American students wear “Islam is of the Devil” shirts to school Bikya Masr 28 August 2009 CAIRO: Outrage has been brewing since reports of American school children arrived at a Florida school wearing t-shirts that read “Islam is of the Devil.” Egyptians who have seen the images of the students have lashed out, saying these actions show “the racism that is brewing.” One Egyptian journalist commented that “Muslims are the new Jews and are being attacked wherever they go.” School officials, upon seeing the shirts, demanded that the students change them or cover the message printed on the back. The students refused. “Students have a right of free speech, and we have allowed students to come to school wearing clothes with messages,” school district staff attorney Tom Wittmer told Florida's the Gainesville Sun newspaper, adding “but this message is a divisive message that is likely to offend students.” “The next kid might show up with a shirt saying ‘Christianity is of the Devil,'” Wittmer added. The shirts are part of a local church's campaign against Islam. The Dove Outreach World Center has been leading an anti-Islam campaign for some time and have been reported in recent months to have called the religion “evil.” Dove's Senior pastor, Terry Jones, said in comments carried on Al Arabiya that he believed the spread of the church's message was more important than education and added that no local company “had the guts” to print the shirts, forcing him to go online to have them made. The church claims it is every students right to wear anything they want to school. Asked whether they would appreciate negative statements against Christianity, Dove church members said they would not like but said every student has the right to do as they please, the Gainseville newspaper reported. The front of the shirts are reads “Jesus answered I am the way and the truth and the life; no one goes to the Father except through me,” coupled with “I stand in trust with Dove Outreach Center.” The anti-Islam message “Islam is of the Devil” is written on the back in bold red letters. “And they wonder why there is so much hate between America and Islam?” asked the journalist. BM
