A controversial private school in Virginia, funded by the Saudi government and emphasizing Islamic studies, is set to expand after contentious hearings over its land use application. As this weekend's NPR report indicates, opponents focused less on zoning concerns and more on the religious content of the curriculum. I was struck by a quote from one of the board members, Michael Frey, who voted yes.
'I don't believe anybody who wants local government to be reading texts and making decisions on schools based on what they teach is a conservative,' " Frey replied. "To me, that is one of the biggest intrusions you could possibly imagine."
The State Department agrees. Conservative Christian groups that have lobbied for the school to be closed say that because it's funded by the Saudi government, the State Department should intervene. But the State Department says ISA is a private school, not a foreign mission, and it has no role in accrediting or managing the school.
Frey points out that two Christian schools also filed applications to expand last year in Fairfax County and no one questioned their textbooks.
"How do I know this Christian school isn't teaching hatred against non-Christians?" Frey asks. "I didn't read their texts, but if you want me to start to base land-use decisions on that [it's a] terribly, terribly slippery slope."
