Praise for slammed teacher

EMBATTLED high school teacher Michael Seymour, who sparked a race row by calling a Muslim student a “terrorist”, received overwhelming support yester- day as he faced calls for his removal.

Parents, teachers and students rallied behind the Blakehurst High School teacher after The Daily Telegraph revealed that he faces investigation by the Anti-Discrimination Board. Mr Seymour, a legal studies teacher at the southern Sydney school, said he had been instructed by the education department not to comment. 

But staff and parents said Mr Seymour, who has been teaching for 23 years, was highly dedicated and widely admired for his work with teenage students.

They said they were “distressed” that his positive contribution to the education of generations of students had been overlooked during the row.

Education chiefs are in a stand-off with the family of Lebanese student Wagih Fares, who have asked them to transfer Mr Seymour to another school.

Racial tension erupted after Mr Seymour, frustrated that 16-year-old Wagih had refused to hand over a magazine he was reading and return to his desk, told the student: “I don’t want to negotiate with a terrorist.”

Outraged by the slur, Wagih punched the classroom wall and door before running from the school pursued by Mr Seymour in his car.

The teacher was reprimanded and ordered to attend a multicultural sensitivity course, although it was found he had not intended to shock, embarrass or humiliate Wagih.

Wagih’s sister Zena has lodged a complaint with the Anti-Discrimination Board which could result in Wagih being awarded damages of up to $40,000. She said her brother, who is entering his HSC year, did not want to be taught by Mr Seymour.

The education department has refused to move the teacher but has agreed to change Wagih’s timetable for legal studies.

A spokesman said Mr Seymour had immediately realised the “terrorist” comment was not acceptable and apologised to Wagih.

The Telegraph

Politisk korrekt belønning af dårlig opførsel.

Hvem var skyld i opvarmningen for 1000 år siden?

Boehm said the current warm period in the Alpine region began in the 1980s, noting that a similar warming occurred in the 10th and 12th centuries. However, the temperatures during those phases were “slightly under the temperatures we’ve experienced over the past 20 years.”

msnbc via the brussels journal

Festabe eller statsministeremne?

På statskundskab holdt de sådan nogle gode fester. Og samtidig blev jeg klar over, at hvis man læste biologi, skulle man på felttur og ligge og rode i en å med waders på. Og det syntes jeg ikke var så fedt.

Helle Thorning-Schmidt

metroXpress 12. december 2006

Nej der er nok ikke så meget Gucci på biologi.

Nogen påstår at Bush er dum

Demokratenes nye etterretningsleder kjenner ikke til al-Qaida

Demokratenes påtroppende formann i etterretningskomiteen i Kongressen vekker oppsikt med sin uvitenhet.

Mere på Dagbladet

Godhedsindustrien i aktion: Smugle i al offentlighed?

Advokat Randi Hagen Spydevold planlegger menneskesmugling fra Iran til Norge i full offentlighet.

Hun har engasjert seg sterkt i saken til 23 år gamle Menije Ravandost fra Sarpsborg.

Mere på VG

Smugle i al offentlighed – lidt selvmodsigende? Mon det også gælder i Iran? Og hvem betaler advokatens ‘sagsomkostninger’?

Tilværelsen er omskiftelig :-)

Igår julemand – idag nytårstorsk.

Imam Abu Laban er i det forløbne år gentagne gange blevet anklaget for at tale med to tunger – men det tal er vist sat noget for lavt.

‘Allah er muligvis stor, men nogle af hans tilhængere går i ufatteligt små sko.’

Mere på Ekstrabladet

Hvis Labanen vinder, synes jeg man skal dispensere og give ham en gris istedet – bare for at det vil være uuholdeligt at skulle se Labanens hykleriske vennesæle smil, når han modtager dyret (altså fisken). Og det er jo delvis en gris, der kan være med til at give ham prisen.

Hvem bliver den næste? Akkari? Og hvornår bliver hans familie sendt hjem?