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August 27, 2009
Florida Students Sent Home After Wearing 'Islam Is of the Devil' Shirts
Aug. 25: A Gainesville, Fla., high school student displays a T-shirt proclaiming "Islam is of the Devil," as her father looks on.
Florida Students Sent Home After Wearing 'Islam Is of the Devil' Shirts
A handful of students were sent home from Florida schools this week after showing up in shirts proclaiming that "Islam is of the Devil," part of a fiery church campaign to "expose" Islam as a religion of violence.
Three high schoolers were forced to leave Tuesday for wearing the shirts made by the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., where school officials say violated the district's dress codes.
A middle schooler was also asked to change clothes because of the shirt, which got a 10-year-old fifth grader sent packing on Monday, when the incidents began.
"Students have a right of free speech, and we have allowed students to come to school wearing clothes with messages," school district staff attorney told the Gainesville Sun.
"But this message is a divisive message that is likely to offend students. Principals, I feel reasonably, have deemed that a violation of the dress code."
Wittmer told the paper that the school district is obligated to protect all students from religious discrimination regardless of their faith, and had to ensure equal treatment for all students.
"The next kid might show up with a shirt saying 'Christianity is of the Devil,'" Wittmer said.
The Dove center has come under fire already for posting a sign with the same message, which it says will help "expose" Islam as "a violent and oppressive religion" that is trying to deceive and destroy society.
"It is time that all Christians unite, stop being passive and selfish and stand up and fight for the truth," says a posting on the church's Web site.
Muslim advocates have pressed the church to remove the sign and say the anti-Islam message should not be accepted when "schools are supposed to be teaching tolerance for others," the Gainesville Sun reported.
"It's pretty offensive, isn't it?" said Saeed R. Khan, president of the Muslim Association of North Central Florida.
"Particularly in a school setting where you are trying to create an atmosphere where people are supposed to respect each other and live with each other, where we have people of every ethnicity and every religion," he told the paper.
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Wild Thing's comment........
“It's pretty offensive, isn't it?” said Saeed R. Khan, president of the Muslim Association of North Central Florida.”
NO, not offensicve like Islam is offensive. offensive as Muslims killing and burning the homes of Christians as they do in Muslim countries Saeed. Considering what Muslims are doing all over the world, it isn't offensive it is simply factual.
I like the nice big red lettering.
....Thank you Richard for sending this to me.
Posted by Wild Thing at August 27, 2009 05:46 AM
Comments
That's something coming out of the mouth of a Muslim: respect, tolerance, living with each other. It's too bad they don't believe it.
Posted by: BobF at August 27, 2009 07:11 AM
Where can I get the T Shirt??
Posted by: Eddy Burke at August 27, 2009 07:13 AM
While I probably would not allow a grade schooler to wear the shirt to school, if they wanted to have the shirt for weekend wear, I wouldn't mind it. I wonder if a muslim kid wore an "anti Jesus" t shirt if they would get sent home to change? If you do it for one, you have to do for all. Schools praise themselves on the "zero tolerance" but yet, they allow girls to wear the muslim headpiece and the christian kids are forced to live with it but they can't wear their patron saint medal (catholic) or cross necklaces.
Posted by: Lynn at August 27, 2009 08:18 AM
Anyobdy remember the hippies and the peace sign shirts when we were kids? But back then, dress codes at schools were the norm. In Will James Junior High in Billings, MT, we were not allowed to wear jeans to school. And the girls could not wear pants except on designated days. Mind you this was 1967. In rural agricultrual communities jeans were the norm as kids did work on the farm or ranch before and after school. Oh, and no long hair on the guys. Period.
Posted by: Glenn Cassel AMH1(AW) USN RET at August 27, 2009 08:56 AM
muslim Association of North Central Florida? How many different muslim groups are there in America? There seems to be one for every muslim. Why don't they just assimilate into our culture or go to a muslim dominate country like Syria or Tunisia.
Posted by: TomR at August 27, 2009 11:41 AM
No free speech for thee. Just hate crimes.
Posted by: Mark at August 27, 2009 07:40 PM
