will form the basis not only for organizing, but will also serve as a basis for substantive discussion at community forums and symposia, where such forums will be held, and to develop educational materials to distribute to the communities.2. Community Organizing and Needs Assessment CURE will conduct a community-needs assessment by meeting with leaders of such community organizations to create a list of challenges for the respective groups, as well as a listing of leaders and community activists. Community organizing and needs assessments will further the purpose of CURE in that it will help focus where forums are held, who will assist in holding such forums, and what type of other activities of an educational or outreach nature will need to take place.3. Community Forums and Symposiums CURE will work with leaders of ethnic, religious, and community organizations to plan a community-wide symposiums or forums to focus on the challenges confronting each of the racial and ethnic groups within the respective neighborhoods. These forums will include panelists, sponsors, community leaders and large numbers of participants. Panelists will be invited from both within and outside of the community. The format will allow for participation through a series of issue topics, and also small group sessions and discussions will take place. These events will facilitate CURE outreach and organizational activity, will help to form and strengthen the bonds between the various communities and their leaders, and will further the corporate purposes of enhancing communication, educating the public at such forums, and developing partnerships.4. Advisory Committee of Community Leaders and Strategic Plan CURE will create an Advisory Committee of Community Leaders that will draft an agenda for the future – or a strategic plan. The Advisory Committee will be formed as a result of during the process of conducting demographic studies, community organizing and needs assessments, and/or community fora and symposia. CURE's organizing efforts will ultimately lead to strategic partnerships and coalitions of community leaders of different racial, ethnic and religious diversity. The Advisory Committee, in conjunction with CURE staff, volunteers and the CURE Board and Officers, will hold and sponsor periodic activities to promote racial and ethnic understanding through a continuation of the dialogue on challenges facing racial and ethnic groups, as well as programs highlighting the culture and the contribution of each group within the community. The formation and activities of a CURE Advisory Committee will further the corporate purposes of improving communication by and between identified community leaders, foster and enhance the leadership of such community leaders, solidify and strengthen partnerships with such community leaders and ethnic/racial coalitions, and provide input into educational plans and provide a basis for further community outreach.5. Educational and Outreach Activities CURE will also focus on developing understanding between and among the various identified communities, with an emphasis on the youth of various racial and ethnic groups, such as the following: • How to produce Newsletters, for both the community and its surroundings;CURE will disseminate literature, newsletter and develop as many possible forums and opportunities to deliver its message, including the development and use of its website. This activity furthers CURE's corporate purposes of enhancing communication by and through education, fostering leadership by and among the youth of various communities and racial and ethnic diversities, and solidifying and expanding partnerships through educating the masses at all levels.
MIM: Youth Bridges is another community organisation which Almontaser and Muhammed Razvi (a supporter of KGIA) are involved in which will enable them to do da'wa among non Muslim young people under the guise of teaching them about Islam. http://www.guidestar.org/pqShowGsReport.do?partner=justgive&ein=13-3937355 Chief ExecutiveMr. Bob Kaplan BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MISSION AND PROGRAMSMissionFor almost ten years, YouthBridge-NY has been changing the lives of New York City high school students. As a partnership between the Jewish Community Relations Council, Arab-American Association of New York, ASPIRA of New York Inc., the Chinese-American Planning Council, Council of People's Organization, Habitat for Humanity, Ishmael and Isaac, Jeter's Leaders, Jewish Child Care Association, The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, The New York Tolerance Center, Ramaz, Solomon Schechter High School of New York, South Asian Youth Action, and Thirteen/WNET New York's New York City Lab School. YouthBridge-NY engages a racial, ethnic and religiously diverse group of high school youth leaders in an intense year long program. This work develops within its youth leaders a deep respect for various cultures, backgrounds and experiences. New York City is now home to more than 180 different language and ethnic groups! YouthBridge-NY recognizes this context and explores such tough questions as 'What does it means to work together with those that are different that 'me?' This leadership development program is coordinated by CAUSE-NY a division of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York?s Commission on Intergroup Relations & Community Concerns. ProgramsThe core of YouthBridge-NY is the Bridge Fellowship. This program helps teen leaders gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of each Fellow?s racial, ethnic, and religious differences, and develop experience working with diverse peoples. Candidates come from YouthBridge-NY partner agencies and schools throughout New York City. Additional Comments from the OrganizationSuccess Stories The Alumni of Youth Bridge-NY are success stories. -Helen Cho attends NYU Film School and has won a Sundance and a Student Emmy award for her work on an independent film. -Danny Howard has won various awards for his documentary 'Bullets in the Hood' including the: 2005 Sundance Film Festival -Special Jury Award for Short Filmmaking 2005 Tribeca Film Festival Selection Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film + Digital Media He currently attends Claflin University as a Mass Communications major, was awarded the Emma Bowen Foundation four-year scholarship, and has earned a highly competitive and coveted internship at his local NBC affiliate. -Teddy Ottobo Sherrif has become an ordained Christian Minister and gave an inspiring keynote address at last year's Youth Summit. We are also proud of the fact that all of these distinguished alumni are members of the YouthBridge?NY Advisory Board. Current Bridge Fellows are also having an impact. -Ahmed Abdelrahman is advocating for Muslim students by petitioning the Department of Education to make the Muslim holiday Eid an exempt day from school for Muslim students and teachers. -Perla Bernstein, who also serves as a staff intern, credits YouthBridge-NY for shaping her decision to pursue a career in International Relations and Development, with a focus on developing nations. She has been accepted to University of Texas-Austin. GOALS AND RESULTSAccomplishments for Fiscal Year Ending April 30, 2006
Objectives for Fiscal Year Beginning May 1, 2006
------------------------------------MIM AAFSC board member :Christine Moore Vassallo who is an active member of the ADC New York posted this job advert for an executive director for the AAFSC on the ADC website: http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2666 AAFSC seeks Executive Director On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC), I am writing to inform you that we have begun a search for a new Executive Director to help us lead the agency through a new stage of growth. The Executive Director will work *closely* with the Board of Directors to develop and execute a strategy for expanding the agency's reach, developing infrastructure, and sustaining service quality. The ideal candidate is a visionary who is passionate about AAFSC's commitment to strengthening families and helping them adapt to life in the U.S., *and* is experienced in fundraising, non-profit management, and social services program development/ management. The Executive Director should be an accomplished professional with demonstrable leadership experience, who is results-driven, has superb interpersonal skills, actively involved in and knowledgeable about the Arab-American community, and accomplished in the social services field. An MSW or graduate degree in related field with 5-7 years social services and 5 years management experience is required The candidate should also demonstrate a working knowledge of nonprofit governance structures. Multi-lingual candidates are urged to apply. If you know of individuals who might be the right fit for AAFSC, please encourage them to send/fax/email their resume and cover letter to [email protected] or mail to: Community Resource Exchange, 42 Broadway, NY, NY 10006. Fax: 212-616-4994. (*Please do not send resumes to my personal email address as it will only delay the process!*)* */The AAFSC is an equal opportunity employer/. /Applicants will be considered for the position without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, disability, gender, ethnic or national origin, or veteran status. We are excited by the prospect of identifying the Executive Director who will *join us in leading the AAFSC through the next phase of its growth*. Thank you for your help as we fill this important role. Sincerely, Christine Moore Vassallo Member of the Board of Directors Job Posting (attachment in Word) ----------------------------------------------------- http://www.jrn.columbia.edu/studentwork/election/2004/minority_ali01.asp Kerry Drew Disenchanted Arabs in Bay Ridge By Sarmad S. AliAs the presidential election grew near, Linda Sarsour sat in her small office at the Arab-American Association in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, looking at the photos of two thickly bearded young Arabs on the front page of an Arabic-language newspaper. The paper carried fervent slogans calling on young people to become martyrs in the conflict with Israel. Sarsour, a 24-year-old Palestinian-American, sighed. One of the men, she said, was a cousin who has been in Israeli jails for 25 years. The other man, she said, was a family friend serving a 99-year prison sentence in Israel. Her brother-in-law, she said, is also serving a 12-year sentence, accused of being an activist in the Hamas, the religious militant group, though, she said, he was secular in his beliefs. Despite those concerns, she said, she was more worried these days about her own future in America, She said she had been questioned by U.S. authorities, and her Palestinian husband, after seven years in America, faced deportation proceedings. So, like many Arab-Americans in the Bay Ridge area, she had hoped that Tuesday's election would end the presidency of Republican George Bush. With that goal in minx, she worked to turn out voters for Democratic challenger John Kerry as part of a broader effort led by the Arab-Muslim American Federation and the Salam Arabic Lutheran Church, two major centers for Arab life in the neighborhood. "I'll never lose this chance to vote Bush out," Sarsour said before the election. "Bush has long been backing Israel with cash and weapons against my own people." Although the Arab population in New York is not as large as it is in other states in the country, the Arab-American vote was still regarded as significant. Bush contended during the campaign that his war in Iraq and his widespread campaign against terrorism were spreading freedom and making the United States safer. He also argued that ultimately his strategy would bring greater stability to the Middle East. However, Arab-Americans in Bay Ridge often saw his record differently. "Bush is the source of our present troubles so I don't think any honest Arab will vote for him," said Abdel Kareem Al-Qawass, 48, a Jordanian calling cards vendor. Many blamed Bush and his foreign policy for what they regarded as a growing feeling of insecurity around the globe. "When Bush declared the war on terrorism, he, in fact, expanded the arena of threats all over the world," said Al-Qawass. "Now Italy is a target because it has illegal military presence in Iraq as well as Spain and many other countries." Since the Sept. 11 attacks, many Arab-Americans also have complained about being unfairly treated by suspicious government officials. "As Arabs, we've suffered a lot under Bush's rule," said Khader El-Yateem, 35, pastor of the Salam Arabic Lutheran Church. "Many Arabs were interrogated by the FBI and the police for no obvious reason just because they are Arabs." He said that while older Arab-American immigrants sometimes leaned toward the Republican Party, recent immigrants were "all Democrat." Citing the Democratic Party's stances on the Iraq war and the Palestinian issue, El-Yateem echoed the view of many Bay Ridge Arabs that the Democratic Party had a better understanding of the thorniest problems the Arabs have with the West. El-Yateem said that former Democratic President Bill Clinton met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and invited him several times to the White House to discuss the Palestinian issue whereas Bush has neglected the Palestinian problem. "Bush is more concerned about Israel than the Arabs in Palestine," El-Yateem said. Still, Kerry sometimes lacked personal appeal among Bay Ridge Arabs. Kerry was "another alternative, but not necessarily better," said Hussain Al-Massoudi, a 40-year-old Iraqi cab driver. "Maybe Kerry and Bush are two faces for the same coin," he said. "The idea is we've tried Bush and we've seen what he did, so let's try someone else. He might be better." |
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/2816