It has been nearly a week since you appointed Mark Muhammad to fill Bill Bullen's seat on the Syracuse City School Board, following his sudden resignation. Mr. Muhammad's credentials - both academic and as a long-standing community activist - were glowingly recounted in your office's press release. Also acknowledged is the fact that Mr. Muhammad is a minister with the Nation of Islam.
In the days since the appointment was announced, many in the city have struggled to understand how it can be that a representative of the Nation of Islam - not just a representative, but a MINISTER charged with preaching its word and doctrine - could be appointed to the school board.
So we ask you... Why?
Are you unaware that the Nation of Islam is - at the end of the day - a group that preaches a radical separatist agenda? One that advocates for SEPARATE SCHOOLS for blacks and whites, boys and girls. One that advocates for black children to be taught by their own teachers - teachers who are left free to teach as they wish.
How is this appointment in the best interest of
ALL children in Syracuse?
ALL children in Syracuse?
Regardless of Mr. Muhammad's countless achievements as an academic, a mentor and a community activist, this is an inappropriate appointment in light of Mr. Muhammad's high rank within the Nation of Islam.
It is wrong in the same way that appointing a white supremacist or a Neo-Nazi or member of Westboro Baptist Church or an anti-Islamist would be wrong.
It is wrong because it is exclusive, not inclusive.
It is wrong because it is a tacit endorsement of the philosophies that Mr. Muhammad represents as a minister of the Nation of Islam.
It is just wrong.
We urge you reconsider your appointment. Mr. Muhammad has made - and will certainly continue to make - many, many, many valuable contributions to the city of Syracuse. But neither he, nor any person holding separatist beliefs, belong on the school board in a city with the rich diversity that Syracuse is blessed to have.
Sincerely,
The Writers and Editors of the "SCSD Take Back Our Schools" blog
The Writers and Editors of the "SCSD Take Back Our Schools" blog
Well said, and much-needed. Despite Mr. Mohammed's many contributions, his recent racist and vulgar verbal attacks on the SCSD teachers at a 2014 Board Meeting speak volumes, revealing Mr. Mohammed's core beliefs, despite how PC he may represent himself when speaking privately, or on the record. He is a pro at public speaking, remember, as a professor of communications, and therefore knows how to temper it down when it is in his best interests. There is simply a profound conflict of interest, here, and the only reasonable action would be for the Mayor to rethink this wildly inappropriate appointment. The SCSD is a district in crisis, and the last thing needed is the influence of a leader/minster of the Nation of Islam at the helm. Anyone who thinks otherwise need only Google the NOI and its core beliefs. Absolutely offensive, racist, and misogynist, along with startlingly divisive. Mr. Mohammed, like anyone, has a right to practice whatever faith he chooses. The difference is that Mr. Mohammed is a minister, representing the highly-controversial beliefs of NOI head, Lou Farrakhan, and has preached these long and loud, in public. The NOI core beliefs are undeniably offensive to mainstream America, and in this case, stand in stark and dangerous conflict with the mission of this (or ANY) public school system. Ideally, Mr. Mohammed would recognize the tremendous wave of concern and opposition to his appointment, and would voluntarily do the honorable thing, and step down. In the case that he chooses not to do so, it is imperative for the Mayor to immediately rescind this ill-conceived appointment. There is something terribly wrong when virtually everyone who has heard of this appointment is utterly horrified and offended. Read the dozens and dozens of reader comments under each of the Post Standard recent articles, along with Mr. Gardino's letter to the editor, and its many comments. We certainly can and MUST do better. It is a no-brainer. The students of this district deserve better than a spokesperson/minister representing a recognized HATE GROUP, which does not represent the beliefs of the traditional Islamic faith, but is in fact, a radical fringe group.
ReplyDeleteThe Southern Poverty Law Center, recognized for its stance against white supremacy groups, has issued numerous statements about The Nation of Islam, labeling it a hate group and publishing the core tenets of its belief system. See this statement from a commenter on the Jan. 6, 2015 Post Standard article announcing the mayor's appointment of Mr. Mohammed to the SCSD Board of Education:
ReplyDelete"Since its founding in 1930, the Nation of Islam (NOI) has grown into one of the wealthiest and best-known organizations in black America, offering numerous programs and events designed to uplift African Americans. Nonetheless, its bizarre theology of innate black superiority over whites — a belief system vehemently and consistently rejected by mainstream Muslims — and the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders, including top minister Louis Farrakhan, have earned the NOI a prominent position in the ranks of organized hate."
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/nation-of-islam
Another link to where the Nation of Islam stands in relation to EDUCATION (taken from its own website). Pay attention. This is not idle opinion. It is a direct quote from the NOI site.
ReplyDelete"We want equal education–but separate schools up to 16 for boys and 18 for girls on the condition that the girls be sent to women’s colleges and universities. We want all black children educated, taught and trained by their own teachers. Under such schooling system we believe we will make a better nation of people. The United States government should provide, free, all necessary text books and equipment, schools and college buildings. The Muslim teachers shall be left free to teach and train their people in the way of righteousness, decency and self respect."
http://www.noi.org/muslim-program/
I think that Mayor Miner's choice was very disrespectful to the Jewish community! I'm sure this choice will discourage Jewish families from moving into the SCSD. I hope it does not cause Jewish families to move out of the SCSD.
ReplyDeleteI think the city and school leaders have proven over and over again that they can and will do anything they want. If the residents of Syracuse who have children in the district or are afraid to walk the streets of Syracuse want change they will have to make their voice heard loud and clear every day.
ReplyDeleteAs we ask the question of the Mayor, might we not ask the same question of Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College? Mark Mohammed was hired by each knowing his association with the NOI. It seems that is our small fair city, affiliation matters not, and that Mohammed's affiliation with NOI is as laughable as Walt Dixi's affiliation with Rev. Al Sharpton. Both like to name drop, (saber rattle) to sound more important than they are. That being said, it's only a matter of time before Mohammed steps in it.
ReplyDeleteImagine (and recognize) the reaction if a conservative mayor appointed a card-carrying member of the KKK to the school board. Maybe then you'll start to grasp what is so fundamentally wrong about this.
ReplyDeleteConcerned PARENTS and CITIZENS need to make their voices heard, long and loud. SHARE, SHARE, SHARE this blog-page, pointing out the comments, to every other concerned parent and/or citizen, NOW. Bombard the mayor with letters, do the same with your Syracuse City Council members. Working together is powerful, and the students of this district DESERVE your fighting for THEM.
ReplyDeleteForget about the appointee's religious beliefs... for a minute. His “glowingly recounted” academic and community “credentials”, as stated in your January 12 “Open Letter to Mayor Miner” beg some scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteThe CV he has publicly posted about his being an "adjunct professor" (which is not considered an "official professorship" by anyone in education) and his being an "assistant professor of professional communication," both of which titles essentially allow him to teach and preach "community organizing," bolster his personally authored website CV on the college websites, which is filled with information that is, based on the references he makes, at best, "faked," let alone "grandiosely embellished." See www.ComadFX.com for details.
Does the Mayor of Syracuse REALLY believe she is serving the public with the hiring of an individual who hides the truth when he seeks a job?
Well... there is a relevance to his active involvement as a minister in his religion: all his personally written CV web statements related to his hard-to-substantiate “credentials” omit that fact.
It's reminiscent of another job applicant, the "stand-up philosopher," Comicus, in the hilariously non-PC 1981 classic educational film by Mel Brooks, "History of the World: Part I."
The scene shows Comicus at the local government unemployment office, asking the "Dole Office Clerk" for his unemployment compensation payment. Their dialog runs:
• Dole Office Clerk: "Occupation?"
• Comicus: "Stand-up philosopher."
• Dole Office Clerk: "What?"
• Comicus: "Stand-up philosopher. I coalesce the vapors of human experience into a viable and meaningful comprehension."
• Dole Office Clerk: "Oh, a bullshit artist!"
Throughout history, some things never change.
Where is the response from Mayor Minor, assuming she even read this letter addressed to her? It has been over one month since this was posted.
ReplyDelete