Tel-Chai Nation

The principal of the controversial Khalil Gibran Arabic school who condoned some "intifada NYC" t-shirts has resigned (Hat tip: One Jerusalem):

NEW YORK — A New York City principal who came under fire for controversial comments about an "intifada" T-shirt that seemed to condone terrorism has resigned.

On Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg accepted the resignation of Debbie Almontaser, principal of the Khalil Gibran International Academy, an English-Arabic school set to open next month in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"I became convinced yesterday that this week's headlines were endangering the viability of Khalil Gibran International Academy, even though I apologized," Almontaser said in an e-mail to FOX News.

The principal had come under fire for comments she made to The New York Post about an "Intifada NYC" T-shirt that is sold by an activist group which shares an office with the Yemeni-American association that Almontaser represents.

The day before she condemned the T-shirt message's connection to Palestinian terrorism, Almontaser told the Post that "intifada" meant "shaking off" and the shirts represented women "shaking off" oppression.

Wrong. Intifada means something like uprising, and breaking the law. Almontaser's defense was taqqiya.

The comments infuriated the city's United Federation of Teachers president, Randi Weingarten, who called the message "war-mongering."

“That’s something that ought to be denounced, not be explained away,” she told the paper.

As far as the school is concerned, some good news may be that they haven't gotten the turnout they were hoping for. If not, good. Their flopping is well deserved.

Others on the subject include Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, Stop the Madrassa, Thought Cops.

Labels: jihad