Posted on 10/20/2005 10:58:49 AM PDT by Crackingham
A federal appeals court here heard arguments yesterday that a public school's effort to acquaint students with Islam went too far by having the students don Islamic dress, recite phrases from the Koran, and mimic the fasting associated with the Muslim observance of Ramadan.
Two Christian families from Contra Costa County, Calif., east of Oakland, charged in a 2002 lawsuit that a role-playing curriculum used to teach seventh-graders about Islamic history and culture violated the Constitution's prohibition against the establishment of religion. The students also engaged in a "race to Mecca."
A federal judge in San Francisco threw out the case in 2003, but the families appealed. An attorney for the families, Edward White III, told a three judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday that during the eight-week unit on Islam, religious teachings were described as "facts" and students were instructed to wear name tags that included the religion's star-and-crescent imagery. "All of these actions are crossing the line," said Mr. White, a lawyer with a Michigan-based legal advocacy group for Christians, the Thomas More Law Center.
Mr. White also accused the courts of applying a double standard that is more tolerant of Islam in public schools than of Christian and Jewish faiths. "If this case dealt with the teaching of Catholicism ... of course people would say you're endorsing religion," the lawyer said.
The arguments against the curriculum got a skeptical reception from the appeals court judges. Judge Dorothy Nelson said that many aspects of the instruction were cultural and historical. "Doesn't this seem more like a secular experience than a religious experience?" she asked. "Are you saying our children should not be taught the history of all the religions of the world?
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
Thank God for the Catholic school system.
Endless Liberal PC crap everywhere!
"Mr. White also accused the courts of applying a double standard that is more tolerant of Islam in public schools than of Christian and Jewish faiths. "If this case dealt with the teaching of Catholicism ... of course people would say you're endorsing religion," the lawyer said."
Very true statement!
"A federal judge in San Francisco threw out the case in 2003, but the families appealed"
If this had been even remotely related to Christianity or Judaism the ACLU would have broght the case and an injunction would have hit the school so fast, one's eyes would spin.
Do the kids get to behead people also?
Many isn't all.
Do they have an equivalent course in the cultural and historical background of the Jews? Of the early Christians? Of the Protestant Reformation? Or the Catholic Counter Reformation?
What makes Islam so special?
Hey, here is a case we can hopefully all agree on.
It is absolutely wrong to force students to role play another religion. This has no business in the public schools?
We are all in agreement, right?
[i]"Are you saying our children should not be taught the history of all the religions of the world?"[/i]
I've never heard a judge say this when Christmas comes around. It's always, "separation".
I can imagine what would happen if someone tried to make students dress up like Puritans for an EIGHT WEEK unit
on Protestantism. (maybe they'd even have to bring bibles to school and carry them around!Horrors!)
What? The ACLU isn't helping?
violated the Constitution's prohibition against the establishment of religion Christianity
There now its correct....and keep your eyes down Dhimmis or your Islamic betters will have to school you.
/sarcasm
I was interviewed on the Jay Seculow and David Gold shows about this travesty in Byron. We organized a protest aginst it when one of my friends son's brought home homework that required him to learn about islam
"Do the kids get to behead people also?"
No, but the boys get to beat all the girls with sticks unless they wear Cousin It outfits (a/k/a burkas).
They also play "smear the infidel" and have a IED relay race.
On Fridays, the burn down the school and blame it on the Jews.
Nah -- no one would take offense. Of course not. I'm sure the ACLU would be the first to acknowledge that.
SO I guess I can look forward to a replication of a passover seder in my sughter's public school.
"Judge Dorothy Nelson said that many aspects of the instruction were cultural and historical. "Doesn't this seem more like a secular experience than a religious experience?" she asked."
How can a judge confuse secular with religious? This is our schools when we can't say The Pledge of Allegiance?!
"Are you saying our children should not be taught the history of all the religions of the world?"
By God, not in the public school system! !#$^!#$^ Liberals want everything their way! When it's Christianity, it's religious, but any other Christian-hating group, that's okay because it's secular?? Q#^$#!^
Absolutely, completely true. Religion, when taught as doctrine instead of the context of comparative study has no place in the public schools, no matter whether it is the faith of the majority or the minority.
"The students also engaged in a "race to Mecca." "
Cool. I'll be role-playing as a Tomohawk, you be an ICBM. Last nuke there is a dud!
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