PRAYER IN SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.... FOR MUSLIMS

The Seattle Times ^ | 06/15/06 | David Montgomery

[Patriot62]

On Friday afternoons, Nathan Hale High School senior Abdisiyad Adan asks his fifth-period teacher what he'll miss in class, writes down the homework for the weekend and leaves school.

Other Muslim students at Nathan Hale pile into Adan's car, and they set off for the Idriss Mosque a little more than a mile away. By the time they return from their mandatory Friday prayers, the school day is nearly over.

Adan's situation reflects the difficulties that the Seattle School District, and other public schools across the nation, face when dealing with Muslim prayer. Federal and state law prohibit teacher-led prayers in public schools, as well as student-led prayers at school events or religious programs. But laws protect the right of students to pray, and educators often struggle with how to accommodate students without disrupting class.

In Islam, prayer five times per day is obligatory. Adherents must face in the direction of Mecca and engage in a series of ritual movements. One of the five daily prayers must occur around midday, and on Fridays, the Muslim holy day, the midday prayer is supposed to occur in a mosque.

[Patriot62]

Notice this quote by Caprice Hollins "the committee is open to concerns about whether the needs of other students, such as Jews or Buddhists, are being accommodated".

Hmmmmm. Any other major faith system missing from her comments about accomodations?

[EagleUSA]

Sick pandering liberal bastards. Now let me tell ya how I really feel about these anti-Christian scum of academia.

[xpertskir]

"Adherents must face in the direction of Mecca"

Is this to say that muslims are naturally good navigators?

[Shimmer128]

Don't look at me, I'm against federal interference in education at all.

[brownsfan]

"...educators often struggle with how to accommodate students without disrupting class."

Here's a thought, don't accomodate!
Public schools should be for the masses, not tailored for the minority.
For example, school hours 8-4 Monday through Friday. Try to be there. If you can't, then you lose. If you can't be there often enough, you won't pass.
Don't like it? Go to a muslim school.

Case closed, money saved.

[taxesareforever]

Muslim appeasement. Many are turning this country over to the muslims.

[opus86]

If you can't be there often enough, you won't pass. Don't like it? Go to a muslim school.

The solution is that simple. Why doesn't the school board leadership understand this? More importantly, why don't the majority of tax-paying parents HELP the school board leadership understand it?!

[Wuli]

Liberal lies.

When, in the past, did they ever, by request or voluntarily, try to address the religiuous concerns of Christians and Jews - in public education. Never.

The "left" has decided, deliberately, to make league with Muslims and this deliberate association is being done at every level in society and government throughout the "west".

It is 100% part and parcel of the left's attacks on our Judeo-Christian traditions, in every other way.

[CATravelAgent]

Somehow I'm not in favor of Saudi funded madrassas here in the US.

[PeterFinn]

"Any other major faith system missing from her comments about accomodations?"

Yeah, are the Santeria kids allowed to slaughter live chickens at lunch time for their mid-day sacrifice?

[mtbopfuyn]

Most school handbooks clearly state if a student is tardy or misses X days/classes, excused or unexcused, he will be required to 1) go to Saturday class, 2) go to summer school, or 3) not pass that year. Seems to me if that rule is good for one student it's good for them all, including Muslims. Also, most handbooks clearly state students are not allowed to leave school grounds with the exception of off campus lunch time.

[Unam Sanctam]

Catholics should demand the right to say the Angelus at noontime.

[alecqss]

Oh my... individualism is now a type of "cultural racism"!? And actual racism ("colorblind" as a failed concept) is not! Reads like 1984 Advanced.

[brownsfan]

"Somehow I'm not in favor of Saudi funded madrassas here in the US."

And the alternative is to alter public schools to accomodate these "people".

What I'm really in favor of is outlawing the death cult in this country. Want to be a good muslim, (an oxymoron if ever there was one.)? Go do it in a muslim country.

[MineralMan]

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

This is the call of Christianity. Perhaps it could be used in this case to add Christian prayer to the list.

[The Great RJ]

No Christian would be allowed to leave school for prayers no matter what sect they were. This is hypocrisy of the first magnitude. If Muslims don't like staying in a secular school than let them go to a Muslim school or be home schooled just like thousands of Christain kids.

[viaveritasvita]

I thot this was an interesting tidbit. What do y'all think this means??? v3


>>>American Civil Liberties Union of Washington spokesman Doug Honig said a series of U.S. Supreme Court cases justifies the Seattle district's efforts.<<<

[Rockingham]

This has the makings of a great religious freedom case, especially if Christian denominations make demands for similar accommodations and are denied.

Under settled US Supreme Court law, "release time" arrangements for prayer and instruction on school grounds are barred, and granting them on a Muslims only basis would be doubly wrong as violating both the Establishment clause and equal protection. If such a case is pressed, the Left and ACLU will be in a real quandary because their reflexive secularism and hostility to Christianity will collide with their desire to cater to Muslims.

If release time is permitted by the Supreme Court, the net result will be a return to religious observance and instruction in most public schools, provided that all faiths are given reasonable accommodation. Since Christians are the majority, this would have dramatic consequences within a generation by fostering school-based religious instruction on a near par with other classes.

[Thom Pain]

Ever see a Lib with a screaming child? (Most of 'em actually, but that's another story for another time)

What do they do? ......They give the brat some candy to try to get the child to settle down and behave (called appeasement)

Ever see that work for more than a few minutes? Nope, me either. (Also note how these same children grow up to be totally disoriented by "real life" and totally unequipped to cope. And don't even think about how they then "raise" their kids.)

Sound like Seattle's approach to this problem?

[DustyMoment]

In Islam, prayer five times per day is obligatory.

I believe this is not true. I just finished working with a group of Muslim Algerian military students and they neither prayed 5 times per day, nor did they take half of Friday off for mandatory prayer.

Methinks the muzzie students just want to get out of school early on Fridays. I also notice that the schools make no such accommodations for ANY other religion, except for certain religious holidays.

And, if this is a biggie, wait for Ramadan and Eid!!