Posted on 11/16/2001 1:23:34 PM PST by Sabertooth
After a flood of complaints about the decision by New York City's public school Chancellor Harold Levy to set aside special classrooms where Muslim students could pray during Ramadan, the plan has been abruptly dropped.
"The Schools Chancellor is making an about-face from yesterday's announcement that Muslim students could go to a special area on school grounds and pray for Ramadan," reported WABC Radio in New York, which broke the Muslim-prayer-in-schools story last month.
Civil rights lawyers as well as many in the general public were outraged at the double standard that blatantly violated the Supreme Court's ruling banning school prayer and they let their displeasure be known in calls to Levy's office.
The Catholic League, on the other hand, actually praised the decision, but noted the double standard in a press release Thursday.
"It is only fitting that the New York City public schools extend to Jews and Christians the same respect for their religious traditions and observances that they now extend to Muslims," Catholic League President William Donohue said.
"This is what diversity really meansgiving equal recognition to the diverse cultural and religious heritages that constitute the American mosaic. We expect our plea for parity will be granted."
Rather than granting parity, however, Schools Chancellor Levy abandoned the school prayer plan entirely.
"Students of all religious faiths can always pray but it cannot disrupt class and it cannot be offered in the form of a special prayer room," Levy's office said.
After a flood of complaints about the decision by New York City's public school Chancellor Harold Levy to set aside special classrooms where Muslim students could pray during Ramadan, the plan has been abruptly dropped.Whatcha wanna bet hitler clintoon made the FIRST call to set this up???? ;-)
Whatcha wanna bet hitler clintoon made the FIRST call to set this up???? ;-)Huh? Can you believe a thread on NEW YORK & my post #62 is the first on referencing "clinton", "clintoon", "bill", "hitler", or "hillary"????? What's the deal??? Ramadan got FReepers out of touch with their minds???? LMAO! ;-)
He should be made to wear a burqa for the rest of the school year!
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Mayor-elect Mike Bloomberg declined to appear in public with Schools Chancellor Harold Levy yesterday following a private chat between the two - fueling speculation he wants to replace Levy with his own schools boss.
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