What about the Islamic Saudi Academy?
Reader comment on item: Washington Finally Gets It on Radical Islam

Submitted by Ada Evans (United States), Apr 25, 2005 at 19:59

This portion caught my eye: "Madrassahs, or Islamic schools, are a particular concern, for these train the next generation of jihadis and terrorists. Washington deploys several tactics to counter their influence...."

Here in Virginia, just a few miles from the nation's capital, we have such a school. Is anybody investigating what that school is teaching? ISA has already produced several graduates who have attempted to wage jihad.

It's all fine and well for the United States to try to influence the madrassahs abroad. But what about those schools operating in the United States?

Slightly off topic here, but a recent event relating to ISA occurred when one of its schoolbuses was involved in an accident. This accident received scant news coverage, but here are some excerpts from The Washington Post of April 21, 2005:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/20/AR2005042002766.html

"...In yesterday's crash of the private school bus, the driver, Abdelrazeg Abdalla, 31, of Falls Church, was charged with several counts, including operating the Islamic Saudi Academy bus on a suspended license. Investigators said Abdalla's driving privileges had been suspended at 12:01 a.m. yesterday because of insurance-related issues. He was fired by school administrators shortly after the charges -- including citations for reckless driving and driving a vehicle with faulty equipment -- were issued.....Abdalla was hired as a driver in August after a comprehensive background check that he said included a search for any past convictions and "points on his license." But a check of court records in Virginia revealed seven past charges, including several traffic violations for speeding and crossing a double yellow line. Several of the charges had been dismissed. Abdalla also had a misdemeanor conviction in Fairfax for abducting his estranged wife and 3-month-old daughter at knifepoint. He had originally been charged with felony kidnapping, but friends and family -- including his wife -- wrote letters of support to the court on Abdalla's behalf, and he agreed to plead guilty in May 2003, after nearly three months in jail, to a reduced charge of misdemeanor assault and battery.
After his release, Abdalla was picked up by Department of Homeland Security officials and detained for about six months, according to court records. It could not be determined why he was detained. A phone number for Abdalla could not be found yesterday. Kovilik [director of education for the academy] said Abdalla's firing was based solely on his driving the school bus without a valid license. He said he was stunned by news that Abdalla had a court record...."

It seems to me that the state of Virginia should have the option of denying an Islamic school the right to have an institution. If a curriculum is promoting Wahhabism, that school should be shut down.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.