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Did someone say racism?
Jan. 22nd, 2008 11:11 pmIsrael's Education Ministry has decided that Arabic Language classes in Junior High are redundant, because the ultra-Orthodox find it, um, "unacceptable", or at least not as worthy as other subjects... because literature and science is oh so important in religiously fundamental circles, dontcha' know!
Apart from the decree being unbelievably racist! It really can't be all that legal seeing as Arabic, along with Hebrew, is written in the law as a national language, not that we're taught it from grade 1 to read, write and speak it (like Arab pupils have to learn Hebrew from grade 1), but it is/was compulsory to study it from grade 7 to 8 (which I didn't since 10 years ago you could pick between Arabic and French and I went all Euro-centric... I hate French btw), it's something, not much, but at least it isn't a complete and utter exclusion of the Arab minority in Israel, like the complete removal of it would cause - though one wonders if things could get any worse in that respect.
Of course there hasn't been complete silence on the matter, Education Minister Yuli Tamir will be looking into, perhaps, maybe reversing the decree and not appearing like a complete political push over and there is a petition to be signed (only those with an Israeli/Palestinian(?) ID or Passport) and it can be found here at Indimage, Education in Mixed Cities.
If you oppose institutionalized racism and are able to sign the petition I urge you to do so!
The Petition
Apart from the decree being unbelievably racist! It really can't be all that legal seeing as Arabic, along with Hebrew, is written in the law as a national language, not that we're taught it from grade 1 to read, write and speak it (like Arab pupils have to learn Hebrew from grade 1), but it is/was compulsory to study it from grade 7 to 8 (which I didn't since 10 years ago you could pick between Arabic and French and I went all Euro-centric... I hate French btw), it's something, not much, but at least it isn't a complete and utter exclusion of the Arab minority in Israel, like the complete removal of it would cause - though one wonders if things could get any worse in that respect.
Of course there hasn't been complete silence on the matter, Education Minister Yuli Tamir will be looking into, perhaps, maybe reversing the decree and not appearing like a complete political push over and there is a petition to be signed (only those with an Israeli/Palestinian(?) ID or Passport) and it can be found here at Indimage, Education in Mixed Cities.
If you oppose institutionalized racism and are able to sign the petition I urge you to do so!
The Petition
