Islamic school’s effort to expand draws anti-Muslim backlash

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A meeting of the Hoover Zoning and Planning Commission drew a packed chamber earlier this month. They were set to consider whether or not to issue a recommendation allowing an Islamic school to move into an office park in the city.

While the meeting itself drew passionate comments, the issue has also sparked anti-Islamic rhetoric, notably from U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

The Islamic Academy of Alabama is a K-12 school that has been in Homewood since 1996. The school’s growing student body has forced administrators to convert their school library into a classroom to accommodate more students. They applied to rezone an office park space in Hoover to expand.

Ahead of the meeting, a petition circulated online calling for the rezoning needed to allow the school to move to the office park to be blocked. The petition garnered 1,848 signatures and was started by Jeff Wilson, who attended the meeting. During his public comments he spoke to traffic challenges in the area that he felt would be exacerbated by the presence of a new school.

David Bradford had similar feelings, pointing to city planning issues and an increase in traffic. 

“ It would definitely detract from nearby residential areas,” Bradford said. 

He added that a K-12 school’s teachers, parents, administrators and anyone affiliated with the community center would generate significant traffic. 

“However they’re transported there and back would be an additional nightmare,” Bradford said.

Other speakers shared their concerns about a growing Muslim population in the neighborhood. 

Johnny Padgett began by saying his comments were in no way an indictment of any religion. He went on to say that there was a Muslim wedding in an Airbnb next to his house while he was out of town. 

“We weren’t there luckily. I don’t know what would have happened if I was there or my wife was there by myself. It was very intimidating,” Padgett said.

According to Padgett, cars blocked his driveway and a vehicle left tracks in his yard. He also said individuals waved “Islamic flags” and were “screaming things in Arabic.”

Martha Yohannes recently moved to Hoover and has lived in England. In her three-and-a-half minute remarks, she shared her observations of what she called a “takeover” of Muslims in England.

“ The Brits bent backwards to accommodate their [Muslims] demands over and over again to the level of feeling the second class citizens in their own country. The citizens could not even voice their grief because it was immediately associated with a type of phobia. They gave in an inch, and were soon taken for rides miles away with no hope of landing back to familiarity.” Yohannes said. 

She cited examples including men shelling pistachios in libraries, public swimming pools accommodating a day for Muslim women to swim and local supermarkets that “only served halal meat to fit Islamic values.”

Yohannes was cut off by the council because they said her comments had “nothing to do with the school.”

When it came time to vote, the council voted unanimously against rezoning the property. 

Later that week, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville made an appearance on the InfoWars podcast and spoke about the school’s initiative to move to Hoover. 

“They want [a] larger area where they can build a bigger school, infiltrate more and bring in more young people to teach ’em the Muslim faith,” Tuberville said. “ They wanna change this country to something else. Now, Sharia law and Islam is not a religion. It’s a cult. Okay. And their cult believes in totally different things we believe in. They don’t believe in Americans.  Kill the infidel,, do away with everything that we believe in. They hate Christians.”

Leaders at the school said Tuberville is wrong.

“We are for unity. We are for respect, for all faiths. This is what we teach our students is love. We would invite him.  He’s very welcome. Senator Tuberville, come visit us,”  said Stacy Abdein, the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Teaching. .

Abdein grew up in Calera and founded the Islamic Academy of Alabama. When asked what she’s most proud of about the school, she responded confidently.

“I am most proud of our students. Our students are amazing. They have achieved amazing results in everything that they’ve done,” Abdein said.

The statewide average for the ACT, a college entrance exam, is 18. Abdein says that the academy’s average for the past year has been a 26. The school’s curriculum follows Alabama’s statewide standards. They only use textbooks on the state’s approved textbook list. Beyond regular courses like math, science, and social studies, the students also learn Arabic and Islam.

The student council president, Yusuf Nabi, started attending the school in second grade. His family moved from Knoxville in search of a full-time Islamic school.

When asked what attending an Islamic school means to him as a young Muslim, he responded quickly.

“ It’s amazing because at the same time of also gaining traditional knowledge like science, math, I’m also gaining knowledge about my religion,” Nabi said. “And it’s really good for me because instead of growing up isolated from my community, I grew up with it.”

Which is what his father, Syed Nabi had hoped.

“ It’s making them not only good Muslims, but good human beings and getting them ready for the life ahead. And at the same time grounding them in, in good friendships and good foundations. So that way when life throws them different things, curve balls, they know how to handle it and not just go with the wind,” the older Nabi said about the school.

Right now, the school is navigating a challenging climate. 

“We did not have to hire security after 9/11. We’ve had to hire security after Senator Tuberville’s comments,” Abdein said.

This week the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) designated Tuberville as an Islamophobic individual. They cite his rhetoric that they compared to former Alabama Governor George Wallace’s. This is the first time CAIR has given a U.S. senator this designation.

In response, Tuberville responded in a post on X,: “Badge of Honor”.

Members of the Muslim community aren’t disheartened. Bashar Khalaf, the youth director at the Birmingham Islamic Society, shared his optimism, though he wasn’t surprised by the negative response to the school’s initiative to expand. 

“Because I know it’s gonna be followed up with love from the rest of the community. We always know water puts out fire, so the water’s gonna come. The other churches, the other people, other religions are gonna come together, send their love, send their peace on us and then we’re chilling after that.” Khalaf said.

The school has decided not to pursue the property in Hoover as they reevaluate how to accommodate their growing student body.

Vahini Shori is a Report for America corps member covering faith and culture for WBHM.

This reporting is supported by WBHM’s Local Journalism Innovation Fund. Find out more about the fund and how to donate here.