05/29/2026
Pastor Ryon's Friday Letter:
Beloved Broadway,
There is an old DC Comics poster – later turned into a book cover – which depicts Superman talking to school children about the importance of respecting diversity. In a speech bubble Superman says to them:
“ . . . And remember, boys and girls, your school – like our country – is made up of Americans of many different races, religions and national origins. So . . . if YOU hear anybody talk against a schoolmate or anyone else because of his religion, race or national origin – don’t wait: tell him THAT KIND OF TALK IS UN-AMERICAN.”
I thought of that cartoon this week after it was reported that Muslim school principal Shayma Alzubi was removed from her newly-assigned role at Western Hills High School, after right wing activists dredged up past posts she had made about Black Lives Matter, Sharia Law, Palestine, and mask mandates. A Fort Worth ISD statement said the posts do not align with its social media policy and expectations of staff.
This is truly alarming.
As reported by various media sources, Alzubi’s posts were in no way inflammatory. Though she did make comments on certain topics of controversy, many of her comments seem intended for education. This is especially true for her comments regarding the meaning of Sharia Law in the Islamic community and its comparability to teachings in other religious traditions.
I understand that after the state takeover of FWISD, the Board of Managers and new school Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata are wanting to focus the district on basic curricular tasks and not get side tracked on hotbed cultural issues.
But we have to acknowledge the context in which this event is taking place, and the context in which Ms. Alzubi’s comments about Sharia Law were apparently made. They were made in defense of her religion and of its adherents.
The Muslim community is under assault by right wing extremists in Texas. There is a clear and coordinated effort to frame the Muslim religion, its schools, its organizations, and its adherents as extremist.
For example, late last year, Governor Greg Abbott designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations as a foreign terrorist organization and earlier this year, the state comptroller’s office refused to make various Muslim schools eligible for state-voucher tuition subsidies, though that abuse of authority was later rectified by a directive from a U.S. District Judge.
All this comes amidst bigoted, Islamophobic statements from county GOP officials, state candidates, and court battles over the right of the Muslim community to build a mosque in North Texas.
And now, a Muslim principal has been placed on leave.
In the words of Superman, this is un-American!
Un-American is a school policy which precludes teachers, principals, and other staff from commenting on issues of local, state, or national import, even when the issues are controversial. We cannot allow our school districts to be so bullied by and made fearful of extremist attacks that they silence their staff members and strip them of their right to participate meaningfully in our democracy.
No one forfeits their First Amendment right to freedom of speech when becoming an educator. Every principal, teacher, and coach should retain their right to express their own opinion in their own private capacity, so long as those opinions are not contrary to the wellbeing of the students and communities they serve.
I remember when former Duke University Men’s Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated bold and clearly, “Black lives matter” about the same time Ms. Alzubi did in 2020. “It’s not a political statement,” he said, “it’s a human rights statement.”
It is a human rights statement. It may also be a political statement. There should be no law against either of such things.
Again, back to Superman:
“If YOU hear anybody talk against a schoolmate or anyone else because of his religion, race or national origin – don’t wait: tell him THAT KIND OF TALK IS UN-AMERICAN.”
I believe bigotry is un-American. Saying so is not.
Speaking up for oneself and one’s community is a right guaranteed by our constitution.
Congress shall make no law abridging that right. FWISD should have no policy that abridges it either.
Over the doors of one of our local schools are these words:
"Cultivated mind is the guardian genius of democracy".
The children in our school district do need to better learn to read, write, and do arithmetic. But if they aren't learning that it is right and necessary to stand up and be guardians of our democracy, then we're teaching them the wrong lesson.
THAT IS TOTALLY UN-AMERICAN indeed.
Ryon
