Inver Grove Heights school on defensive after death threats

John Croman
KARE 11 News

A charter school in Inver Grove Heights is taking extra security precautions and working with law enforcement agencies in the wake of death threats.

It all began with a series of newspaper columns accusing Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy of using taxpayer money to teach Islamic religion, something the school's director says is just plain false.

"We are fully aware of the obligations that come with that public money," the academy's director Asad Zaman told KARE 11 Wednesday, "And we take care to insure that we operate a non-sectarian program. None of the public money is spent on any religious activities. "

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Many of those who leveled complaints and threats appear to view the school as part of a larger conspiracy to establish the Muslim religion as the official worldwide religion.

"I can't even control my own parking lot," Zaman laughed, "Let alone the entire world!"

Zaman says he can only hope those who hate him because of some perceived threat will look at the world differently some day.

"All problems can be solved," he said, "We can solve this problem if only people would have reasonable, rational discussions instead of having hateful conversations."

He's heartened by letters of support, including a donation mailed in by a teacher in Hutchinson, Minnesota who wrote simply, "Please use this money to buy more books for your library."

As the children played at recess a police squad car could be seen slowly cruising through the parking lot nearby, part of stepped up patrols.

But, like most kids on a warm, sunny spring day in Minnesota, the youngsters were preoccupied with enjoying the outdoors.

Original article