We’re constantly told to celebrate Houston’s diversity – Houston Not So Independent School District has a website section dedicated to their Supplier Diversity Program and a password-protected tool to manage compliance with diversity goals. The University of Texas Medical School at Houston supports diversity—the University of Houston sponsors a Diversity Institute event.
Aren’t we told how fortunate we are to live in counties where diversity reigns and make us a “leading example of successful diversity in the community and in the workplace” ?
So why would a few Houstonians object to OTHER Houstonians exercising some of that diversity?
Because these other Houstonians exercised diversity of thought—diversity of speech—diversity of opinion—
CW39 described them as “throwing a hissy-fit” and the CW39 reporter sounded skeptical of a claim that Houston Not So Independent School District received “suspicious” donations.
Perhaps the good folks over at CW39 haven’t paid their Internet bill in a while.
From the Daily Caller– Tucson Schools to take $465,000 from Arab charity with Muslim Brotherhood ties:
Last week, the governing board of the Tucson Unified School District asked the school board to accept a $465,000 curriculum grant from the Qatar Foundation International, a global philanthropic organization with strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, the parent organization of the terrorist group Hamas.
The grant money is intended to implement “innovative curricula and teaching materials to be used in any Arabic language classroom,” reports the Arizona Daily Independent.
Two Tucson schools, Safford K-8 Magnet School and Cholla High Magnet School, will be the recipients of the infusion of the terror-infested cash, according to Tucson News Now.
About 100 students at Cholla High Magnet School are learning Arabic. At Safford K-8 Magnet School, 125 students are learning the language.
Last year’s grant for Arabic language from the Qatar Foundation was $55,000.
A handful of similar programs funded by the Qatar charity exist in other American cities. In 2012, for example, the nonprofit provided $250,000 for a three-year pilot project for Arabic language at P.S. 368 in Harlem, reports DNAinfo New York.
The Qatar Foundation International is the U.S.-based branch of the Qatar Foundation, a generous global philanthropic organization founded in 1995 by Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani.
Al Thani is also an influential architect of Middle East media mammoth Al Jazeera.
In 2012, the Qatar Foundation launched the Research Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics in Qatar. The Center’s director is Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Sunni Muslim and the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.
What did AIMS Principal Kate Adams have to say?
“One of the things we’re very proud of, is how diverse our school is” said AIMS Principal Adams to CW39.
“We represent the diversity of Houston” said Principal Adams to the Houston Chronicle
M’kay –no you don’t Ms. Adams.
Here’s why.
You don’t represent diversity of thought, speech and opinion—in fact you ran away from it.
You see I attended that May 14th 2015 HISD Board meeting.
Houston Not So Independent School Districts Board Services sent out an email which read:
DUE TO THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS REGISTERED FOR THE HEARING OF CITIZENS ON MAY 14, 2015,
EACH SPEAKER’S TIME WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE MINUTE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD
I sat in the back of the meeting room while “those protesters” expressed a differing viewpoint about the opening of the AIMS in front of the HNSISD Trustees.
Once “those protesters” started to speak I watched you walk out of that Board meeting room as fast as you could.
What were you afraid of?—that the attached Memorandum of Understanding between the Qatar Foundation International and Houston Not So Independent School District would be publicized?
That details disclosing the purpose of the MOU with the AIM School are not limited to teaching Arabic and developing curriculum?
How much grant money did Houston Not So Independent School District accept from QFI?
Doesn’t the Strategic Vision of the HISD-AIMS MOU with Qatar Foundation International include “exposing students to a diversity of OPINIONS”?
Meh.
*An earlier version of this story contained the incorrect spelling of the principals’ last name. I apologize for my error.