Dec 13, 2006 →
By
WALEG
→
Filed Under:
Just News
In Sydney at Blackhurst High-school a teacher called Michael Seymour said he was not 'negotiating' with a 'terrorist' after a classroom incident with a Muslim student called Wagih Fares. The teenager stormed out of the classroom while his teacher ran after him trying to apologize for his mistake.
The New South Wales department of Education stood by its decision to Reprimand the teacher rather than sack him. The teacher was ordered to start counseling and attend a multicultural sensitivity course. The department confirmed it has investigated the incident and a spokeswoman quoted, "The Department considers the comment unacceptable and insensitive and does not condone it"
However the offended student, Wagih, was not happy with the way the Department handled the racist comment. He lodged a complaint with the NSW anti-discrimination board and later quoted, "To come to the school and to be called a terrorist as if I've been...” Wagih trails off as he tells network ten.
"I've done nothing wrong and to be called that word... It’s painful. It is painful, that's a good word to describe it, disgusted, it's still hitting me now, and it still gets me now."
If conciliation failed, the Fares family could be awarded up to $40,000 by the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal.
Who do you think took it too far? the student with his dissatisfaction by the apology offered to him and his family by the teacher? or is it the teacher with his outrageous comment?
Personally, since this incident happened in Sydney (Australia) where Multiculturalism seems to be decreasing quickly due to events like the Sydney riots, I would say the teacher took it too far.
By guest writer Aussiegal
wow...im surprised..a bloody teacher!!!!!?????
the teacher was wrong saying what he said but the student, in my opinion, took it too far...he shouldve just accepted the apology..or was he only after the money?
OKAY! No way does the teacher have any excuse for what he said....he is a teacher not a little child! We've all been taught to think before we speek and this teacher needs to learn that! I'm definately with the student infact, if it can be taken to another level i would take it....anything but racisim! that is going too far!
that wasnt nice wat the teacher said to the student , im an english girl living in dubai and i like my muslaim friends and i wont say anything to hurt them , and we should resecpt the other reglion so they can rescept us.
peace to the world.
I don't understand why he wasn't sacked- he really would have deserved it. And the fact that this is an adult picking on a High School pupil is not acceptable. The fact that he didn't get the sack gives other students the impression that they too can do it and get away with it.
How extremely inconsiderate!?! There are so many ways to make a pupil negotiate so this was unnecessary.
It really annoys me when idiots don't think before they speak. The only type of people who use a little accuse as that to call someone a terrorist is one with a small mentality.
I can understand why a teacher may get frustrated when things don't go according to plan due to one pupil not negotiating and not cooperating. But even that, is no excuse to call someone a terrorist. That is taking things too far. There was no need for it. So, Rowayda I can understand where most of your frustration comes from. I'm also trying to imagine how humiliating it must have been to be called that infront of a whole class.
However, the pupil did take things a little too far too. Understandably, the decision by the New South Wales department of Education was not fair at all.
I live here in the UK and get all types of reactions, most of which are good. But when someone calls me a terrorist and think themselves cool. I just cannot help but laugh. They say these things to deliberately hurt me, but it never works. Those who think that they can hurt you and break you by lowering themselves to that standard are simply pathetic. I just thank Allah for having this much amount pride in myself.
I don't get that offended when someone calls me that, I just simply know how to stand up for myself, without being angry and rude, and lowering my standard. Mum must be proud of me :)
haha..once this girl at my school asked me if we celebrate christmas as muslims..i told her we dont then with a sarcastic impression she asked me if i celebrated terrorism...i told her ill bomb her ass if she says another word cuz ive got connections with binladen...mwahaha you shouldve seen her expression, she said shes sorry she shouldnt have asked me a question like this.i forgave her and then by 'accident' tripped her off her chair.i just think people like that deserve this treatment.i know some of you will think what i said was wrong because ill give her the wrong impression but to these types of people,no matter how much you hide it all in,all their insults,no matter how much you shutup after they insult you...they wont learn how disrespectful they have been...they wont learn how terrorism depends on the context of character..but not where or what religion you belong to.in these cases i prefer to scare the shit out of them because ive already had enough of it the first and second time.
btw thanks aussiegal for that interesting article!
omg that guy is so stupid,
he shud kick his as and then sue him and take all his money in the bank.///