CAIR: Penn. High School Drops Anti-Islam 'Obsession' Video

Civil rights group calls film 'vehicle for promoting anti-Muslim bigotry'

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania chapter of
the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-PA) announced today that a
high school in that state has dropped an anti-Islam video listed for use in
one of its classes.

Earlier this month, CAIR-PA sent a letter to the superintendent of the Council
Rock School District expressing concerns about a hate-filled video,
"Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," listed in the syllabus of a
course at Council Rock High School in Newtown, Penn.

In her letter, CAIR-PA Director of Civil Rights Marwa El-Turky wrote in part:

"'Obsession' is a vehicle for promoting anti-Muslim bigotry that seeks to blur
the distinction between violent extremism and mainstream Islam. The use of
such an inaccurate and inflammatory film in a world history class would
inevitably result in both the promotion of stereotypes and the creation of a
hostile learning environment for Muslim students.

"The hate-filled agenda promoted by the film has been repudiated by the Hate
Hurts America Multifaith Community Coalition (HHA), a group of religious and
civic organizations seeking to challenge hate speech in our society... Those
interviewed in Obsession constitute a veritable who's who of Muslim-bashers.
SEE: http://www.obsessionwithhate.com/

". . .this film is obviously not suitable teaching material for a captive
audience of impressionable youth. We therefore respectfully ask that
'Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West' be dropped from the
curriculum and that representatives of the local Muslim community be invited
to offer balanced and accurate information about Islam and the American Muslim
experience."

In his response to CAIR-PA's concerns, Superintendent of Schools Mark J. Klein
noted that the course was eliminated from the curriculum for the 2008-2009
school year and that, "Along with the elimination of this course, we will
represent to you that this film will not be used in any other course in
Council Rock."

"We appreciate the school district's prompt and appropriate response and hope
that any future courses touching on Islam will use accurate and balanced
educational materials," said El-Turky.

She noted that a high school in Kentucky was recently involved in a
controversy over a similarly anti-Islam video shown in a classroom. The
producer of that video, an extremist Dutch politician, recently called for a
"head rags tax" on Muslim women who choose to wear Islamic scarves.

SEE: CAIR: Anti-Islam Video Shown at Kentucky High School
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLuACBWGKi0
SEE ALSO: Dutch Lawmaker Wants to Fine Women for Wearing Headscarves
http://tinyurl.com/headragstax

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization.
Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue,
protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that
promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR-PA Director of Civil Rights Marwa El-Turky, 215-592-0509,
E-mail: melturky@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim
Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR
Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787 or 202-341-4171, E-Mail:
arubin@cair.com

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations

Marwa El-Turky, CAIR-PA Director of Civil Rights, +1-215-592-0509,
melturky@cair.com; Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR National Communications Director,
+1-202-488-8787, +1-202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; or Amina Rubin, CAIR
Communications Coordinator, +1-202-488-8787, +1-202-341-4171, arubin@cair.com