Chicago Schools Create Prayer Room for Muslims

Newsmax.com ^ | Thursday November 29, 2001

[softengine]

Chicago's notoriously wretched but money-squandering government schools have set aside a prayer room to accommodate Muslims.

Though the issue has created a big stink in New York City, Chicago Muslims hailed the decision.

"My religion is a really big part of my life, and it's really good I can practice it, even at school,'' 14-year-old freshman Saba Quadri says in today's Sun-Times.

Kareem Irfan, chairman of Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, said: "I know some Christian families would prefer their children to take some time out and do Bible study during lunch time. Some Hindu groups have groups that study religion or read prayers. This accommodation will make it easier for students to turn to their own forms of prayer without affecting their fellow students.''

The school system caters to Muslims in other ways. Because Muslim women are not allowed to bare their arms to men, schools separate the sexes for physical education freshman year so female Muslim students can swim.

[softengine]

Just Wonderful!

Christians are not allowed to even bow their heads in silent prayer over their lunches without fear of expulsion, but EVERY other religion is not only allowed to practice on school grounds, but is (at taxpayer expense) provided special places on school grounds to do so.

Its this kind of cr@p that get's my blood boiling.

[kassie]

Unbelievable.

[Own Drummer]

Anything to take attention away from the fact that the Chicago School District is bankrupt, corrupt, inefficient and incompetent. Just don't expect Hizzoner King Richard II to do anything about it--he's too busy organizing the latest sweetheart construction deal/drafting anti-gun legislation.

[sigh] Just another day in the People's Republic of Chicago.

[BenF]

Good bye, America.

[MizSterious]

This makes me both sad and angry. How can we be showing such deference to a religion that is filled with hatred and is, in fact, the root cause of the terrorist attack on 9/11? Christianity has always taught love and respect for our fellow man, yet it's banned from our schools. I just can't see how this can happen! (But I know it does!)

[Mark17]

I just can't see how this can happen! (But I know it does!)

It's called PC. I wonder if it will take a nuclear attack on the US, to dislodge PC? Even then, I am not sure we can ever get rid of PC. It is just too deeply ingrained in our society.

[E=MC²]

Do the Chick-a-go schools provide rooms for Christian students and for Jewish students???

[SAMWolf]

And anyone who points out the blantant favoritism given to Non-Christians by public institutions will be called a bigot/racist.

[meenie]

The Christian and Jewish parents in Chicago should be asking for equal treatment. This could free religious groups to push prayer in schools.

[Dems_R_Losers]

The biggest problem I have with this is that such a policy will hamper the assimilation of Muslim children into mainstream American society. One of the few good things public schools do is accelerate the assimilation of children who are either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants. I have not been too concerned about the large number of Middle Eastern adults who have come to America because I expect that in another generation or two they will assimilate, as have the Chinese, Eastern Europeans, Irish, Cubans, etc. However, if we allow them to maintain their "separateness" especially in our public schools, there will be hell to pay down the road - they will eventually demand that all of our laws be rewritten to allow them five breaks a day in the workplace for prayer, prohibit employers from requiring uniforms, etc. etc. ad nauseam. This will fundamentally change American society in very bad ways.

Throughout our history, Americans have welcomed waves of immigrants. It has not always been easy or free of problems and even violence, but invariably in a generation or two they are just Americans like the rest of us. I truly fear what will happen if we throw away this great tradition and strength of our nation just to be "politically correct" and "culturally sensitive" to Arab Muslims! This has little to do with terrorism or Sept. 11, but it has everything to do with the survival of America as we know it!!!

[stuartcr]

Where do you live that a student bowing their head in silent prayer would get expelled?

[exmarine]

I wish they would get their religion straight. I thought it was naturalism (that's what they teach in science class). Now, I see that it's pluralism (all religions are equal -- except Christianity). By the way, this is the religion Bush endorses. What a confusing country we live in.

[RnMomof7]

Who do we freep? Names from Chicago folks please...when I went through O Hare Sunday the guy announcing and the woman taking tickets were Arab....made me REAL comfortable!

[stripes1776]

This just goes to show the bigotry of liberals. They hate everything that is American. They cater to every minority group around. The aim is to divide America into a lot of groups with opposing demands. They hate American culture.

It's the old divide and conquer thing. It is also showing the sympathy that liberals have for terrorism.

[caisson71]

Where is the A C L U ??

[ROCKLOBSTER]

Chicago's notoriously wretched but money-squandering government schools have set aside a prayer room to accommodate Muslims

That's just blatant discrimination. Students of other faiths should utilize the "prayer room" and if confronted or if diciplined, they should initiate a killer lawsuit.

[StayoutdaBushesWay]

Just another sign of the times my friend!
My local NBC affiliate now has a splash screen or whatever it's called, saying "From all of us at KNBC Happy Ramadan" This shown before this year.
I guarantee you, you won't be seeing a Merry Christmas, just the usual Happy Holidays.

[yankeedame]

While reminds me of a headline I saw a few days ago. It went something like: "Ford to hold sensitivity training about Muslims for assembly line works".

Alas, I did not read get a chance to read the article but I remember thinking, "Sensitivity training? What comes next? Self-confession and re-education classes a la China's 'Cultural Revolution'?"

Good gravy, can you imagin something like this taking place in a major US industry a few months after Pearl Harbor in reguard to the Japanese?

[gimme1ibertee]

Time for Christian/Jewish students and their families in Chi-Town to start complaining to their community leaders-in a big way.

[EdReform]

"However, if we allow them to maintain their "separateness" especially in our public schools, there will be hell to pay down the road - they will eventually demand that all of our laws be rewritten to allow them five breaks a day in the workplace for prayer, prohibit employers from requiring uniforms, etc. etc. ad nauseam. This will fundamentally change American society in very bad ways."

"A warning from Denmark"