Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in Catholic schools, say church leaders (U.K.)

The Daily Mail (U.K.) ^ | December 2, 2008 | Simon Caldwell

[Stoat]

Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in every Roman Catholic school, Church leaders have said.

The Catholic bishops of England and Wales also want special toilet facilities in schools to be adapted for Islamic cleaning rituals.

Their demands will shock both Catholic parents and the Government because they go way beyond the legal requirements on catering for the rights and needs of religious minorities.

But the bishops are keen to answer critics who say religious schools sow division - and to show that they are leading the way in building bridges between people of different faiths.

The bishops acknowledge in a new document proposing the measures that 30 per cent of pupils attending Catholic schools hold a non-Christian faith.

"If practicable, a room (or rooms) might be made available for the use of pupils and staff from other faiths for prayer," the bishops said in the document, Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion

"Existing toilet facilities might be adapted to accommodate individual ritual cleansing which is sometimes part of religious lifestyle and worship,” they said.

"If such space is not available on a permanent or regular basis, extra efforts might be made to address such need for major religious festivals."

The Islamic cleansing ritual, called "Wudhu", is carried out by Muslims before they pray.

Islam teaches that Muslims are unfit for prayer if they have not performed Wudhu after breaking wind or using the toilet.

[magellan]

Figured out why I have not seen footbaths in the middle east. Tayammum is “dry” or symbolic Wudu. I have seen Muslims doing Tayammum prior to praying.

[Oratam]

They’re called CHAPELS.

[lastchance]

I take any news about religion from the Daily Mail with a pillar of salt. I would have to see the actual document.

[Jeff Chandler]

What? No gay weddings?

Patience.

[JenB987]

....why are there Muslims attending Catholic school to begin with?

Did I miss something?

[John Leland 1789]

So, what is the use of a Catholic School? Aren’t Catholic schools supposed to be Catholic? Why do Muslims families want to send their children there, unless it is to destroy the school from within.

Do parents pay tuition to these Catholic schools, or are they free, or are they government funded in the UK?

[count-your-change]

TP? That's what the left hand is for! With a rinse afterwords in plain water. Or if out in the desert, a handful of sand will do.

[Tzimisce]

...why don’t they just outright convert to Islam and be done with it?

[COBOL2Java]

And maybe a place to put your heads while they chop your heads off that would be nice.

If the Brits are extra nice, they'll put a comfortable cushion on the chopping block and use a freshly-sharpened scimitar.

[SuziQ]

They should be informed that prayer rooms for Muslims will be opened in Catholic schools when the first Catholic Church is allowed to be completed in Saudi Arabia. Needless to say, no one will be holding their breath waiting for THAT to happen.

[Pontiac]

But the bishops are keen to answer critics who say religious schools sow division

The bishops acknowledge in a new document proposing the measures that 30 per cent of pupils attending Catholic schools hold a non-Christian faith.

The document has been published by the Catholic Education Service, an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.

But it has been personally approved by Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham and the favourite to succeed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor next year as the leader of the country’s 4.3 million Catholics.

This arch bishop should be called to Rome immediately and be set straight by the Pope.

He in no case should be appointed as Cardinal.

The purpose of Catholic schools is to provide the children of Catholics a Catholic education. If that is “sowing division” so be it. Has anyone heard of any of the Muslim schools permitting Catholics and Jews to attend their schools and practice their religious rites on the premises?

If this proposal were to be implemented in my parish school I would immediately pull my children out of the school and ask that my name be removed from the parish rolls.

The last thing you want your impressionable children exposed to in a religious school is another faith with out a train instructor there to point out the fallacies of that faith.

If children of other faiths are to attend the Catholic schools they should be there to receive a Catholic education and their parents should be aware that no other faiths will be accommodated.

[neodad]

My question is what do they wash after breaking wind?

[Stoat]

I take any news about religion from the Daily Mail with a pillar of salt. I would have to see the actual document.

This document is not the newest one referenced by the Mail, but it is the most recent available online, and it and others online are dedicated to 'interfaith harmony'.   There is contact information below in case you would like to pursue the matter further and inquire as to when the very newest document that the Mail refers to will be made available to the public.

CES - New publication Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion (17th November 2008)

The CESEW has published Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion: Cherishing Education for Human Growth on behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.  This follows on from work including the 1997 consultation paper Catholic Schools and Children of Other Faiths and the 2008 publication Catholic Schools and Community Cohesion: CES Guidance. 

In his foreword, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Chairman of the Bishops' Conference Department for Education and Formation says:

'Dialogue with other faiths is a consistent theme in the life of the Catholic Church. Such dialogue is conducted in many parishes and neighbourhoods, in colleges, universities and other academic circles. It has become increasingly important as the presence of other faith communities grows and becomes more evident in our society....'

'The Bishops of England and Wales have approved this Guidance and asked that it be published to assist Catholic schools in maintaining their distinctive nature,  identity and mission, in those circumstances where they welcome pupils of other faiths. It is offered to our schools in the hope that the good work already being done in them for children and young people of other faiths can be further strengthened and so that the lives of all our pupils, students and staff can be enriched.'

To order a copy of this new publication, please download the order form below and send with payment to the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX.  For more information about accessing the document please email general@cesew.org.uk or call 0207 901 1900.  For more information about the content of the publication please contact Mrs Therese Gordon t: 01675 464 755 e: therese.gordon@theredepartment.com.

[lastchance]

The actual document is only available for a price. Now why does that make me suspicious?

http://www.cesew.org.uk/standardnews.asp?id=7621

“*New publication* Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion (17th November 2008)

The CESEW has published Catholic Schools, Children of Other Faiths and Community Cohesion: Cherishing Education for Human Growth on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. This follows on from work including the 1997 consultation paper Catholic Schools and Children of Other Faiths and the 2008 publication Catholic Schools and Community Cohesion: CES Guidance.

In his foreword, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Chairman of the Bishops’ Conference Department for Education and Formation says:

‘Dialogue with other faiths is a consistent theme in the life of the Catholic Church. Such dialogue is conducted in many parishes and neighbourhoods, in colleges, universities and other academic circles. It has become increasingly important as the presence of other faith communities grows and becomes more evident in our society....’

‘The Bishops of England and Wales have approved this Guidance and asked that it be published to assist Catholic schools in maintaining their distinctive nature, identity and mission, in those circumstances where they welcome pupils of other faiths. It is offered to our schools in the hope that the good work already being done in them for children and young people of other faiths can be further strengthened and so that the lives of all our pupils, students and staff can be enriched.’

To order a copy of this new publication, please download the order form below and send with payment to the Catholic Education Service for England and Wales, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX. For more information about accessing the document please email general@cesew.org.uk or call 0207 901 1900. For more information about the content of the publication please contact Mrs Therese
Mrs Therese Gordon Mrs Therese Gordon at: 01675 464 755 e: therese.gordon@theredepartment.com. “

I did send Mrs. Gordon an Email. I think too a suggestion that one Sunday a month that a percentage of the collection in all Parishes worlwide be dedicated to installing spines in Bishops would be very worthwhile.

[Post Toasties]

..and Catholic and Protestant prayer rooms should be opened in madrassahs as a condition for this.

[YouGoTexasGirl]

I have heard from employee’s of large US corporations that along with ADA “improvements”, footbaths have had to be added to their buildings in order to accommodate Muslim employees.

Although I thought it was an odd place for an interior fountain, I learned it was a footbath. This was at a Parade of Homes in Texas.

[lastchance]

Thanks Stoat. I did find that and yes it raises alarm bells. I am aware that British Bishops are somewhat along the lines of “any resemblence between this and actual Catholic teaching is purely coincidental.”

I do notice that the headline of the article says “should” where the policy proposals quoted in the article say “might”. Those are very different things. But that this is even being proposed is ludicrous.

[Red Badger]

My question is what do they wash after breaking wind?

Good question.............

[Patriotic1]

bump

[FreeAmerica2009]

Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in Catholic schools, say church leaders (U.K.)

Will muslim schools have rooms for CATHOLIC STUDENTS to pray? And a Catholic in a muslim school will need to pray to GOD (no, not that fake - Allah) because they might be killed.

Will the last BRIT (real Brit) to leave the UK, don't forget to turn off the lights. The retards muslims wouldn't know how to turn on a light - they might ask Allah to help them turn on the light.

There is one GOD, and that is not Allah!!