Source: Journal Sentinel

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/oct04/269383.asp

On October 24, 2004 Journal Sentinel provided a report on two Islamic schools in Milwaukee. Clara Mohammed School and Salem School are the only two Islamic education centers in the city. "Many of the students are the children of immigrants from Islamic and Arabic-speaking countries, such as Jordan. Learning Arabic is a matter of preserving their heritage and being able to converse with relatives 'back home'... At both Salam and Clara Mohammed, even kindergartners are introduced to the 28 Arabic letters and various Arabic words - lessons that will serve as the foundation for nearly a decade of instruction in both Arabic and the Qur'an... The cultural dynamics are different at the Clara Mohammed School, where 99% of the students are African-American, and 85% come from families that do not practice Islam. For them, Arabic is something entirely new. Imam Ronald Shaheed, head of the school, says the purpose of teaching the children the Qur'an is not necessarily to promote Islam, but rather to 'establish a sacred regard for learning.'"