Former university preparatory school in Virginia, U.S.
38°43′53″N
77°06′07″W
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38.73146°N 77.101954°W
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38.73146; -77.101954
Islamic Saudi Academy
?????????? ????????? ????????
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b3/Former_Mount_Vernon_HS_building.jpg/325px-Former_Mount_Vernon_HS_building.jpg) |
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![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,13,a,a,270x200.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=Islamic_Saudi_Academy&revid=1226982062&groups=_0f7f59a6477bfe368c3311e70afb207d0f9ec10e) |
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Funding type
| Private
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Founded
| 1984
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Closed
| 2016
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Principal
| Abdulrahman Alghofaili
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Grades
| Pre-K
?12
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Language
| English
and
Arabic
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Campus
| Suburban
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Website
| www.saudiacademy.net
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The Islamic Saudi Academy of Washington
(
Arabic
:
?????????? ????????? ????????
) was an
International Baccalaureate
(IB) World
university preparatory school
in
Northern Virginia
, accredited with the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
and authorized by IB in December 2008.
[1]
It had classes from
pre-kindergarten
to
twelfth grade
, and had a final enrollment of more than 1,200 students.
[2]
The academy was funded by the
Embassy of Saudi Arabia
in
Washington, D.C.
[3]
In 2011, ISA graduated its first international baccalaureate class. Four students received their full IB diploma and one of them was able to earn bilingual diploma. As of 2007, approximately 30% of the roughly 1,000 students were Saudi Arabian citizens.
[4]
The school closed in 2016, replaced by the new
King Abdullah Academy
later that year.
[5]
Overview
[
edit
]
The school was founded in 1984 by the
Government of Saudi Arabia
. Located in
Fairfax County, Virginia
, the school offered instruction from pre-kindergarten through twelve. The school was
bilingual
, with mandatory classes in
English
and
Arabic
. However, they also offered other languages such as
Spanish
.
![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,10,38.8321,-77.1968,475x300.png?lang=en)
8km
5miles
West
East
History
[
edit
]
The school was founded in August 1984 by a decree of
King Fahd
and originally served grades K?6.
[6]
The Saudi government purchased the 34-acre campus of the former Fairfax Christian School in Fairfax from owner
Robert L. Thoburn
for $3 million as a site for the school.
[6]
The school proved so popular that by 1986 the school rented the former Dunn Loring Elementary School, which had closed in 1978, to provide space for its burgeoning student body.
[7]
Following the leasing of the Dunn Loring site, the school expanded its education program to include grades 7?12.
[8]
When the lease on the Dunn Loring site expired, the school leased the former
Mount Vernon High School
in
Mount Vernon, Virginia
, near
Alexandria
,
[9]
[10]
spending $5 million to renovate the nearly 50-year-old building.
[11]
[12]
The academy moved into the Alexandria site in 1989.
[13]
For much of its history it maintained two campuses: the main campus near Alexandria and the West Campus in
Fairfax Station
, near
Fairfax
.
[14]
[15]
In December 2015 there were plans for the school to move to a new campus near
Herndon
.
[16]
The original ISA closed in June 2016,
[17]
and the new
King Abdullah Academy
near Herndon opened in Fall 2016.
[5]
Programs and activities
[
edit
]
The school's curriculum included Islamic studies, Islam for beginners,
Arabic language
, Arabic ASL, Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, Computers, Art, English, Social Studies, and Physical Education. The school also had an
Advanced Placement Program
and an
English as a second language
program.
[2]
The school also had the IB program and offered IB English A1 + B, IB Arabic A1+B, IB Biology HL, IB Math HL + SL, IB Art, IB History HL+SL, and IB Psychology, so its students can graduate with an IB diploma.
The ISA is a member of the Northern Virginia Independent Athletic Conference (NVIAC), and participates in the
basketball
and
soccer
leagues
, fielding both boys' and girls'
varsity teams
. The school has 3 football fields.
[18]
The school was a supporter of the
Mount Vernon Youth Athletic Association
, an all-volunteer community program that uses athletics to teach discipline and good citizenship to area youths. They also had a Teen center for students to improve at sports.
The school participated in various educational and leadership-oriented extracurricular activities. There was an annual
science fair
and a
Shakespearian
drama program. Students were active participants in the
Model United Nations
program, the
Presidential Classroom
program, and various other programs.
[2]
Controversy
[
edit
]
ISA has been accused of promoting religious intolerance.
On February 23, 2005, the day after
Ahmed Omar Abu Ali
was indicted on terrorism charges,
New York
Senator
Charles Schumer
issued a press release questioning whether the ISA was "another
madrassa
" (i.e. a school teaching radical Islamic theology.
Madrassa
is the Arabic word for school, but in English the term usually refers more narrowly to Islamic institutions of learning.) Senator Schumer sent letters to Saudi Prince
Bandar bin Sultan
and
U.S. Attorney General
Alberto Gonzales
.
[19]
In October 2007, the
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
urged the
US State Department
to shut down ISA on the grounds it teaches
religious intolerance
.
[4]
The Commission accused the ISA of promoting religious intolerance that could prove a danger to the United States. In response ISA officials stated that they had removed offensive passages from the books the previous summer, but did not explain why the Saudi embassy officials had refused to personally make the books available to the Commission.
[20]
Officials of ISA criticized the USCIRF, saying that the panel unfairly damaged the school's reputation, and invited the commission members to review the books; an offer which was refused.
[4]
According to the Commission chair he did not take up the academy's offer of making the book available because academy officials wanted mutually acceptable scholars and translators to review the textbooks.
[4]
Textbook passages
[
edit
]
In June 2008, another USCIRF report stated that textbooks at ISA teach students that it is permissible for Muslims to kill adulterers and converts from Islam, and also teach that, "The Jews conspired against Islam and its people."
[21]
[22]
[23]
ISA officials issued a press relate stating that the aforementioned textbooks are sorely outdated, and once again invited the USCIRF to visit its campus to review more recent materials. The rejection of such an offer it stated would lead the ISA to doubt the intentions of the investigation.
[24]
Land lease
[
edit
]
ISA's campus was leased from the
Fairfax County government
on a year-to-year lease, and the issue has occasionally been raised that perhaps Fairfax should not continue leasing the land if the ISA's textbooks do promote terrorism or intolerance. On June 23, 2008, Fairfax County's Board of Supervisors made a formal request to
U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
to determine if Fairfax County should continue to lease the land.
[25]
Notable individuals connected to ISA
[
edit
]
- Ahmed Omar Abu Ali
,
valedictorian
of the academy in 1999, was convicted in 2005 on charges of
providing material support
to the
al Qaeda
terrorist network. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His defense team argued that his first confession in Saudi Arabia had been extracted under
torture
, but the judge ruled his confession admissible. Courts have upheld his conviction but pushed for a longer sentence.
[26]
- Mohammed Osman Idris and Mohammed el-Yacoubi, both former students of ISA, were denied entry to Israel in December 2001, under suspicion of planning to carry out a suicidal martyr attack.
[27]
The two were departing JFK International Airport when a letter was found in el-Yacoubi's luggage which was characterized as "a farewell letter...for a suicide mission in the name of Jihad."
[28]
The two hastily boarded a flight to Jerusalem, leaving behind their belongings. However, when the flight arrived in Israel, the two were detained and sent back to the U.S. Idris was later charged with lying to a federal grand jury investigating terrorism.
[29]
- Susan L. Douglass
, a former social studies teacher at the school, wrote social studies textbooks for the
International Institute of Islamic Thought
.
[30]
- Democratic
Congresswoman
Abigail Spanberger
taught at the school between 2002 and 2003.
[31]
See also
[
edit
]
American schools in Saudi Arabia:
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Islamic Saudi Academy"
.
ibo.org
. Retrieved
August 28,
2009
.
- ^
a
b
c
"Archived copy"
.
Archived
from the original on 2006-08-25
. Retrieved
2006-09-19
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
- ^
McEvers, Kelly. "
Americans Complain About a Saudi School in Suburban Virginia
Archived
June 5, 2011, at the
Wayback Machine
."
Slate
. Tuesday September 8, 2009. Retrieved on November 5, 2009.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Strauss, Valerie (16 November 2007).
"School Officials Say U.S. Panel's Call for Closure Hurt Image"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
Washington Post article about ISA's response to USCIRF report from October 2007
- ^
a
b
"
Overview
Archived
August 16, 2016, at the
Wayback Machine
."
King Abdullah Academy
. Retrieved on July 25, 2016.
- ^
a
b
Clifford, George III (21 December 1984).
"Cultures Mix in Fairfax"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
"Saudis to Rent Va. School". 10 May 1986.
ProQuest
139001045
.
- ^
Mansfield, Virginia (21 July 1988).
"Vacant School May be Renovated, Leased"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
"
About ISA
". The Islamic Saudi Academy of Washington. Retrieved on July 25, 2016. "8333 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, Virginia 22309".
- ^
"
2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Mount Vernon CDP, VA
" (
Archive
).
U.S. Census Bureau
. Retrieved on July 25, 2016.
- ^
Mansfield incorrectly gives the age of the former Mount Vernon High School as 51 years. MVHS opened in 1939.
- ^
Mansfield, Virginia (4 August 1988).
"Saudi Academy to Fund Fairfax School Face Lift"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
Downey, Kirstin (22 May 2008).
"Board Extends Saudi School's Lease"
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
Home page
. Islamic Saudi Academy. May 9, 2008. Retrieved on July 25, 2016. "Main Campus (Grades 2 - 12) 8333 Richmond Highway Alexandria, VA 22309[...]West Campus (Grades JK - 1) 11121 Pope's Head Rd Fairfax, VA 22030"
- ^
"
2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Fairfax Station CDP, VA
" (
Archive
).
U.S. Census Bureau
. Retrieved on July 25, 2016.
- ^
Olivo, Antonio. "
With Saudi school headed to Herndon area, Mt. Vernon site use is uncertain
Archived
August 22, 2016, at the
Wayback Machine
."
Washington Post
. December 7, 2015. Retrieved on July 25, 2016.
- ^
Home page
Archived
May 9, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
. Islamic Saudi Academy. Retrieved on July 25, 2016.
- ^
"Archived copy"
.
Archived
from the original on 2006-09-12
. Retrieved
2006-09-19
.
{{
cite web
}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link
)
- ^
senate.gov
Archived
July 24, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Salmon, Jacqueline L.; Strauss, Valerie (19 October 2007).
"State Dept. Urged to Shut Saudi School in Fairfax"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
"Saudi Arabia: USCIRF Confirms Material Inciting Violence, Intolerance Remains in Textbooks Used at Saudi Government's Islamic Saudi Academy"
(Press release). Washington: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. 11 June 2008
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
Hume, Brit (13 June 2008).
"Homegrown Hate"
.
Fox News
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
Gienger, Viola (11 June 2008).
"Saudi Academy's Books Promote Violence, Intolerance, Panel Says"
.
Bloomberg News
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
- ^
ISA press release
June 13, 2008
Archived
June 30, 2008, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
Gardner, Amy (24 June 2008).
"Board Seeks Input on Islamic School"
.
The Washington Post
. Retrieved
10 September
2015
.
Article discussing Fairfax County's request to the State Dept. regarding the land lease to the ISA.
- ^
Vicini, James (June 6, 2008).
"Court upholds conviction in Bush al Qaeda plot"
.
Reuters
.
Archived
from the original on December 20, 2020
. Retrieved
December 20,
2020
.
A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld the conviction of an American citizen for plotting to assassinate President George W. Bush and conspiring with al Qaeda, rejecting his claims that he had been tortured into confessing by the Saudi police. As part of its ruling, the appeals court based in Richmond, Virginia, overturned Ahmed Abu Ali's 30-year prison sentence on the grounds it was unreasonably lenient and sent the case back for resentencing.
- ^
Masters, Brooke (March 27, 2002).
"Israel Blocked Entry Of Two N.Va. Men"
.
The Washington Post
.
Archived
from the original on October 31, 2020
. Retrieved
December 20,
2020
.
- ^
Smith, Greg (March 27, 2002).
"U.S. MUSLIM TERROR BUST 'Martyr letter' links 3 to suicide bomb plot, FBI says"
.
New York Daily News
. Archived from
the original
on October 11, 2011
. Retrieved
December 20,
2020
.
- ^
Wyman, John (March 26, 2002).
"Criminal complaint in U.S. v. Mohammed Osman Idris"
.
CNN
. Archived from
the original
on January 31, 2010
. Retrieved
December 20,
2020
.
- ^
Poole, Patrick (February 22, 2008).
"Georgetown University's Wahhabi Front"
.
Center for Islamic Pluralism
.
FrontPage Magazine
. Retrieved
December 20,
2020
.
During her tenure at the Islamic Saudi Academy, Douglass had a series of textbooks published by the International Institute of Islamic Thought
- ^
Vozzella, Laura (September 11, 2018).
"Saudi school dominates TV ads in race for suburban Richmond congressional seat"
.
The Washington Post
.
Archived
from the original on March 4, 2020
. Retrieved
September 17,
2019
.
External links
[
edit
]
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| Zoned public high schools
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Alternative high schools
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Independent
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Religious
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Islamic educational institutions in the United States
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Arizona
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California
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Connecticut
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Florida
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Georgia
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Illinois
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Kentucky
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Maryland
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Michigan
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New Jersey
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New York
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North Carolina
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Ohio
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Pennsylvania
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Texas
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Virginia
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Saudi Arabian international schools
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North America
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Former schools
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This list is incomplete
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Diplomatic posts
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Diplomacy
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Incidents
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Related
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