Loudoun County School Board Public Hearings Used by Islamophobes to Spread Hate

By Ramy Osman, VA-M4L
February, 2013

There is currently a charter school application under review by the Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) Board. The applicants are mainly American-Turkish Muslim educators who want to open a Math & IT Academy in Loudoun county Virginia. This would be a secular school, known as a STEM school (where STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), with no religious curriculum of any kind.

From day one when LMITA submitted their charter application last August, there has been a group of people who have been very vocal in their opposition to the applicants and to the school. They mainly oppose the applicants because the applicants are Muslim. And they express their bigotry in no uncertain terms. These opponents present themselves as representing Loudoun residents. And they get away with their anti-Muslim remarks because Muslims in Loudoun county haven’t shown up to the public meetings to oppose them.

Now it might be the case that the charter application is deficient. There has been a number of issues raised by the Loudoun School board that the charter applicants have needed to improve upon. But that is no reason to use the public hearings as a religious smear campaign.

The most recent public school board meeting was Tuesday February 19^th where 23 members of the public were scheduled to make a statement to the board. Out of the 23, 20 of them opposed the LMITA applicants, mostly based on religious grounds. Only 3 people made statements that either supported the school or opposed the bigotry. The only Muslim to make a statement was Ahmed Patel. The other 2 supporters were John Stevens and John Grigsby.

You can watch the full hour-and-a-half smear campaign at the LCPS video feed here: http://lcps.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=23&clip_id=1726   (Ahmed Patel speaks at 0:10, John Stevens speaks at 1:05  and is then immediately followed by John Grigsby at 1:09).

[EXPAND Click here to watch a clip showing Mr. Stevens and Mr. Grigsby:]
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[EXPAND Click here to watch the bigotry of Frank Gaffney and James Lafferty:]

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CALL TO ACTION:

Next Tuesday the 26^th is the FINAL LCPS Board hearing where they will approve or reject the charter application. We need a few good sisters and brothers who will demonstrate the good manners and objectivity of the Muslim community (It’s important to note that the LCPS Board has always demonstrated the utmost professionalism and objectivity when dealing with the LMITA applicants and application). If you want to do something in order to support LMITA and oppose the bigots, then here’s what you can do:

1. Send this article to friends and family, or post on facebook and email groups.

2. Attend the LCPS Board hearing next Tuesday, February 26^th at 6:30 PM (Address: 21000 Education Court, Broadlands, VA 20148). You can sit in attendance as a supporter, or you can make a statement. I  will be making a statement iA.
If you would like to make a statement then please contact me for details at: rosman@muslims4liberty.org .

3. Call or email your school board representative, and the school board Chairman (see their contact info below).  Leave them a polite message. Should ethnicity and religion matter?  Do you think this school is a good idea?  Tell them!
Do this no later than Monday Feb 25^th.

4. Visit the LMITA website and see their project:   http://www.lmitacademy.org

         Visit the Islamophobes website and see those who oppose LMITA:    http://guleninloudoun.weebly.com and also http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/category/shariah/muslim-brotherhood-in-america/ 

Taken from Loudoun School Board webpage: