Posted on 01/12/2005 6:30:52 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
MADRID, January 12 (IslamOnline.net) - Teaching Islam in Spanish schools has finally found its way to implementation after almost a decade of delays and obstacles.
Since coming to power in the European country, Spain's new Socialist government under Jose Rodriguez Zapatero has made a host of good gestures toward the Muslim community in the country, the most remarkable of which was a decision to allow the teaching of Islamic subjects at public schools of major cities with significant Muslim presence.
The long-awaited development saw the light early January, 2005.
The government decision on teaching Islam only stipulates giving definition lessons on Islam. But Spanish rightist parties lashed out at the decision, launching a severe campaign against the Muslim community in the country, seeking to put strains that would make the decision void of its meaning.
Teaching Islam was part of an agreement reached in the early 1990s between the former Socialist government and a number of the Islamic bodies in Spain.
However, the agreement was shelved for eight years after former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's People's Party assumed power.
Spain has a Muslim community of about 600,000 people out of a total population of 40 million. Some 94 percent of its population are Christian Catholics.
The country has recognized Islam through the law of religious freedom, issued in July 1967.
Definition Lessons
The Spanish decision stipulates teaching the Islamic subjects in the Spanish schools in a number of Spanish cities that have high Muslim population such as Barcelona, Madrid and Andalusia.
The Spanish official for religious affairs had said Islamic subjects would be taught in a number of major Spanish cities by early January, 2005.
Teaching Islamic subjects was only allowed since 2000 in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla in which Muslims of Moroccan origin make up the majority of population.
Ceuta and Melilla are located in northern Morocco under the Spanish control.
Teachers of the Islamic subjects in the two cities were only seven, teaching some 1,900 students in the preliminary education, however, the experience was seen as an encouraging step to be copied in other Spanish cities.
Visiting a number of schools in the city of Melilla, the Spanish official for religious affairs said the experience of teaching Islamic subjects in the city was driving factor for the Spanish government to follow suit in other Spanish cities.
The decision to teach Islam stipulates giving simple definition lessons on the Islamic pillars to students at Spanish schools.
The Spanish socialist government and the Union of the Islamic Associations have agreed that the Islamic subjects would be limited to teaching introductory lessons on the pillars of Islam to Spanish students.
The association has been intensifying efforts to correct misconceptions on Islam among the Spanish people.
The association secretary general urged to extend the teaching of the Islamic subjects to other Spanish cities in light of the increasing numbers of Muslim immigrants in the European country.
Neighboring Morocco is expected to play a role in the issue as the Moroccan education ministry will prepare the curricula of the Islamic subjects, similarly to the situation in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
Opposition
But the government's decision to teach Islam drew ire from rightist and pro-Catholic church parties which oppose the rising numbers of Muslim immigrants in Spain.
The rightist opposition campaign led by the People's Party and pro-church parties resulted in imposing more restrictions on implementing the law.
These included the Islamic subjects to be taught only in areas that have high Muslim population, to have at least ten students or parents presenting a request and that the Islamic subjects don't contradict with the by-laws of the government and private schools in Spain.
The Spanish rightist parties, however, failed to place other restrictions, such as allowing only Spanish teachers to teach the Islamic subjects. The proposal was rebuffed by the Spanish government as unrealistic and similar to the idea of Muslim teachers teaching Catholicism.
The Spanish rightist parties believe the government decision to teach Islam is doomed to failure due to the poor number of the Islamic subject teachers, even in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla which have only 20 teachers.
However, the Spanish government is attempting to solve the problem by reaching an agreement with Morocco on seeking Spanish-speaking teachers from the neighboring Arab country, similarly to a deal between Morocco and Italy under which Morocco sent 30 teachers to teach Arabic to the Moroccan immigrants in the European country.
Anti-Islam Drive
The Spanish move on teaching Islamic subjects, however, has stirred anti-Islam parties and their media mouthpieces to launch a scathing attack on Islam and Muslims.
The rightist La Razon daily, known for its links with the church and army circles, launched vile campaigns against the Muslim community, accusing them of inability to integrate into the western societies.
The Spanish daily also claimed that the Noble Qur'an forbids Muslims from easily integrating into the western societies.
The anti-Muslim campaigns in the European country reflected differences between the rightist parties and the Catholic church on one hand, and the leftist parties led by the ruling Socialist party on the other, according to observers.
Since he assumed power, Zapatero has cancelled a host of privileges enjoyed by the Catholic church during the rule of the People's Party, including a halt of finances to the church-sponsored schools and religious centers.
Such a decision, naturally, drew criticism campaigns from the Catholic circles, accusing the Socialist Party of adopting a policy of secular extremism.
The Zapatero government, however, stressed it only applies secular policies that stipulate equality among the different faiths in the country.
It also noted that the decision on teaching Islam was a part of the secular polices adopted by the government.
Observers also believe the decision to teach Islam aims to control the widespread Islamic private schools in the country to avoid any future terrorist acts similar to the Madrid bombings.
Yep. Buh bye Spain!
Antisemitism 101 Antisemitism 102 Advanced Antisemitism Western Culture Hatred 200 Phys. Ed.: Decapitation Techniques Introduction to Infidels Suppression of Infidels and Women World Conquest: Your Role Fundamental Explosives (Lab)
I wonder if the students will ask questions like these in class?
Why is the religion of peace directly responsible for 28 out of the 30 violent conflicts raging in the world today?
Why is the religion of peace responsible for the vast majority of chattel slavery in the world today?
Why is the religion of peace responsible for the vast majority of terrorism in the 20th and 21st Centuries?
Why are the practitioners of the religion of peace routinely slaughtering unarmed practitioners of every other religion wherever they can get away with it?
Why does the religion of peace call for the murder of anyone who converts from the religion of peace to another religion?
Why do so many of the believers of the religion of peace look forward to the opportunity to rape 72 virgins in heaven if they die while killing innocent women and children of other religions? Is it a god they worship, or just sex? If a god, then shouldnt heaven have more to do with him than their libidos?
Why do the leaders of the religion of peace routinely issue fatwas (death warrants) for anybody who questions their holy book of peace and their holy prophet of peace?
Why is the religion of peace responsible for the sexual mutilation of millions of little girls and the savage oppression of women?
Why did millions of the practitioners of the religion of peace laugh, cheer and dance in the street because 3,000 innocent men, women and children were murdered by seventeen men who supposedly hijacked the religion of peace? And why dont the real practitioners of the religion of peace condemn the supposed hijackers of their religion? Why the deafening silence? Why the smiles? Why the cheers and high fives?
Perhaps I just dont understand this whole PEACE thing. Did the definition of the word change, or is somebody just blowing a lot of smoke?
Ping-o-rama!
Antisemitism 101
Antisemitism 102
Advanced Antisemitism
Western Culture Hatred 200
Phys. Ed.: Decapitation Techniques
Introduction to Infidels
Suppression of Infidels and Women
Health: Clitorectomy's Using Common Household Implements
World Conquest: Your Role
Fundamental Explosives (Lab)
Spain is doomed.
Hmmmmm. Looks like the first step towards the reconquesta of the reconquesta.
Thanks for the ping, broadsword.
The Spanish are going to regret voting for that Socialist imbecile Zapatero.
In 1492, the Muslim Moors were booted out of Spain by Christian armies. Today, they are retaking the land they lost using immigration.
Have the 3/11 train attacks taught the Spanish NOTHING????
They are responding with the typical Idiot Liberal reaction: "These people attacked us because we didnt reach out to them and accept their culture."
The Rightist politicians are rightfully raising hell over this.
All Spaniards should be concerned that satanism is being taught in their schools.
If the Spaniards dont vote Zapatero the Moron Islam Lover out in the next election, I wont have much sympathy for them when the Jihad Armies conquer their cringing asses.
"I wonder if the students will ask questions like these in class?"
Unfortunately, they will more likely be taught how the Spaniards in the past "wronged the poor, innocent Muslims, who only invaded our country looking for a better life."
And then they write poems about the heroics of the Jihad Warriors.
Ahh, the joys of liberal self-hating education systems.
bump
And the US is not far behind.
All that which is taking place in Spain will soon enough befall our country unless we wake up to the realization that we are allowing a cancer to grow in our society. Leave it to the liberals, both reps and dems, and the ACLU to first destroy this country after which it will be reshaped in their ugly image.
Oh my it's horrible...
Time for a re-reconquista.
Muslim nations do teach Christian subjects in their schools -- that Christians are infidels and that their lands should be conquered. By stealth at first and then by open violence. (As an aside; Christianity was freely practiced in Iraq during Saddam's rule but its future will be uncertain once this new bunch takes over.) Please let me know if you have the answer to this mess.
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