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Wed 9 Apr 2008 16:11
by Kevin McGehee
73° and partly cloudy
in Coweta County, GA
[War]
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If Christians in America can’t have vouchers to send their kids to schools where Christian values are to be taught, then Muslims can’t have overtly religious schools actively and directly funded with tax dollars.
Recently, I wrote about Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (TIZA), a K-8 charter school in Inver Grove Heights. Charter schools are public schools and by law must not endorse or promote religion.
Evidence suggests, however, that TIZA is an Islamic school, funded by Minnesota taxpayers.
TIZA has many characteristics that suggest a religious school. It shares the headquarters building of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, whose mission is “establishing Islam in Minnesota.“ The building also houses a mosque. TIZA’s executive director, Asad Zaman, is a Muslim imam, or religious leader, and its sponsor is an organization called Islamic Relief.
Students pray daily, the cafeteria serves halal food—permissible under Islamic law—and “Islamic Studies” is offered at the end of the school day.
Zaman maintains that TIZA is not a religious school.» Wall of silence broken at Minnesota Muslim public school
I’d be okay with a school like this using vouchers if Christian, Jewish and other schools enjoyed the same access—but this, if true, is an outright violation of standing Establishment Clause jurisprudence.
Update, Friday: The state is investigating.
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