Jim Kouri -- Taxpayer funded children's museum to hold Muslim program

TAXPAYER FUNDED CHILDREN'S MUSEUM TO HOLD MUSLIM PROGRAM

By Jim Kouri, CPP
December 28, 2011

NewsWithViews.com

The New York City, taxpayer-funded Children's Museum of New York is planning a major exhibition titled, "Muslim Worlds" which is scheduled to begin a long-term engagement in 2014.

According to information provided by the controversial Council on American-Islamic Relations, "Muslim Worlds" will have hands-on exhibits, performances and other events geared toward getting children involved with the thousands of years of cultural heritage that has come from the Muslim world.

Besides hosting individual visitors, the Children's Museum will extend invitations for school groups including those from public schools.

Although the museum promises to "bring to life the similarities and differences of Muslim cultures," John Jay College Sociology Professor Mucahit Bilici said that exhibits like this operate on the assumption that Muslim people are separate from American society.

Visitors to the Children's Museum of Manhattan dance as part of a festival celebrating Muslim culture. "I would say that the major problem with this project is that it treats Muslims as exclusively external people -- as foreigners," he said. "I'm sure that a significant percentage of their audience, like the kids who will visit that exhibition, will be Muslim. I wish that they would be aware of this and that they would frame it in a much more inclusive way."

Cyrus McGoldrick, the civil rights manager of the New York Council on American Islamic Relations, argues that the exhibit will do good things for the Muslim community. He said a lot of the civil rights violations that he investigates happen to Muslim kids who are mocked by their peers at school.

The Children's Museum of Manhattan says its future exhibition new "Muslim Worlds" is the first show of its kind in the U.S. geared toward a family audience.

But many detractors believe this is an example of liberal-left hypocrisy.

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"Imagine a group of Methodists or Anabaptists holding an exhibition in a government-funded facility? Does anyone believe the politicians and the ACLU would allow such a show to be held in a city-financed facility with audiences being brought in by public school teachers? How long would that last?" asks political strategist and consultant Mike Baker.

"Tolerance is one thing," says former NYPD Officer Edie Aquina, "but why are we bending over backwards for the sake of political correctness. This group CAIR, for example, has repeatedly attacked the NYPD for trying to protect New Yorkers and Americans from radical Islamic terrorists. Will this Muslim World exhibition feature the role of Islam in the slaughter of 3,000 people on 9-11? Or the hate speech directed at Jews?"

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.

He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He's appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores.