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E-mailSaudi Arabia to set up first Irish Muslim high school in Dublin
Published Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 8:03 AM
Updated Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 8:23 AM
Muslim high schools for Ireland: Saudi Web site announced plans in Arabic
IrishCentral.com Poll
The Saudi Arabian government has announced that it plans to open an Islamic school in Dublin.
The Saudi plans were revealed in Arabic on their Web site for the new Saudi embassy in Dublin. The Saudis hope to use the embassy to "further develop our political, trade and cultural relations with Ireland."
The decision was made at a meeting last month which was attended by members of the education committee Saudi Shura Council.
A report on the Web site said: "It was decided in the meeting to establish a Saudi school to teach the children of Saudi citizens and students residing in Ireland."
The Saudi ambassador, Abdulaziz Aldriss, said "Many Saudi students have found Ireland as a friendly destination to improve their English language skills and pursue their second and third-level education."
A spokesperson for The Department of Education said it was unaware of any Saudi plans to establish a Muslim school.
Saudi officials say the plans are at an early stage.
Ireland has a Muslim population of more than 40,000 people, but there are only about 400 Saudi students and 15 Saudi families in Ireland.
Speaking to the Irish Times, Ali Selim, a theologian based at the Islamic Centre in Clonskeagh, welcomed the news and said if the high school opened it would "achieve a long-cherished Muslim ambition" in Ireland.
There are already several Muslim primary schools in Ireland. If the Saudi plans are successful, it will be the first Muslim High School in Ireland.
The move was also welcomed by Irish Muslim convert Liam Egan and his family. Egan praised the Saudi's "strong commitment" to educating Muslims overseas and said that "an Islamic secondary (high school) is vital and should be a priority for the community."
However, overseas Saudi high schools have come under heavy criticism in recent times. Schools in London, Bonn and the US have come under fire for providing text books that could be interpreted as advocating violence against other religions.
The Islamic Saudi Academy in Virginia was forced to revise its curriculum after the US Commission on International Religious Freedom deemed their educational material as inflammatory.
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Posted by IrishAndProud on Mar 01, 2010, 03:22 PM ESTPlasticpaddy...wrong again and oh-so-eager to embrace things that DESTROY Ireland, all just to show how 'tolerant' and 'diverse' you are. That is nonsensical. Muslims have no business in Ireland, plasticpaddy...and you know that. Quit pretending otherwise.
Posted by innishowen on Dec 16, 2009, 10:03 PM EST
In Ireland you can say "I don't believe in christ or christianity" and you may or may not be frowned upon depending who hears...Try saying the same about Mohamed and Islam in arab country...see where that leads you.
Posted by innishowen on Dec 13, 2009, 08:03 PM EST
Heres a newy hot off the Islamic press/ure. (Pun intended.) Just watching aljazera news and women reporters are now going 'Ala Natural' as far as makeup is concerned...it's now "Illegal" Time to wisen up folks two big issues going on in this world that concern every country. Ones climate related the other culture related. We have grown soft in the west, to open from our flower children days of the late 60's ...we have from then till now had time to "give peace a chance" The ideal is wonderful...the reality seemingly unobtainable as long as we are to be slowly/quickly. Overtaken by the opression of non freedom that Islam preaches and demands! Our apathetic love of peace and not causing (politically incorrect) waves may be the ruin of us. George Bush is infamous for his "Pre-emtive strike" policy.Though I dare to say Islam had made it much earlier...we just haven't been aware of it till now. And God forbid I am not a Bush or his daddy lover.
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 13, 2009, 12:34 PM EST
I found that 8-minute video! It's an excellent presentation and highlights what we face as a western society >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a60A3mw2XgQ&feature=related <<<
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 13, 2009, 11:20 AM EST
I can’t find a ‘You-tube’ presentation that I saw showing the rapid spread of Islamic believers in the Western world, including the US and Canada. It includes reference to a remark by Libya’s Col. Ghaddafi saying that spreading of Islam by force was no longer necessary as the increasing occupation of all countries by Islamic believers was going so well that it wouldn’t be long before they formed the majority of the populations of these countries. The short film shows the rapid demographic growth of Islamic believers throughout the world. It is startling - on present indications, the populations of most western countries will be of Islamic majority within a generation unless something is done to stop it. A generation is 20-25 years. Is this what we want for our children’s future?
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 13, 2009, 11:10 AM EST
It is heart-warming to see level of objection to the proposed Islamic School in Dublin and I hope the people of Dublin and of Ireland everywhere will lodge objections with the Dublin City Council when it comes up for Planning Permission. The teaching of what Mohammed spewed out as a religion, and which this school would also teach if allowed, can be further examined in this interesting comparison between what Mohammed’s Sura and his followers’ Hadith say vs. the Bible can be seen here >>> http://www.thefreepressonline.co.uk/news/4/1457.htm <<<
Posted by sully1167 on Dec 12, 2009, 06:30 PM EST
Well said innishowen,I remember reading about those stories. I also want to add that I don't believe Ireland should be taking orders from other European countries either. That is why I was opposed to Ireland joining the European Union from the start. Not only Ireland, but other countries in Europe fought wars for independence;including two world wars.
Posted by innishowen on Dec 12, 2009, 06:09 AM EST
Thre was another one of these (many) hideous videos getting about recently..taken from some flabbergasted onlooker on their mobile phone whist in the middle east (somewhere) I saw it...and couldn't get it out of my head..still can't! So I know personally I dont need to watch anything worse. The one I speak of was of a young boy about 6 or 7 yo. who had apparently stolen something. They were kind to him (Imagine) instead of cutting his hand off, they held him down and drove a car over his arm! Think about it...this stuff is common place. Or try this one..a bunch of men rape a young girl..then say she seduced them!..They plead innocent,for "her punishment" she is burried up to her neck and stoned to death! This shite happens! Today! If christians still did this type of outdated evil stuff (and they have done as bad in times gone by) There would be the hugest(and rightly so)outcry. Would you/do you wan't an extremist religion that still practices inquisitional type torture...to come to and flourish in your country? I agree whole heartedly with some earlier comments too. After all the fightng for Irelands independence (albeit partial) Is it fair to all those countrymen who died doing so (or even to the Irish youths of today) To now say "come Islam..welcome!" "Bring your outdated, obtuse and violent religious beleif system to our shores!" Ireland is not some 40 shades of Utopia for sure...but it is by comparison to such archaic cruelty.I am now fifty years old and as previously stated, went through the rose coloured period of my life. I thought all we needed to think and pray and chant louder....don't be fooled people. This shool and anything of this nature in the west, requires an active and loud resounding NO!
Posted by IrishAndProud on Dec 12, 2009, 04:17 AM EST
Plasticpaddy, no one on this post that I've seen has called all Muslim nations 'extreme.' What's been said/noted is that A) Islam is completely incompatible with Ireland(which it is) and B) the Muslims who are in western nations are having far more children than the REAL Europeans they're among, and aggressively promoting their own foreign faith and culture. They are doing the OPPOSITE of assimilating. The fact that there are some relatively moderate Muslim nations (at least, at the government level) changes nothing about these facts. Islam is utterly incompatible with Irish identity and culture, and has no business or place anywhere on that entire island. Every Muslim who enters Ireland makes it that much less Irish. They are an unassimilatabel DANGER to Eire.
Posted by sully1167 on Dec 11, 2009, 04:58 PM EST
What about the bigotry of the Islamic Fascists Plasticpaddy? Do you acknowlege that it exists? They are just as extreme and racist as white hate groups,and even more fanatical. The countries you mention below (except Turkey),while their goverments may not be like Saudi Arabia, or Iran they still have a lot of extremists in their goverments. Bottom line is that "Arab Muslims cannot be trusted because they stick together." Just ask the Israelis. When the IRA set bombs off in London and other British cities I condemed the IRA, I didn't applaud and cheer just because I'm of Irish Catholic ancestry.The truth can be very painful.
Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 11, 2009, 01:30 PM EST
I would even say you use the broadbrush characterising all muclim nations and individuals as expansionist, not all are, only the more extreme, what about Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco, so as much as myself, you to are being overly general in your depiction of Islam.
Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 11, 2009, 01:28 PM EST
As for not understanding the irsh people, i dont need to I am one, no understanding needed.
Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 11, 2009, 01:27 PM EST
I wont stop calling what I deem racism or bigotry exactly that you can couch your beliefs in rhetoris if youj want 'culture' give me a break.
Posted by mandokeith on Dec 11, 2009, 09:57 AM EST
Plasticpaddy-you keep crying racisim, like it is your favorite mantra. Have you ever heard of CULTURE? These are two very divergent cultures and they are incongrous at best. There has been WAY ENOUGH evidence given on this blog of the dangers that Islam/ Muslem idealogies and their relative CULTURE would bring to Ireland. Stop playing the race card as a broadbrush for all your arguements it doesn't wash here. Obviously you do not understand the Irish people. No wonder you use the handle plastic........
Posted by kickstar on Dec 11, 2009, 07:18 AM EST
'Watereskhill' I agree with you, The only thing they want to advance is Islam, I wonder if people can't see how the Muslims are increasing even only in the UK and Ireland. One day they will make a move on us and take over, And the politicians who are selling us out now and filling their pockets with brown envelopes will be long gone.
Posted by Watereskhill on Dec 11, 2009, 02:02 AM EST
And Ireland thought it had a rough ride with Catholic monks and nuns. Just wait till the mullahs and minarettes hi-jack the round towers of yesteryear. This is a subtle ever so subtle long-term move to advance Islam. They don't give a fiddler's about improving their English language skills. They can afford to hire 'teachers' if that is the premise. There are other agendas.
Posted by IrishAndProud on Dec 10, 2009, 08:43 PM EST
Even the words in this article's title -- 'Irish Muslim' --just do not go together. 'Irish Muslim' is a contradiction; an oxymoron. Those two things are incompatible.
Posted by sully1167 on Dec 10, 2009, 07:12 PM EST
Plasticpaddy, you need to wake up. "Leading by example" you need to "Learn by Example". Learn from history,an invasion is not always a military invasion. Move to a Muslim country and see if they welcome you with open arms there. Maybe Turkey is an exception,face it Islam is not tolerant of other faiths & cultures. Read the Koran,the Koran tells Muslims to stick together against other religions even when Muslims are wrong. Woman are treated like dogs,homosexuals are hanged in the streets.Is that tolerance and diversity? Kudos to you IrishAndProud,well said. The evidence is staring Ireland right in the face. Irish politicians sold out Ireland years ago, the day they joined the EU. jmacroibin well said also,Ireland wins independance after fighting the Brits for centuries;then the country is being given away again. Wake up Ireland! before it is too late!
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 10, 2009, 06:50 PM EST
I lived in Saudi Arabia (SA) for a number of years - pls go straight to my first postings below from the bottom up to get this, if you want to) (... Cont’d) So where does this little personal story, of that Saudi Arabian man, a Saudi nonbeliever, who related this history to me in Riyadh, lead me to in relation to an Islamic School in Dublin? The man said he showed public belief in Islam, though he didn’t believe in it because of the falseness it portrayed as a Religion of Love while forcing it on people by means of the power of its terror. You can see why, as an example of extremist Islamic schooling, in the website I’m posting in a few words from here. It is a graphic video of a beheading by a 12-yr old Islamic-tutored schoolboy; I have watched it - so please DO NOT VIEW IT if you’re not up to it. This is what awaits those who will not bend to Islam’s rules and teachings – anywhere in the world, even amongst themselves. >>>
http://barenakedislam.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/12-year-old-taliban-boys-first-beheading-warning-extremely-graphic-images/ <<<
The story of the nonbeliever in Islamic SA. The images of a 12-yr old butchering a felow human, that terror-tutored child of the Islamic faith. >>> Forgive me; I cannot support the building of an Islamic school in my city of Dublin, or in my country, or in my and your world. Islam is a false religion, as the SA man’s family-tribe traditionally yet secretly believes and should be recognised and believed internationally by all for being so.
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 10, 2009, 06:46 PM EST
(cont’d) According to this SA man’s family-tribe’s story, the Christians had passed through his tribe’s village speaking of Christ and his Word in Arabia. Mohammed had seen how successful it was in the villages, this man told me and so Mohammed went and decided to found his own religion in the sparsely populated Arabian deserts based on the Christians' message, he said (recalling his way of telling the story still amazes me). In the 6thC AD, the names of prophets Abraham & Moses were much alive in the stories of the peoples of Arabia (pron: Ar-rah-bee-ah, not Ar-ay-bee-ah). Christ’s message was also then spreading through other villages and travel camel camps. The young Mohammed (he was clever, said the SA man) just took all three names into his new ‘religion’, and declared himself as the new prophet... His famous ability for rhetoric and stories of his ‘visions of angels’ borrowed from the Christians'stories, as stories in Christian Tradition and the Bible go about St. Joseph and the flight to Egypt etc., built up his power amongst simple know-nothing-better desert villagers, out of which members he formed a small army to force people to believe in him, killing simple people in simple Arabian villages who would not – including this SA man’s village, as he related (obviously his family history hasn't been forgotten). So began the terror and building up of Islam and spreading it on fast Arabian steeds across North Africa, across what is now the Middle East, as far east as some islands of the Philippines and even as far west as Spain where Arabic artistic influence is much evident today. (more...)
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 10, 2009, 06:34 PM EST
(cont’d) Having lived in SA for several years, I know quite a bit about its customs and religion. It may surprise many but just as there are Irish (and other countries’) people who don’t believe in Christianity, there are Saudi people who don’t believe in Islam. Through business and subsequent socialising, I met a few of them and I was bewildered and stunned to hear this in SA’s own land. One man quietly told me over a cuppa Saudi tea and biscuits that he came from a family-tribe line of native Saudis, stretching back longer than Mohammed's years that didn’t believe in Islam - but which didn’t show it in public, going about their lives to the norms of SA’s practice of Islam, although they didn’t believe in it. I asked him how that non-belief was possible for him and friends or family in SA. He replied that his family-tribe’s line have handed down the story of the birth of Islam - how Christians were spreading the Word through tiny villages in a virtually sparsely populated Arabia in the 6th Century AD (Mohammed’s time, just 200 years after St. Patrick’s time in Ireland) and had passed through Mohammed’s village and his family’s village as well. (Don’t forget that St. Thomas, the Doubting Apostle, was in what’s now Yemen for some time before going to India). (more...)
Posted by jacersisityourself on Dec 10, 2009, 06:30 PM EST
I lived in Saudi Arabia (SA) for a number of years (you’ll have to read these following postings from the bottom up, if you want to). My job sent me to SA and to its neighbouring country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but most of my years back then was spent in SA. It is true that SA does not tolerate any religion inside its borders except Islam although it does allow Western and other ex-patriate schools in its major cities, so long as any religion other than Islam is not taught in them. The UAE does allow Christians to have schools and even to worship; I attended RC Mass and received Holy Communion in a proper, formal RC church in Abu Dhabi. SA has formal political and business ties with the Republic of Ireland; it was Irish farmers who set up SA’s main dairy farms with imported Irish cows, supplying milk and cheese to the supermarkets. However, it was a member of the rich Makhtoum family (rulers) of the Emirate of Dubai who funded the building of Dublin’s first formal mosque; I’ve never seen it but I hear it is an architectural gem (designed by a Dublin firm of Architects under tutelage of Arab architects). Dublin’s first ‘proper’ mosque was actually in a vacated Protestant church beside the National Boxing Stadium. The Makhtoum family also have huge vested interests in horse-breeding and racing in Ireland (all thoroughbred racing horses in Ireland are said to be descended from four Arabian horses imported in the early 1800’s). There was no major outcry about the building of this grand Makhtoum mosque in the Dublin suburb of Clonskeagh, or its attached primary school at the time but now we have an outcry about a proposed Islamic school, to be funded by SA (more...)
Posted by IrishAndProud on Dec 10, 2009, 04:20 PM EST
(continued) Plus, an important point...Ireland has been Christian since the days of St. Patrick; it's as much an integral part of Irish identity as there is, even if it's much more token, nowadays (which only supports my point that Christianity is shrinking). I cannot believe you would bring up the long-past, dead horse of Xtian expansionism in response to this very current, REAL, and growing Islamist threat, TODAY. I honestly do respect you, plasticpaddy...but if you truly do not see the difference between the two, then I can only call it blindness...and that blindness is a mortal DANGER to Eire, and to the entire Western World -- again, look what's happened in England and France, and much of the rest of Europe. If nothing is done about their massive Muslim influx, indigenous Europeans will become minorities in their own countries, before this century is even done. The current demographics trends (and European birth rates) support this, completely (were you aware that the most common baby boy's name in ENGLAND was -- brace yourself -- MOHAMMED???). And now, unassimilated Muslims have crept into Ireland, as well -- who openly, verbally have no intention of assimilating, but rather of conforming Ireland to THEM -- and the Irish government (as usual stumbling over itself to show how 'tolerant' it is) is already pandering to them, helping them set up yet another beachhead and making the exact same mistakes their compatriots in Britain and the continent have made. They never realise the damage, until it's too late. How plain can it be? Islam is incompatible with Ireland...and yet, sure enough, here it is INVADING Ireland, with the very help and complicity of those it actively seeks to conquer.
Posted by IrishAndProud on Dec 10, 2009, 04:15 PM EST
plasticpaddy, Christianity is not currently going around the world, invading other nations with teeming MILLIONS of unassimilated immigrants who demand to keep their own culture, language, worship houses and religious Sharia law. Christians are not going around sawing people's heads off with knives, stoning women to death, attacking blacks in Darfur just because they're not Arabs, actively recruiting and using suicide bombers worldwide to kill non-believers, unapologetically (9/11, Bali, Afghanistan, Madrid, London bombings, attempted Glasgow bombing, etc) and threatening (and indeed waging) jihad and DEATH against any and all who dare not believe their faith. Islam IS doing all of that, as we speak. It is the fastest-growing and most aggressive religion on earth. Christianity is shrinking and DYING (if not dead) -- just about everywhere, save for a few hotspots -- and Islam is EXPANDING, rapidly, everywhere. (continued, above)...
Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 10, 2009, 03:12 PM EST
What about? I meant
Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 10, 2009, 03:12 PM EST
Ehat about the expansionist nature of Christianity?
Posted by IrishAndProud on Dec 10, 2009, 02:13 PM EST
plasticpaddy -- and please correct me if this isn't so -- you seem to be equating a desire to save Ireland's existence with racism. And if so, that is unfortunate. I repeat, Islam is completely incompatible with Irish identity and culture, and has no business or place whatsoever in Ireland. There are few issues as clean-cut as this one.
Posted by irishathens on Dec 10, 2009, 10:06 AM EST
I have read all 29 comments and partially agree with all of you. I an neither rascist or xenophobic. I do however have reservations. The main problem being that unfortunately when you accept a school..they then DEMAND a Mosque, (and constructed not just anywhere, here in Greece they were offered a site in an industrial zone north of Athens. They refused the site and wanted either centre town or on the road to the airport, dominant positions. The Greek government refused. Then they want a minaret, then they install a blaster of a sono system and a barrage of microphones (It took the citizens of Birmingham UK nearly 6 months in the Law Courts to stop being woken at dawn every morning). Then Mullahs then want to instigate Sharia Law in family matters (U.K and France) etc etc. It's sad to say that if you give an inch they WILL take a yard. We do have to be responsible for the sake of our future generations. These people chose to come to our countries and should therefore accept our culture as we would be obliged to accept theirs if we chose to live in a Muslim country. For me it's easy..you don't want to integrate then go elsewhere. We were foreigners in our own land long enough and will not allow this to happen again.
Posted by plasticpaddy on Dec 10, 2009, 09:51 AM EST
Racism is a terrible thing, just as bad to support it. Whatever happened to our national anthem 'shall shelter the despot or the slave'?
Posted by mandokeith on Dec 09, 2009, 11:44 PM EST
Well said IrishAndProud! You, Inishowen, Niall, and 2BorNot2B clearly understand the issue and the problem. I resound with your sentements and weep for Ireland.
Go raibh maith agat!
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