Chicago Public Schools set up Muslim Prayer Rooms

Chicago Sun Times ^ | November 29, 2001 | Rosalind Rossi

[cookcounty]

Muslim students hail prayer policy

November 29, 2001

BY ROSALIND ROSSI EDUCATION REPORTER

Chicago Public Schools were given an official green light Wednesday to set aside a vacant room for students to pray during school hours, a policy welcomed by Muslim students whose daily prayers overlap with school hours.

The "Policy on Accommodations for Student Religious Practices'' approved unanimously by Chicago School Board members is similar to one practiced in Los Angeles, but it goes further than one observed in New York City, where schools are barred from designating a room for student prayer.

Some Chicago schools, such as Von Steuben High, already set aside space for Muslim students to observe one of their five daily prayers, but other schools have been calling recently with questions about what is allowable, Chicago Board of Education attorneys said.

[shaggy eel]

,,, it may get worse! Don't bank any tax refund cheques just yet, they may have to be returned to finance prayer rugs.

[americanusa]

i tried to find an email address so we could freep the hell out of them like we did in NY. no luck could someone help me find the email address(es) Lets show them the power of the internet. THANKS

[cidrasm]

NOT AGAIN!!!!! Why the h**l are these people getting more rights than regular Americans.

Needing more information, I read the entire article and found that while a bit attention was paid to muslims, the actual policy was NOT targetted to muslims only. It appears that ANY religion can benefit from this.

[Concentrate]

Hey, cook, your link didn't work for me. Does it work for anyone else?

[A. Pole]

That's what worries me: this seems to be just a strange twist of PC.

The last issue of Chronicles Magazine has some explanations.

Check this: Islam and the Academy and other articles.

[newzjunkey]

What everyone's COMPLETELY missing, tripping over each other to flaunt righteous indignation, is that a Catholic mass is *not* a religious requirement during school hours. Christians can pray anytime, anywhere. And so on...

Unlike the "moment of silence" prohibitions or the other 'crimes' of the State listed in this thread, you delibrately overlook the obvious and critical distinction that students aren't required to attend these so-called "prayer rooms".

Seems to me this "double standard" talk is the usual knee-jerk whine, perhaps tinted with a little anti-Islamic sentiment as well. Suck it up or convert.

[meyer]

Paging the ACLU, are you there? Religion + School = ?

Oh yeah, I forgot; they only dislike Christians.

[cidrasm]

Hey, cook, your link didn't work for me. Does it work for anyone else?

Nope. Try Chicago Sun Times

[ladyinred]

I am disgusted about this. They have screamed for years that schools are no place for prayers, yet now they give the Muslims a special place to pray? What is wrong with this picture?

[Concentrate]

"The enemy of my enemy is now my friend"

Democrats and devout Moslems make very strange bedfellows.

[Aeronaut]

Okay, buzzword time. "I am offended by muslum prayer in school." Now it is expeditiously barred from happening, right?

[Zorobabel]

Anti-Islamic? YOU BET I AM!

[GuillermoX]

Breaks my heart to see stuff like this. I fear the Muslims will take over, eventually.

[Lent]

Stupid leftists. NOW it's ok to have a prayer room. I bet the chiken-littles were scared some Muslim might issue a fatwa against them if they didn't allow it.

[GuillermoX]

I've said this before, I'll say it again: The Left is NOT opposed to Religion, they are opposed to Jesus.

[timestax]

So where do they set up the table for a Catholic Mass? 20 posted on 11/29/01 7:46 PM Pacific by Salvation SO, Where do they transplant a tree for the people that worship trees!!

[timestax]

So where do they set up the table for a Catholic Mass? 20 posted on 11/29/01 7:46 PM Pacific by Salvation

SO, Where do they transplant a tree for the people that worship trees!!

[Colonel_Flagg]

What everyone's COMPLETELY missing, tripping over each other to flaunt righteous indignation, is that a Catholic mass is *not* a religious requirement during school hours. Christians can pray anytime, anywhere. And so on...

No, they can't. They can't pray anytime, anywhere while in school because they are barred from doing so by the courts in the name of "separation of church and state".

Scripturally, Christians are called to "pray without ceasing" (1 Th 5:17). Theoretically, and in actual practice, they are being barred from doing so.

Meanwhile, Muslims are not only allowed to pray, they are allowed special private space to do what Christians cannot. Hence, what you call "righteous indignation" -- and rightfully so.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Unbelievable. This is totally outrageous.

[P-Marlowe]

This will most likely be declared unconstitutional as it favors one religion over another. The only way to be fair is to set aside a single "prayer room" and allow children of all faiths to go in there and pray.

Of course once they find out that Christians are the dominant religion in America and as soon as the Christians take advantage of that fact, they will simply shelve the whole thing.