Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming to Schools

[echoes]

Originally Posted by mojaveman

If American children are going to be taught about Arab/Muslim culture should they also be taught about it's great failings, like treating women like dogs and demading that infidels convert or be killed?

Exactly!!! Sorry, but there is no educational value in teaching this "religion of peace" CRAP to our children, IMNSHO! Being raised to repect cultures is one thing, but this tolerance-multi-cultural living in harmony garbage is what this is shrouded in, and don't even get me started on the whole burka thing...

Hey news flash...as an American woman, you do not have to walk ten steps behind your man, head bowed, covered in shame, waiting to know if you have pleased him or if the nightly beating will get really interesting...

This is America for cryin out loud, where, thanks to our brave soldiers defeating the sorry assed terrorists, we are FREE! If muslims living here do not like it, then they can take the next boat back to the stonge-aged country where they came from, IMHO.

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

It's official...I'm pissed

Hey $hit for brains...how about teaching English, Grammer, Spelling, Math.

How about teaching U.S. history.

How about teaching OUR @%$&$#@@#$#'ing culture...you know the one that says hate to break it to you there mohammid, but your country is ef'ed up and that's why we live here.

Bravo! Brilliant post!

Holly

[echoes]

Arabic language and culture = Spanish language and culture??? WTF?

Mansfield Arabic Program On Hold

Updated: Feb 8, 2011 4:30 p.m.

MANSFIELD (CBSDFW.COM) – A Mansfield ISD program to teach Arabic language and culture in schools is on hold for now, and may not happen at all.

The school district wanted students at selected schools to take Arabic language and culture classes as part of a federally funded grant.

The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant was awarded to Mansfield ISD last summer by the U.S. Department of Education.

As part of the five-year $1.3 million grant, Arabic classes would have been taught at Cross Timbers Intermediate School and other schools feeding into Summit High School.

Parents at Cross Timbers say they were caught off-guard by the program, and were surprised the district only told them about it in a meeting Monday night between parents and Mansfield ISD Superintendent Bob Morrison.

The Department of Education has identified Arabic as a ‘language of the future.’ But parent Joseph Balson was frustrated by the past. “Why are we just now finding out about it?” asked Balson. “It’s them (Mansfield ISD) applying for the grant, getting it approved and them now saying they’ll go back and change it only when they were caught trying to implement this plan without parents knowing about it.”

Trisha Savage thinks it will offer a well-rounded education. “I think its a great opportunity that will open doors. We need to think globally and act locally.”
Mansfield ISD says in addition to language, the grant provides culture, government, art, traditions and history as part of the curriculum.

Some parents had concerns over religion. “The school doesn’t teach Christianity, so I don’t want them teaching Islam,” said parent Baron Kane.

During Monday’s meeting Morrison stressed the curriculum would not be about religion, but about Arabic language and culture, similar to the Spanish curriculum already in place in the district.

Full Article Here:

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/02/07/m...-to-mansfield/

[ZonieDiver]

It's been a long time since I was a student in a high school foreign language class, but I seem to recall in my FOG-obfuscated brain that in Senor Emmons Clase de Espanol, we did a LOT of cultural crapola. Records, art, entertainment, etc.

Granted, Sr Emmons focused mostly on Spain... especially "Barthalona"... .but, it was culture.

While believing that it wasn't a very wise decision, or process, that this district undertook, I can say that it is my observation that students who partake of foreign language classes in school tend to do better in their English language efforts.

YMMV

[echoes]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

It's been a long time since I was a student in a high school foreign language class, but I seem to recall in my FOG-obfuscated brain that in Senor Emmons Clase de Espanol, we did a LOT of cultural crapola. Records, art, entertainment, etc.

Granted, Sr Emmons focused mostly on Spain... especially "Barthalona"... .but, it was culture.

While believing that it wasn't a very wise decision, or process, that this district undertook, I can say that it is my observation that students who partake of foreign language classes in school tend to do better in their English language efforts.

YMMV

Agree ZD Sir,

However, my problem is that this is actually being defended by someone who equates Spanich Culture and Language with Islamic Culture and Language. Am no expert, by far, but it seems to me that argument is like Apples and Oranges, Pit Bulls and Chiwawa's, Black burka wearing and bikinis...

Holly

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by echoes

Agree ZD Sir,

However, my problem is that this is actually being defended by someone who equates Spanich Culture and Language with Islamic Culture and Language. Am no expert, by far, but it seems to me that argument is like Apples and Oranges, Pit Bulls and Chiwawa's, Black burka wearing and bikinis...

Holly

Yeah, the Spanish Empire was perfectly benevolent both at home and abroad.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

Yeah, the Spanish Empire was perfectly benevolent both at home and abroad.

Am not a historian.

Was simply linking what my grade-school education taught me about Spanish, and its language and culture.

Strangely, it did not mention how the Spanish treated their women as less than human, like dogs, or cattle. Yet I am sure there are historical refferences as to that notion, that a real historian could argue.

None of that changes the fact, or can shine the light off of the fact that this decision to teach Islam to school kids as a happy little kum-by-ya culture, is a bad idea.

Why?

Because OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS are out there right now fighting and dying to protect America from these bastards' radical hatred.

Holly

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by echoes

<<SNIP>>None of that changes the fact, or can shine the light off of the fact that this decision to teach Islam to school kids as a happy little kum-by-ya culture, is a bad idea.

Why?

Because OUR BRAVE SOLDIERS are out there right now fighting and dying to protect America from these bastards' radical hatred.

Was the plan to teach Arabic culture or Islamic culture? (Is there a difference?)

If GWOT is indeed a generational contest between civilizations, why not give youngsters every opportunity to learn about "the opposition"? Patriotism grounded in education (rather than indoctrination) is not such a bad idea. YMMV.

Studying Arabic and the Arab culture will only help us in our endeavors...

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."

Sun Tzu

Arabic isnt so bad and it would have been nice to have a head start before hitting it in college.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

......... why not give youngsters every opportunity to learn about "the opposition"? Patriotism grounded in education ......

Public school - first we have to find out if they know who the "real enemy" is.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by cszakolczai

Studying Arabic and the Arab culture will only help us in our endeavors...

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle."

Sun Tzu

Arabic isnt so bad and it would have been nice to have a head start before hitting it in college.

Studying English, the other two R's, manners, common sense and the work ethic would help more.

Originally Posted by Dusty

Studying English, the other two R's, manners, common sense and the work ethic would help more.

I dont deny this at all, but if one has to take a language/cultural course, Arabic would seem like a very valid option especially with the current political climate.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by cszakolczai

I dont deny this at all, but if one has to take a language/cultural course, Arabic would seem like a very valid option especially with the current political climate.

Not if they're all dead.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

Was the plan to teach Arabic culture or Islamic culture? (Is there a difference?)YMMV.

You would probobly be able to answer that question better than anyone else here, amigo. Why would I even try? Unless it was for the amusement of those present, in which case, they would definately get a good chuckle.

Have stated my opinion, to the best of my ability, and indeed, YMMV.

Holly

[Richard]

In the 'too late...the horse is out of the barn' category, I hate to spoil everyone's stew but we do teach all of the world's major cultures and religions in school now as a part of the world geography, world history, world literature, fine arts, and foreign language studies curricula...but don't tell anybody.

Personally, I would not want to be associated with any school who didn't.

Richard

Originally Posted by Dusty

Not if they're all dead.

"There you go again"