Glad to see there is some sanity out there in our public schools
Two seniors at Gateway High School in Monroeville said they’ll meet with administrators today after they were told they could no longer wear their traditional Arab head scarves because it was “disruptive” to class.
Mohammad Al-Abbasi, 18, and Ahmad Al-Sadi, 17, said they have worn the red-and-white scarves — called kaffiyehs — around their necks for years as a sign of their Middle Eastern heritage and identity.
But administrators yesterday told them to take the kaffiyehs off or leave school. Both chose the latter.
“It’s my culture, my ancestors wore it, you know?” Mr. Al-Abbasi said last night in a phone interview. “It’s my roots. It’s not political. It doesn’t have any message.”
The students said they were called into Principal William Short’s office yesterday morning after, they believe, students and parents complained to school officials that the kaffiyehs are symbols of hate and terrorism, Mr. Al-Abbasi said.
All one has to do is look at the way so many on the Left wear them, as solidarity and hatred of Israel/Jews symbols. Now, maybe that is not there intent. But, what if someone wanted to wear a Confederate battle flag as a symbol of their heritage and culture? Think they would be allowed to keep it on? But, they couldn’t have anything to do with hate, could they?
It also comes about a week after Mr. Al-Abbasi wore a T-shirt to school airbrushed with an anti-Israeli sentiment. He said he took the shirt off when administrators told him the message was “threatening.”
“I understood, and I shouldn’t have worn that to school,” he said.
Unlike the shirt, he said, the kaffiyehs aren’t political or religious.
OK, if they aren’t religious, then by the school code, they can be made to take them off.
Too bad Administrator Short lost this one, as the ACLU, CAIR, and other far left Islamist supporting groups got involved. I guess the only positive here are that the two wearing them are of Arab descent, rather then idiot America liberals wearing them hoping Palestinians kill Jews.
Teach do you think that it is a bad thing to wear one of these scarves ?
Teach,
What would be your opinion on students wearing a yarmulke to school?
NO SCARVES ?? but what about the often mentioned threat of GLOBAL COOLING ? what do you want these students to die of hypothermia ? Why do you hate students and want them to die of the cold ?
Yes, John, I do think it is a bad thing, as they are typically worn in support of palestinian terrorists.
Reasic, a yarmulke is a religious symbol and part of Judaism. The students admitted they did not wear the kaffiyehs as religious symbols.
Furthermore, a yarmulke is not connected with terrorism.
They are standard issue for ALL coalition troops including American troops. Somehow I do not think that when they are issued as military kit for coalition soldiers they are being worn to show support for terrorism or Palestinians. When Kevin Jonas wore one in the Disney movie Camp Rock were we supposed to think that he supported Palestinians. Would you consider it to be supporting terrorism to eat Falafel ? Here is a Coalition type issue for sale on eBay http://cgi.ebay.com/42-Coalition-Military-Desert-Scarf-SHEMAUG-NEW_W0QQitemZ130280343860QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item130280343860&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A3%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318 Shemaug is Turik
Talk about living in an over controled Nanny state