Examining foreign influence in our K-12 schools at @fdd Formers: @NBCInvestigates @MarshallProj @NYDailyNews @PhillyDailyNews. @Penn Criminology MS grad.
New York, NY
Joined September 2011
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Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
"If soft power's seed is planted in K-12, a strategy that stops at the campus gate misses the nursery."
Cheering the Pentagon’s cleanup is good, but we can do better. If soft power’s seed is planted in K-12, a strategy that stops at the campus gate misses the nursery.
Full op-ed w/ @76brandy76 & @SimoneJWei: fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
#K12 #CCP #EducationSecurity @FDD
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
New FDD memo from @76brandy76, @JenRichmond and @SimoneJWei: Qatar Foundation International has spent more than $10 million on K-12 public school programming in nearly two dozen major districts, mainly to support Arabic language and culture instruction. fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
On Oct 23, @SecWar announced the Pentagon dismantled Confucius Institute “sleeper organizations” at U.S. universities. Applause earned. But this story has a K-12 chapter that almost nobody is reading. 🧵
#ConfuciusInstitutes #ForeignInfluence
fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Adding: Many @QFIntl contracts we collected and published, the Qataris paid for teaching materials and to develop them. Here’s an example from @AustinISD where we found books that had antisemitic content and lessons that taught Islamic theology
The claim that QFI only had "Arabic language teaching aids available to download from their website," is disingenuous. See one example below of a lesson shared on QFI's resource page that downplayed the terrorism that led to the murder of 3,000 Americans on 9/11.
web.archive.org/web/20220708…
Our new @FDD report links to exclusive documents we uncovered showing a ton of evidence on Qatar, @76brandy76 details Iranian influence in K-12 and @JenRichmond lays out evidence on China - fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Qatar claims they are not poisoning the minds of young Americans with Antisemitism and hate.
A new @FDD @SimoneJWei report shows how they are in fact doing so.
Make sure you read the entire thread 🧵
@StopAntisemites
Read this 4 part thread. We shared just a sample of the mountain of evidence that we have that shows Qatari’s influence campaign across U.S public K-12 school districts ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
You're back! After you lost #gapol HB 1379, I figured you'd sit this one out.
I called out a Qatari lobbyist for not disclosing in an opinion column because it sought to mislead readers into thinking he was a neutral party.
Your move? Suggest my "network" needs FARA registration—while admitting Bennett is "working 24/7 with the embassy."
Mr. Deputy Ambassador of Qatar, you are quite literally the foreign influence.
You're also really bad at proving your points but really good at proving mine.
Secretary, Bennett said at the beginning of article “I expected criticism when I agreed to consult with the Embassy of Qatar on its education initiatives, but I didn’t anticipate this torrent of falsehoods.”
We’re very proud that Secretary Bennett is among the consultants working 24/7 with the emabssy to debunk the anti-Qatar–U.S. relationship network. Hopefully, your network complies with FARA registration requirements one day.
nitter.cf/hmmm1983/status/211407…
5/ In @AustinISD ‘s @QFIntl funded Arabic program, materials included a 2008 Saudi textbook that warns against Zionist influence. It also included an assignment asking students to create a greeting card that praised the Muslim Prophet Mohammad.
6/ Read the full @FDD Education and NatSec memo — co-authored with @76brandy76 and @JenRichmond, with footnotes, public records and state-by-state findings: fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
The Islamic Development Bank has given over $17 million to at least 50 Islamic private schools in the U.S.
Iran is the bank’s third-largest shareholder; Qatar and Turkey also hold board seats, per a new FDD memo from @76brandy76 @JenRichmond @SimoneJWei. fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
Really proud of this important, painstaking work by @FDD colleagues. Hostile foreign powers have no business interfering in the US education sector, brainwashing unsuspecting young Americans.
🚨Our new @FDD deep-dive examination using hundreds of local public records request and OSINT work dropped today:
- Qatar 🇶🇦 : I link to Qatari funding documents and emails; books and curricula materials used in Qatari funded Arabic K-12 program in U.S public schools. It includes lessons that are anti-Israel, Anti-West and promote Islamic theology.
-Iran 🇮🇷 : @76brandy76 details how the Islamic Development Bank, which includes Iranian leadership, has given $17M to 50+ Islamic private schools across the U.S.
— China 🇨🇳 : @JenRichmond details that despite the closure of many Confucius Institutes, she found that Chinese government-linked educational networks continue to impact and influence U. S K-12 schools.
Read here:
fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
“Across the US, K-12 Islamic private schools received over $17m in funding from the Islamic Dev't Bank, whose shareholders include the gov'ts of Iran, Qatar, & Turkey. Many received accreditation from the Council of Islamic Schools based in No. America. Textbooks at a Texas school that received $995k from IsDB offer praise for clerics who have justified suicide bombing and defended Hamas.”
Read @FDD's report. Decide if this is concerning. fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
@76brandy76 @SimoneJWei @JenRichmond
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
Read the full memo — co-authored with @76brandy76 and @SimoneJWei, with footnotes, public records and state-by-state findings:
fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
🚨Our new @FDD deep-dive examination using hundreds of local public records request and OSINT work dropped today:
- Qatar 🇶🇦 : I link to Qatari funding documents and emails; books and curricula materials used in Qatari funded Arabic K-12 program in U.S public schools. It includes lessons that are anti-Israel, Anti-West and promote Islamic theology.
-Iran 🇮🇷 : @76brandy76 details how the Islamic Development Bank, which includes Iranian leadership, has given $17M to 50+ Islamic private schools across the U.S.
— China 🇨🇳 : @JenRichmond details that despite the closure of many Confucius Institutes, she found that Chinese government-linked educational networks continue to impact and influence U. S K-12 schools.
Read here:
fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
Simone Weichselbaum retweeted
🏫 America’s primary and secondary schools have become targets of foreign influence campaigns.
Over $10M in QFI grants have reached nearly two dozen school districts, mainly supporting Arabic language and culture instruction.
@76brandy76, @JenRichmond & @SimoneJWei dive into how the American K-12 education system is vulnerable to foreign influence: fdd.org/analysis/foreign-fun…
