UAC ISA Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
County Board of Supervisors Unanimously Reverses Support for Islamic Saudi Academy, Responds to Interfaith Coalition and Public Outcry, Demands Full US State Department Investigation.

The United America Committee
June 24, 2008
Fairfax, VA

The efforts of United American Committee (UAC), as a part of an interfaith coalition of grassroots organizations, have resulted in the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (BoS) calling for a full U.S. State Department investigation of the Islamic Saudi Academy. The UAC’s Virginia and New York chapters have worked with the Traditional Values Coalition, ACT! For America’s Virginia and Maryland Chapters, Center for Security Policy, and Stop the Madrassa to demand transparency, due diligence, and accountability from local and Federal government. This coalition has made a difference.

On June 23, 2008, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, responding to public outcry, unanimously reversed its support of the Islamic Saudi Academy, and called for the U.S. State Department to investigate the school. Though the UAC applauds the BoS’s decision to demand such an investigation, the UAC disagrees with the BoS’s claims of ignorance regarding the ISA. Given the preponderance of available government reports, and the testimony presented to the BoS during a May 19, 2008 hearing on the ISA, the BoS only remained unaware of relevant information due to its own preference. The UAC questions how the BoS on May 19th, proclaimed their investigation of the ISA sufficiently resourced and conclusive, yet now claims the County lacks the capability to conduct an adequate investigation.

The UAC regrets that it took the arrest of the ISA Director General, another government report, and a protest to convince the BoS to finally take action and heed the warnings of the USCIRF reports that BoS Chairman Gerry Connolly called TVC member Jim Lafferty slanderous for citing.

The UAC also disagrees with the BoS assertions of impotency, as, on May 19th, it fully had within its power to delay the approval of the ISA lease until completion of a US State Department investigation. Instead it issued the ISA, and its now arrested Director General, an apology. The BoS has now called upon the US State Department to conduct the same investigation UAC and coalition partners requested on May 19th.

The UAC believes the BoS can do even more, and believes the ISA has abused the goodwill of its hosts. The BoS must stop passing the buck and finally hold the ISA accountable for its repeated lies and running a curriculum of religiously sanctified murder for almost 20 years. Accordingly, the UAC calls for the closure of the ISA and competitive bidding for use of the County property it leases.

Join the United American Committee, Traditional Values Coalition, ACT! For America, Center for Security Policy, Stop the Madrassa, and a growing group of concerned citizens, in demanding transparency, due diligence, and accountability from our government. Visit saudiwatch.wordpress.com on how to help.

For more information contact:
John Cosgrove
Virginia Chapter Director
United American Committee
571-213-4496
virginia@unitedamericancommittee.org