Saturday, July 24, 2010

• Activists Clash with Fountain Valley School Board

by Al Rowley
July 23, 2010

Newt Gingrich said it right. "America is experiencing an Islamist cultural-political offensive designed to undermine and destroy our civilization. Sadly, too many of our elites are the willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could.....The time to take a stand is now!"

Well over 100 citizens did just this at the monthly meeting of the Fountain Valley School District board meeting Thursday evening, July 22. A Resolution had been placed on the Agenda to accept and approve the use of some supplementary instructional material which would provide additional important information and correct some of the mis-information regarding Islam contained in the seventh grade textbook "World History - Medieval to Modern Times". published in 1996 by Holt, Rinehart Winston which is used in this and many other school districts.

The supplementary information has just recently been developed by an advisory board of Textbook Alert, a group of college and university academics who are well aware of the extent to which grade 7 History & Social Studies texts used across the nation have been intentionally propagandized to present a sanitized sugar-coated mis-leading portrayal of Islam and Islamic History, primarily through the efforts of an Islamc activist group, the Council on Islamic Education.

This Council, founded and directed by a Muslim immigrant, Shabbir Mansuri, who holds neither a college degree nor academic qualifications as a historian, educator, or theologian, has been working at this since 1990 by lobbying State Departments of Education to remove anything critical of Islam from their curriculum frameworks and even convincing textbook publishers that his group must be allowed to edit their pre-publication textbook drafts to make sure that nothing offensive to Muslims is present which might impede their adoption by any state or local adoption committee. All major publishers seem to have acquiesced, and several texts even list him as a co-author or consultant. The reason this agenda item was introduced at the Fountain Valley School District is because this District has been providing office space for this Council on Islamic Education since 1993...a relationship which is considered highly inappropriate by many.

An overflow crowd of well over 100 filled the board room and 20 speakers took the opportunity to address the Board during the "public comments" period. While the Board normally allows 4 minute per speaker, Board President Tony McComb surprised those who had signed up to address the Board by arbitrarily announcing they would be limited to two minutes, so many opinions from the public were obviously and intentionally not permitted to be expressed or heard.

Only one speaker, a Fountain Valley High School coach, spoke against the resolution. He voiced his opinion that the kids really seem to be learning all they need to about Islam and he feels there is no need for any supplementary material. A significant number of the other speakers were immigrants from Muslim countries where they have had first-hand experience with Islam and sharia law, some as Muslims, some as persecuted non-Muslims minorities. One of them, a 13 year old 8th grader reported much of what he had been taught in the 7th grade about Islam here was simply not true. The fervent and highly emotional expressions of these speakers brought intense vocal responses and applause from the supportive audience; to the extent that the Board President requested that there be no audible response until each had finished their remarks and that it then be limited to clapping only. It was not lost on the audience that he had not only cut the speakers time in half but also tried to silence even their own expressions of support.

One speaker, noting that the public part of the meeting seemed not to have started with the Pledge of Allegiance invited all to stand and join him in the Pledge. While the audience did, the Board sat and watched uncomfortably until finally one by one some reluctantly rose and joined in.

A former Muslim Iranian Navy Captain, once in charge of all training for the entire Iranian Navy, warned the Board about the intentions of Islam to conquer the entire world and force it to submit to Allah and sharia law.

A member and immediate past president of the Board of the Anaheim Union High School District, Orange Counties largest high school district, admonished board members for not even making eye contact with the speakers and assured them that her board would have passed the resolution and adopted the Supplement without delay. Several Muslims and ex-Muslims warned the board about the true intentions of Islam to conquer America and how it is laying the foundations for conquest by brain-washing America's youth so they will willingly accept Islam.

We know of no law or State Education
Code requiring that 'supplementary
instructional materials' (which this
clearly was) must be vetted and
adopted by any state agency


A member of ACT! for America informed the Board that while ACT! had provided input at two public hearings of the California Curriculum Frameworks Committee, in Sacramento which could well have resulted in changes to the next generation of History books scheduled for 2012, but that State budget cuts have forced the cancellation of all further work on new textbooks for 2012. As a result schools may be forced to continue using their existing flawed texts until possibly 2018 or later. He stressed that the need for correcting supplemental material thus becomes especially critical and important.

A substantial number of the audience remained for over 3 hours until the very end of the meeting when the Board finally addressed the issue of the Resolution. Asked by the Board President to each express their feelings about the Resolution and the supplemental material, none refuted the information therein, but one after another their almost identical objections came forth: Judith Edwards voiced her opinion that any supplemental materials must come down from the State, Ian Collins announced "There is a procedure..." without ever explaining what it was. Christine Alcorn insisted that "this must be done at the State level." New Board member Nicola Weiss echoed. "We must follow proper procedures". Board President Tony McComb mumbled something about not having the procedures or authority to adopt supplemental materials. Several mentioned the fact that the Board couldn't very well adopt supplementary information for one group because then they might have to do it for others as well. The Board then decided that the Resolution, which had apparently only been on the agenda as an "Information item" was not important enough to be placed on the next agenda for further consideration as an "action item". By doing so they have deemed it not even worth further consideration and simply tossed it into the trash can.

The SRO audience was composed of an interesting spectrum of the community. A number were local residents of Fountain Valley, A number were immigrants from Islamic countries who are obviously very concerned about what is being taught to our children about Islam. A number were members of various ACT! for America chapters in the area. The Resolution had been drafted by a well-informed Fountain Valley parent, Steve Jackson, who is not an ACT! member.

There were about a dozen Muslims standing outside in the parking lot near the entrance before the meeting, but they were not seen accosting anyone or entering the Board Room at any time. One attendee suggested, "They probably didn't need to as they knew it was a done deal".

This may well have been the case. The fact that the entire 5 member board, presented with overwhelming community concern and evidence that their grade 7 History textbook contains erroneous and propagandized information about Islam, and also provided with a creditable piece of supplementary instructional material which could balance and correct this AT NO COST, and then unanimously reject it ... all for the very same reasons ... seems strongly to indicate that this issue had probably been decided before the meeting.

We think the Board has also lied. Either that or they have been badly mis-informed by their Superintendent. We know of no law or State Education Code requiring that "supplementary instructional materials" (which this clearly was) must be vetted and adopted by any state agency. Most all California school boards have a written board policy regarding the introduction and use of supplementary instructional materials. We'll wager that these need not be State adopted. We find that Fountain Valley School District also has such a Board Policy No. 6161.11, We will be getting it and we plan to review it closely.

As noted, there seemed to be no Muslim protestors present. A 4-column article announcing the board meeting entitled "Activists Clash Over History Text" which appeared in the morning's Orange Country Register included comments by the local CAIR leader and Shabbir Mansuri, founding director of the Council on Islamic Education, so obviously Muslims knew about the meeting and could have turned out in large numbers.

It appears that the Fountain Valley School Board and Superintendent Marc Ecker indeed fit Newt Gingrich's description of "willing apologists for those who would destroy them if they could".

Meanwhile, The O.C. Register's version of last night's board meeting, which didn't seem to make it into this morning's edition, is now up on their web page. You can view it at

http://www.ocregister.com/news/textbook-259040-district-material.html

You can also send in comments. Their reporter obviously viewed the meeting a bit differently than I did.

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Jimmy Z adds:

Also, these links as well worth reading:

OC Register: Activists plan to protest textbook's portrayal of Islam
OC Register Blogs: Islamaphobes target Fountain Valley schools

Wow, some folks really are in the dark.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

• ON TEA PARTY IMPLOSION:

YES, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

On my Tuesday show, I read reports about Mark Williams (I DO think his letter crossed a line), the Tea Party Express and the Tea Party Federation, led by David Webb who was acting quite like a tea party 'leader' when he 'booted' Mark Williams and the TP Express from the 'Federation'. http://thejimmyzshow.blogspot.com/2010/07/jimmy-z-tuesday-show.html

I've seen the tape of David Webb, proudly telling Ben Jealous of the NAACP that he had booted Williams and the Tea Party Express. This is as wrong headed as the NAACP forcing Shirley Sherrod out BEFORE they looked into the entire video. David Webb is not THE leader of the Tea Party, but he sure enough seems to want to be seen in that light.

FACTIONS AND FOCUS

"Let them vent?" We have just a little over three months before the election. This is hardly the time to vent. Maybe these 'leaders' should be looking past their differences for a time, and show a smart camaraderie from now until election day. We need as much kinship and we can get right now. The opposition is about to unleash a heaping helping of attack ads, hate speech and dirty - real dirty! - campaigning, and we do not have time to vent and separate. We have to come together like never before.



What I said on my show months ago is more true than ever - the Tea Party is a term, not an organization. It combines many organizations. ResistNet isn't a 'member' of a Tea Party organization as much as it is a member of the Tea Party movement. Call it the Constitutional movement; call it the Back to our Foundation movement; call it the Freedom and Liberty movement ... or call it the Tea Party movement - but the NAME is not important. The GOALS are.

We ought not lose our focus. The media is going to do a lot more of this. They are going to celebrate the Tea Party as long as the Tea Party is eating its own. Watch Face the Nation, at the 13:30 minute mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QHaHiCU9Co David Webb is playing along with the major media. He didn't talk over any of this is private with the Tea Party Express. He didn't bring Mark Williams into his office or get him on the phone and have a long talk first.

DEMOCRATS, DISAGREEMENT & SOLIDARITY

Might they have come to an agreement for an apology and come together? Wouldn't that have been better? This was clearly a move to exhibit POWER on Mr. Webb's part.

Would democrats and liberals have done this to themselves? Of COURSE NOT!! They would have had a press conference and taken the time to show that they are still working together; that Mr. Williams will apologize for the letter, but that their goals and political agenda is more important than a fictional letter to President Lincoln which may have crossed the line of good taste.

Ben Jealous of the NAACP got exactly
what he wanted all along -
division
in the ranks
of the Tea Party movement -
something we cannot afford to give him.


I get so damn tired of conservatives cutting each other down and battling with each other at times like this. And I have to ask, because 'race' is a major part of this issue: Is it possible that one reason Mr. Webb felt it necessary to immediately and without further discussion boot Mr. Williams (and since The Express was not willing to immediately do so, Mr. Webb immediately booted the entire Tea Party Express) is because Mr. Webb is African American? I'm not questioning his conservatism. I am questioning his judgment here, just three months and one week before the mid term elections.

RACE RELATIONS, BAITING

Conservatives do not see race. That's part of what makes us great - we DO believe in Martin Luther King's dream of judging people by the content of their character - not the color of their skin. And by the way, the reason liberals judge people based on the color of their skin is because liberals lack character - that's the last thing they want to be judged on!

letter racist? letter outrageous? enough to boot him? is the letter truly racist?

I read the entire 'letter to Lincoln' on my show this week. I didn't like it; I think it was offensive. I also believe Mr. Williams showed poor judgment writing it even while the democrats had already begun their 'tea partiers are racist' campaign. The timing of Mr. Williams' satire could not have been worse.

Still, with all of that being said, the letter called for a meeting. Mr. Webb and Mr. Williams and perhaps others from the 'Federation' and the 'Express'. They should have come together with an understanding - and explained in detail what the letter to Lincoln was trying to illustrate.

THE DAMAGE DONE

Now, thanks to Mr. Webb - a Tea Party activist no less - the letter is forever an example of racism within the conservative movement. And Ben Jealous of the NAACP got exactly what he wanted all along - division in the ranks of the Tea Party movement - something we cannot afford to give him.

ON PARTIES, MOVEMENTS AND LEADERSHIP

On of the things that so many folks in the Tea Party movement do not understand is that, until the Tea Party has organized and agreed to a leader, many people will see their opportunity to become a leader. And that's not necessarily evil - it's pretty much natural for some to want to lead. I'll be honest, that's why I started the Jimmy Z Show on my own web site - I wanted to 'lead' myself, and not have to be a part of someone else's plan or leadership.

The Tea Party suffers now, a short time before the mid terms, because it had no leadership. The NAACP is a different animal altogether - a group with a mission and a leader in Ben Jealous, and so that's why Face The Nation needed a Tea Party 'leader' to discuss the issue with Jealous. They got David Webb, and to be honest, I don't remember hearing of him before.

The Tea Party Express has been arguably the best known Tea Party organization, for it's bus tours and rallies all around the country. To cut them down and boot them in a very public manner is inexcusable. [To be fair, it is relevant for you to know that I have criticized the Express for being a 'for profit' organization who has made a fair amount of money for its parent company over the course of time].

We have a lot of work to do, and at this point in time, we do not have time to 'let them vent' or 'throw wheat to the wind'. We have a country to save, damnit, and this battle between factions within our movement is doing nothing but delighting our political enemies.

I welcome your comments - here of course, or on my show page at http://thejimmyzshow.com, or at thejimmyzshow@gmail.com, or anytime, 24/7 at 714-90-JZJZ-1.