Story Archive

Learned

Northeast Middle School in Bristol, Conn., planned to have an Islamic woman speak at the school about the misconceptions of her religion. When word got out, school officials were “hit with a vitriolic social media campaign” which spawned threatening calls and emails from residents who claimed the discussion would “snub” Christianity. District Superintendent Susan Moreau canceled the presentation, as well as an appearance by a local rabbi. Fatma Antar, who teaches economics at a community college and is a board member of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, condemned the decision. “The people who placed the threats are kind of winning,” she said. “What are we teaching the kids?” (RC/Hartford Courant) ...Xenophobia, racism, and religious intolerance — a long tradition in America.