Muslims make statement in support of students

Muslims make statement in support of students
By Dave Aeikens • daeikens@stcloudtimes.com • March 30, 2010

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Those at the rally say the school staff is not doing enough to keep Muslim students from being harassed and in some cases are contributing to it. The rally comes less than a week after a Minnesota Muslim civil rights group announced it has asked the U.S. Department of Education to investigate alleged incidents that they say create a hostile learning environment for Somali and Muslim students at Apollo and Technical high schools.
"The kids we are sending here have a hard time in school," said Nimo Mohamed, who was holding a sign on a boulevard near 44th Avenue North.
People at the rally chanted and held signs that said "Discrimination is intolerable" or "District 742 must integrate" among others. Almost all of the people at the rally were adults. One student was there. Most cars drove by and ignored the rally. A few people honked from their cars. One person stopped and dropped off a signed letter suggesting the Muslims be more appreciative of what they have in the United States.
St. Cloud police said there were no incidents. At one point during the day, two people stood about 100 yards from the rally holding an American flag and a sign, police said.
As some St. Cloud Muslims rallied outside Apollo, others said that while there are some things that need improvement in treatment of Muslims within St. Cloud schools, most of the staff are professionals and there are better ways than rallies to solve the issues.
"They have a right to demonstrate but they have to understand what they are demonstrating. They do not speak for all aspects of the Somali community," said Abdiraman Muhamed, a member of a Somali elder board. The Somali elder board met Sunday night and decided it does not support the rally, Abdiraman Muhamed said.
Semya Hakim, coordinator of family and staff of color caucus at St. Cloud State University, was among those at the rally.
"I am very concerned about the way Somali and other Muslims students are treated in St. Cloud schools," Hakim said.




School Superintendent Steve Jordahl said the district responds appropriately to every complaint and act of bullying against any student. He disputes that staff are not doing enough or are condoning harassment of Muslim students.
"I think that allegation would be false," Jordahl said.
He said in his almost two years in the district he has not received any complaint about a specific staff member nor has any staff member been disciplined for inappropriate behavior toward Muslim students.
The district worked to have a normal day in school Monday. Staff has been instructed to be more visible in the halls to keep an eye on any bullying that might occur.
Federal complaint
The district is investigating a series of claims from the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Jordahl said the district acknowledges one incident in which Muslim students were teased and harassed. Two boys who are white were suspended.
The district also acknowledged that some Somali students have been called "towel heads." He said students who used those terms were disciplined. The district has been unable so far to substantiate other allegations, including one that pork bacon was shoved in the face of Muslim girls.
The investigations are continuing, Jordahl said. He said some incidents either are old or did not happen in the way they are described in the letter CAIR sent to the federal government. CAIR on Monday would not provide to the St. Cloud Times the names of the people involved in the alleged incidents.
CAIR leaders met with school district officials Friday. On Monday, the group agreed to release a joint statement with the district to the community of St. Cloud saying that the two parties are working together to make schools safe, said Taneeza Islam, civil rights director for Minnesota CAIR.
Minnesota CAIR also plans to contact the U.S. Department of Education to explain how the civil rights group and the school district have worked together, Minnesota CAIR President Lori Saroya said



Rally for peace




The rally Monday in front of Apollo started about 8:30 a.m. and ended by 1 p.m.
Mohamoud Mohamed said some district staff and some administrators are allowing conflict and discrimination to continue in the schools. He mentioned specific incidents but would not or could not identify the people involved.
Mohamed said the school district's response that it has no record of these incidents and that it wants to work together with the Muslim community is not enough anymore.
"Who is mishandling things? Find it out, correct it and we will have peace," Mohamoud Mohamed said. He said students are afraid to go to school.
Not all in St. Cloud Somali community agree that having the rally was a good idea. Abdiraman Muhamed, a member of the Somali elder board, said Somali Muslims need to first sit down with the school district and explain what the problems are. He said most of the teachers in St. Cloud school district are professionals and serve the Muslim students well. He said most of the children are treated fairly but some have a problem.
"We have two or three (teachers) who are racists," Abdiraman Mohamed said. He has been working with the school district to address some of the issues in the schools.
Jordahl said St. Cloud district has youth summits, parent communications and community meetings to keep harmony in schools. He said administrators will talk more about the issue in a meeting today.
"We're doing more than most any place. We are doing some incredible things to be proactive," Jordahl said.
Technical High School administrators met with Muslim parents Monday morning to talk about some of the concerns involving students in that school. A similar meeting will be planned for Apollo, Jordahl said. Apollo High School Principal Charlie Eisenreich announced plans of several ongoing or new initiatives at the school that focus on student understanding and respect.
School board member Jerry Von Korff, who met with rally organizers this weekend, said the rally does not do anything to help solve some of the issues going on in the schools.
Von Korff said Mohamoud Mohamed is more interested in standing in front of a bunch of people than working to make things better.
"He has not articulated to me any vision that his main goal is to solve problems. There are a lot of Somalis in our community that are very interested in solving problems," Von Korff said.