Middle East studies in the News

Islamic Saudi Academy May Expand

by Alisa Harris
WORLD Magazine
June 15, 2009

http://online.worldmag.com/2009/06/15/islamic-saudi-academy-may-expand/

http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/7515

A controversial Saudi-funded school is trying to expand and drawing opposition, reports the New York Times. The Virginia-based Islamic Saudi Academy is trying to build a new classroom building to consolidate students from two campuses onto one campus in Fairfax, Virginia. Some residents are concerned about the noise and the traffic, but others call the school a "madrassa."

Get Religion points out some of the gaps in the NYT's reporting of the school's background. A year ago, WMB reported that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom collected 17 textbooks containing passages that justified intolerance, violence and murder. This was after it recommended the school close until the Saudis kept a promise to excise any passages promoting violence. The Academy said that the Commission's findings were based on "mistranslated and misinterpreted texts, and references to textbooks that are no longer in use at the Academy."

Note: Articles listed under "Middle East studies in the News" provide information on current developments concerning Middle East studies on North American campuses. These reports do not necessarily reflect the views of Campus Watch and do not necessarily correspond to Campus Watch's critique.

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