Pledge of Allegiance In Arabic Polarizes New York High School

Some stupid principal in Pine Bush, New York, decide that it would be a cool thing to have students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic, of all things, for national Foreign Language Week. Not sure what possessed Aaron Hopmayer to think it was okay to do that, but naturally the event has become a point of contention dividing people between those that think it was flat out wrong, and those that believe one shouldn't discriminate. I'm sure we know where on the political spectrum each of those individuals stands.

The morning's regularly scheduled announcements included the Arabic reading of the pledge. According to students, the announcement was greeted by catcalls and angry denunciations in classrooms throughout the school by students who felt the reading was inappropriate.

The reading became the subject of angry talk throughout the school and a cascade of tweets both from students who criticized the reading and those who supported it.

The controversy has "divided the school in half," according to school Superintendent Joan Carbone. She described the reading as "something that was supposed to be good but turned out not to be."

Early Wednesday afternoon, high school Principal Aaron Hopmayer made a building-wide announcement explaining the reading's context and apologizing to students who took offense.

The apology appears to have done little to quell the situation; it may, in fact, have fueled resentment from students who feel the reading was appropriate.

Carbone said she had received complaints from district residents who had lost family members in Afghanistan and from Jewish parents who were equally outraged by the reading.

Even a Muslim leader has said that the Pledge should always be read in English.

Atif Hasan, the treasurer at the Middletown Islamic Center, says yes, schools should be doing more to teach students about different cultures and to promote diversity.

But he said they should not use the Pledge of Allegiance to do so, as Pine Bush High School did on Wednesday.

The Pledge of Allegiance should always be recited in English, he said.

“To me, that’s ludicrous,” Hasan said of the decision to read the pledge in Arabic, even if the intention was to promote diversity. The pledge, he said, “belongs to the land. It should be in English. The language it was created in is the only language in which it should be said. It’s a beautiful pledge.”

Apparently, this isn't the first time Pine Bush has been in the spotlight.

In 2013, Jewish parents sued the district and administrators in federal court, accusing them of being indifferent to chronic anti-Semitic behavior.

Now don't get me wrong, I encourage people to learn other languages, I speak several, but surely they could have read some other announcement.  And the Pledge in a foreign language, come on, how stupid can you get.

Muslim Group Allowed To Cut Off Crosses From NY Church

A Muslim group purchased a century-old Catholic church in Syracuse, NY and are converting it into a mosque/learning center.  What has some people upset is the decision to remove 6 crosses from the roof of the historic Gothic church. Now I understand why Muslims wouldn't want crosses on their mosque, but not for the reason given by the center's director, Yusuf Soule.  He claims that Islam forbids the worship of symbols and idols, hence the need for removal; as if the Muslim congregants would be actually worshiping a cross.  But if this is the case, then why is it okay to have a crescent moon perched on top of the spires of most mosques?  Is that not a symbol?

A city board on Thursday gave a Muslim group the go-ahead to remove six crosses from the roof and spires of a century-old former Catholic church so the now-vacant Gothic structure can be used as a mosque.

More than 200 people had signed an online petition calling on the Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board to deny an application by North Side Learning Center, the church's new owner, to remove the crosses and build a six-foot chain-link fence.

Before the vote to allow the church alterations, Chairman Don Radke said the board cannot interfere with a decision that involves religious freedom.

More on the story here.

Couldn't they have found another building for their mosque, rather than defacing a landmark Christian structure?

I wonder how Muslims would react to a Christian group removing the crescent moon from atop one of their mosques.

No Slutbag "Interns Wanted" by Anthony Weiner Campaign Posters

You'd think that Anthony Weiner would have dropped out by now after revelations of more of his 'Carlos Danger' sexting were exposed, and the subsequent drop in popularity. But no, he's still hoping he'll become the next NY city mayor.  I still have no clue why people were even thinking of voting for him to begin with, considering his previous conduct. He's a total pig, but that doesn't seem to matter to some. And he doesn't seem to care that he's the latest fodder for late night. 

Even the web site Funny or Die has jumped on the Weiner-wagon creating  fake "interns wanted" posters that were plastered around Soho.

Prerequisites:

No slutbags, no snitches, no cops and no cameras.

The poster pokes fun at Barbara Morgan, Weiner's communications director, who blasted former intern Olivia Nuzzi, who she called an "effing" slutbag.

Have some dignity and give up Weiner!

Bloggers Retaliate- Post Addresses of Staff Of Paper That Published Gun Owners Map

The latest issue to polarize this country is the right to bear arms. Gun control has always been a bone of contention for the American people, but more so since the recent spate of mass murders left movie-goers in Aurora and 20 young ones in Sandy Hook dead. Yes, it's an issue that has many people angered, on both sides, but what New York's The Journal News did by publishing an interactive map along with the names AND addresses of gun owners in Westchester and Rockland counties was unconscionable.  The newspaper has effectively made every single resident in both counties a target for criminals: they now know which houses they can steal from to add to their arsenal of weapons, and the ones which will make easy targets with no guns for protection.

But back to the Journal News: piss off enough people and someone is going to retaliate, which is what a former Connecticut attorney and blogger Christopher Fountain did. Fountain published on his blog the names, addresses and phone numbers of all 50 employees of The Journal news including the publisher  Janet Hasson, including a Google Maps shot of her house:

I don’t know whether the Journal’s publisher Janet Hasson is a permit holder herself, but here’s how to find her to ask..

Another blogger, Robert Cox, published an interactive Google Map of his own pinpointing where some of the employees live, along with some email addresses and other personal information.

Whether you believe two wrongs don't make a right, as one commenter on Fountain's blog pointed out, this is what happens when you push the envelope too far to further your agenda. The News Journal should never have published those names and addresses. Now all these people, including the News Journal staff, will be potential targets for all the criminals and crazies in the world.

More Non-Union Crews Told "Pay Dues" Or Don't Help With Sandy Cleanup

More union thuggery at the expense of those devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

Six volunteers with an utility crew from Alabama that showed up to help in Seaside Heights, New jersey, were told to join the union or go away. So they did. Now we are hearing similar stories.

A Georgia Power utility company was also turned away because the guys that drove up to New York to help out refused to sign International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers  union (IBEW) papers.

“They worked in Maryland, and they went up to New York, and when they got up there it was, ‘out come the union papers.’”

“And our guys were like, ‘Hey, we’re not joining nothing. We came up to help, but if you don’t want it, that’s fine.’ So they turned around and drove all the way back here to Georgia.”

The same thing happened in Long Island with Florida non-union utility workers. Because of union demands, there were delays, and in some case crews stayed home.

This is why it's taking so long to get electricity back to the residents of certain areas in New Jersey and New York.  Unacceptable and shameful, especially since the northeast is short of workers to speedily get things back on track.  The last thing you demand of someone that is willing to help you clean up is to join a union.

Gay, Black Ex-Muslim New Yorker To Become Rabbi

This has to be one of the most interesting yet bizarre religious conversion stories I have ever come across.

New Yorker Dario Hunter, an openly gay lawyer who also happens to be half black (his mum) and half Iranian Muslim (his dad) is graduating as a rabbi on August 25.

Apparently, Hunter gave up everything- including his career in New York city- to move to Israel to study to be a rabbi. Granted, it was through a progressive online study program, the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute (JSLI), which is run by Rabbi Steven Blane. Graduating with Hunter are a Catholic-born Brazilian and a British songwriter. In fact, half of his class are converts. Blane himself has an interesting story. Since so many Jews are either "unaffiliated or in interfaith marriages", Blane believes there's a need for Rabbis to minister to this segment of the Jewish diaspora.

Blane was a traditional rabbi until he resigned after being "threatened with expulsion for officiating at interfaith weddings."

Along with his online rabbinical training programme, he also runs Sim Shalom, a global online synagogue.

Blane has a unique perspective on Judaism:

Blane knows that a former Muslim becoming a rabbi will be uncomfortable for some, but the plurality of backgrounds of his graduating class fits perfectly with his belief in Jewish Universalism.

"I don't believe that Jewish people were uniquely chosen for a relationship with God – God doesn't choose a favorite child," Blane said.

"Nearly 50% of the Jewish population finds deep significance in observing Holiday and life-cycle rituals, but doesn't feel like any traditional denomination reflects their views. There's a huge need for rabbis who can provide spiritual leadership that serves this large and important group."

I'm not sure what Hunter's father might think of his apostate son, but if he is indeed gay, he certainly has a better chance of surviving in the Jewish religion than he would as a Muslim. Let's hope he can hang on to his head.

Shalom, Rabbi Hunter, you've embraced a far more tolerant religion.

Arabic Mandatory At NYC Public Elementary School

Students at PS 368- a New York public elementary school in Hamilton Heights (upper Manhattan)- are learning a new foreign language. Not French, not Spanish, not even Russian or Chinese. No, the 200 kids attending 2nd through 5th grade are being taught Arabic, and come September they will have absolutely no choice in the matter because then it will be mandatory. Right now the kids are taking afternoon classes during their free periods, but next semester it will be for 45 minutes, twice a week.

Why Arabic? Because the school principal, Nicky Kram Rosen, has her eyes set on receiving 'a prestigious International Baccalaureate standing.'

And no-one seems to mind.

“She proposed this to the parent association. They were very supportive,” said Angela Jackson, CEO of the Global Language Project, which is backing the initiative.

“Arabic has been identified as a critical-need language,” she said, citing students’ future “career trajectories.’’

“It means they can spin the globe and decide where they want to work and live.”

Even the kids don't seem to mind.

“I like Arabic class. I like the words we learn. I thought they sounded funny at first, now I think they sound cool,” said Nayanti Brown, a 7-year-old second-grader. “I teach my little sister the words I learn.’’

Nayanti said her mother was skeptical at first.

“When I gave my mom the [permission slip] to sign, she was shocked. [Now] she’s happy I’m in the class,” she said.

Bella Moon Castro, 34, of Harlem, signed her son up and is glad he’ll have a chance to learn Arabic.

“This makes the world smaller for the kids. It develops their confidence,” Castro said

Apparently it's a public "choice" school, meaning no-one is forced to attend, so this is how they are getting away with making Arabic compulsory. And what about those who might not want to learn Arabic?

If the school ever enrolls a student who objects to learning Arabic, administrators will deal with that on a case-by-case basis, Jackson said.

Mohamed Mamdouh is PS 368's teacher. He, of course, is delighted.

“Soon, Arabic will be a global language like French and Spanish. These kids are like sponges. It’s amazing to see their progress.’’

Mamdouh yesterday played a version of duck, duck, goose with the kids using the Arabic words for mother and father — mama and baba — for ducks and geese.

He also played a version of Simon Says where he would say a word or phrase in Arabic like, “ma drasti” — my school — and make a gesture like opening a book.

And soon those kids will be able to read and memorize the Quran.

Look, there's nothing wrong with giving kids the opportunity to learn a foreign language, even Arabic, but when it becomes mandatory then that's problematic.