Muslim parents criticize Cobb schools for Hamas message

Several Muslim parents in the Cobb County School District denounced the district for sending out an electronic message last week about an “international threat” from the Hamas terrorist group in the Middle East that they said has led to fear and mistreatment in their own community.

Some addressed a work session of the Cobb Board of Education Thursday and said they and their children were subjected to Islamophobic treatment after the district sent out a message last Friday, as Hamas called for a global day of “anger” as its war with Israel continues.

The district message noted the threat, and said that “while there is no reason to believe this threat has anything to do with our schoools, parents can expect both law enforcement and school staff to take every step to keep your children safe.”

That incensed Nazia Khanzada, mother of a Cobb fifth-grader, who was among those who addressed the board.

“If it had nothing to do with our schools, I ask the question then, why was this message sent out?” she said. “It was not only irresponsible, since it wasn’t substantiated with any kind of specific evidence or threat to Cobb County, but it was also fear-mongering.

“I want the school board to know that this message mentioning Hamas has directly resulted in hate, harassment and bullying threats directed at Cobb’s Arabic and Muslim students and their families, including myself.”

Khanzada said Muslim parents were reluctant to send their children back to school as a result of “the rampant ignorance prevalent with Americans equating Hamas with Muslims, which is insulting and discriminatory.”

Saadia Memon, a Cobb resident, attorney and board member of the Georgia Chapter of the Council on Islamic-American Relations, said the reference to Hamas targets students for bullying and noted a six-year-old Palestinian Muslim boy in Chicago who was stabbed repeatedly to death by his family’s landlord.

“Schools should not be part of stoking these fears,” Memon said. “When schools exaggerate threats by Hamas or any other terrorist organization relating to the Middle East, they are participating in an environment of creating anti-Muslim sentiment, which puts Muslim and immigrant children in nature.

Parent Sana Salim said her son has been called a terrorist in the past. She said he asked her last Friday “is Hamas a new word for terrorist?”

She said she’s pleased with her son’s educators, but is “so disappointed” in the district “for making this statement and adding to Islamophobia.”

School board members did not respond to any of the commenters during the work session.

But at Thursday night’s voting meeting, Superintendent Chris Ragdale offered a brief reply to the comments.

He defended sending out the alert and said that Cobb was among many school districts “taking special steps to ensure the safety of students and staff” last Friday.

“The information we received required us to let the entire district and parents know we were taking the threats seriously.

“However, let me be very clear,” Ragsdale continued. “Bullying and hate of any type will not be tolerated in the Cobb County School District.”

He said that Hamas’ actions “should always be condemned” and issued “thoughts and prayers” to those who’ve been subjected to the violence, and especially to those families of American and Israeli hostages “who are being held by terrorists.”

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