Please check this page regularly for the latest on misinformation about KGIA and about the organizations that support KGIA.
Since the start, the school and the organizations and people affiliated with it have been the victim of misinformation and untruths, spread largely throughout the blogosphere and conservative news outlets.
We will use this space to specifically address some of the misinformation and lies.
FAQ: Addressing the Misinformation
1. Is the coalition, Communities in Support, related to the school?
No. Communities in Support of Khalil Gibran International Academy is not officially connected to the school. The coalition formed organically of community members and groups in response to the vicious attacks by opponents of the school. Read more about the coalition in the About Us section. Go here to see KGIA’s official website.
2. Is this coalition run by AWAAM?
No. AWAAM does not run the coalition. The decision-making in the coalition is done by the 6 sponsor organizations, including:
AWAAM: Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media Brooklyn For Peace (formerly Brooklyn Parents for Peace) Center for Immigrant Families Greater New York Labor-Religion Coaltion, New York, NY Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) Muslim Consultative Network WFD Program Steering Committee at First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn
3. Did Debbie make or wear a t-shirt?
No. Debbie Almontaser never made or wore t-shirts bearing the phrase “Intifada NYC.” The t-shirts were made by AWAAM: Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media.
4. Is Debbie the founder of AWAAM?
No. Debbie was on the board of an organization that lends its office space to AWAAM. Debbie is not otherwise connected to AWAAM, nor is she responsible for any of their organizational decisions. Also, AWAAM never had any affiliation with KGIA.
5. Is AWAAM, the makers of the t-shirts, pro-violence?
No. AWAAM is a youth organization for young girls who are Arab, Muslim, and also non-Arab and non-Muslim. Visit AWAAM’s website to read about their mission and hear first-hand from its youth organizers–through video and audio–about what AWAAM is about.
6. Is reporting on KGIA accurate?
Sometimes. But sometimes not. Please see our section Responses to Reporting for examples of how KGIA supporters have attempted to address slanted news and misinformation. Also, youth organizers of AWAAM have a video where they discuss the impact of the media. Specifically, they address an attempt by the NY Post to draw a connection between AWAAM and Debbie by lying in an article.
