Just gotta love them yahoos in Indiana! From the Northwest Indiana Times:
A presentation about Muslim culture last month to students at Porter Lakes Elementary School upset parents and sparked an argument about the role of religion in public schools.
On Sept. 30, a second-grade class and the entire third grade listened to a cultural presentation by the family of some Muslim students who are new to the school. In addition to talking about Muslim traditions, the children were read the book "Ramadan" by Carol Gnojewski.
"The presentation was intended to share information, hopefully to answer some of the questions children had," Porter Township School Corp. Superintendent Nick Brown said.
The presentation involved a lot of religious content because religion is heavily intertwined with the Muslim culture, Brown said.
The religious aspect of the assembly angered parents, who say that religion has no role in the public school setting. Several parents intend to discuss the issue at tonight's School Board meeting.
Oh yeah, right! Give me a freakin' break! Such hypocrites! No Christmas or Easter celebrations for your children in the schools then. No Christmas trees, no Christmas carols sung, no mention of the name Jesus (pbuh). After all, religion has no role in the public school setting!
Brown said the assembly was never meant to offend anyone. The school teaches its students about a variety of cultures with the hope of widening their world views, he said.
"We have Chanukah presentations, we do Christmas," Brown said. "It falls just within enlightening people."
How about enlightening your students' parents? It sounds like they need it more than their kids.
...
Having the new Muslim students in the small, rural community has gotten the rumor churning, including gossip about a possible terrorist search inside the school. None of those threats, including the spotting of a suspicious van, have been substantiated.
Next, the suspicious van will turn into black helicopters.
"We do not have a van or a license plate of interest to the FBI, nor do we have an individual or individuals in the area that are of interest to the authorities," Brown said.
There are also allegations of a special prayer room set aside for use by the Muslim students. Brown would not confirm such a room had been created, but said the school district tries to accommodate the needs of all its students.
"We make accommodations for students for many reasons -- health, academic -- as long as it doesn't interrupt the instructional day," Brown said.
Islamophobia - and jealousy - rearing their ugly heads once more. On the one hand, horrors! Muslims praying in the schools! (No doubt transported there by the black helicopters! ;) Or should that be, "a suspicious van?" ;) ) On the other hand, how that must rankle! Muslims praying in the schools when Christians have been fighting over this issue for years. But, then again, as you all said, "...religion has no role in the public school setting." You can't have it both ways, folks.
Welcome to the wonderful world of hypocrisy.
Note: Emphasis mine.
2 comments:
Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: "The Guidance of Allah,-that is the (only) Guidance." Wert thou to follow their desires after the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither Protector nor helper against Allah. 2:120
Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will). 3:64
subhanAllah! That is very sad. I am from Colorado and always and always I have been accomodated whenever needed for my prayers. I was also given special schedule arrangements for fasting; i.e. taking my exam at a different time to avoid conflict , etc. I went to High School in New York and my counselor (a jewish guy) would always leave his room during lunch for me as I had asked him for " a place to pray".
But, at the same time, I have a friend in Montana. A convert Muslim, a lady in her 40s. You know what? She is THE only Muslim in her entire neighborhood and possibly in the entire town/city of Billings. ANd she wears Niqab (mashaAllah, may Allah make her stronger everyday). She used to get death threats from her closed minded neighbors.
I guess, people in small city/town are just plain ignorant and intolerant. It's a shame that we see something like that in an elemntary school, where kids are not old enough to develop hatred by themselves unless taught by someone else. A shame on those ignorant and close minded parents.
"If only closed minded people came with closed mouth." A bumper sticker I saw in Berkeley, CA.
Thanks for bringing this news to our attention.
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