What about the Christians and the Jewish kids? Don't they count for anything, or is it just the Muslim kids feelings that are important?
Posted on 10/04/2007 5:21:36 AM PDT by Puppage
OAK LAWN, Ill. Parents in Oak Lawn sounded off Tuesday night about what they see as an assault on traditional American celebrations. At issue is whether Halloween and Christmas celebrations are insensitive to school children who are Muslim.
As CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports, the school board held an emergency meeting Tuesday night.
Almost a month before Halloween, some Oak Lawn homes are already decorated with pumpkins, ghosts and goblins. But rumors that Ridgefield School District 122 may soon ban in-school Halloween and Christmas have infuriated many parents and area residents.
"They're trying to take away holidays and stuff for the kids," said resident Gene Boerema, dressed in a Santa Claus costume.
Elizabeth Zahdan is at the center of the storm, a Muslim mother of three who requested that her children be separated from others at lunch during the Ramadan fast.
The schools agreed, but many parents didn't.
"I don’t ever remember one of us asking for our child to be separated from classmates during Ash Wednesday when they were fasting, or on every Friday of Lent when our children are not allowed to eat meat," said parent Cathy Hughes.
"If Muslims want the school holidays, menus and school traditions to become tailored to their needs or beliefs, then they should go to private school next to their mosque," said resident Brian Shapiro.
"That does not represent all the Muslims, all of the Arabs at that school," said Qais Nofel, the father of a student in Ridgeland School District 122.
But Zahdan insists she never wanted traditional celebrations removed from schools, she only wanted Ramadan recognized and included.
"We should educate our children about all the holidays, equally," she said. "And not to favor one holiday over another."
The district has a 30 percent Arab-American population, many of whom practice Islam. The superintendent says the reason for the change in tradition comes after one parent wanted Ramadan decorations put up inside Columbus Manor Elementary. They were taken down.
Superintendent Tom Smyth said, "I go back to our policy which says that public schools are to remain neutral in this respect."
Still, for many residents the debate took on a nationalistic tone, one of defending America and its traditions.
"We're letting you come here, were honoring you, don't dishonor us," said resident Linda Pferschy.
Other parents say the controversy is overshadowing what really needs to be addressed at all five schools in the district.
Ronnie Carroll said, "The fact that they are cash strapped. Our classroom size is way above the average mean, 38 children in our first grade classroom. The concern should be our school, not the whole holiday issues."
Smyth said the school never intended to do away with Christmas and Halloween celebrations. Still, after hours of public comment, the board retreated to a closed session, huddling with an attorney to discuss how to deal with religion-tinged issues. Smyth would not say what, if any, board action would be taken.
They should read the childrens’ book, “Heather is 9 and Has a Husband”.
There’s a relatively simple solution to this; you could follow our family’s lead and boycott all of the secular holidays and by secular I mean the secularized Happy Holiday’s crap; celebrate Epiphany instead. If your a Christian refuse to buy gifts, boycott the stores; emphasise gift giving on Birthdays instead; substitute a “Christian” Holy Day for the secularized “Holidays”. Don’t exchange their stinking “Happy Holidays” non-christian greeting cards. We only exchange Christian Christmas cards with fellow Christians. Freeze ‘em out; boycott their stores!
And rather than send he kids to school with a sack lunch when they are among the second class citizens who might be eating Jell-o, Jello is banned for all in accordance with Islam. Wonderful.
It’s for your own good, you know.
You know, I never thought about this before. Do they actually make their small kids fast for Ramadan too? Pretty cruel on its face without sending them to school where all their friends are eating.
My son's high school serves fish every Friday during Lent.
My oldest daughter attended kindergarten at a school which still did celebrate Halloween and Christmas and Thanksgiving, etc. One of her classmates was a Jehovah's Witness, and he sat out every holiday party. There was no fuss...his mother simply came to school and sat with him during the parties.
I believe there are simple ways of solving these problems without fuss.
I think there was a hospital in Scotland that suspended snack cart service during Ramadan because there were complaints from muslims.
9-11 wasn’t a backlash over repressions FROM such intrustions. It was a wakeup call for the muslim ranks to push FORWARD into the land of the kufir.
I see far many more Islamic art shows advertised now.
How many Christian art shows are in muslim world? There are long standing cultural art traditions in my faith too.
I’m not 100% sure, but I believe the elderly, the sick, and the young are not required to fast during Ramadan. This woman is being strict with her children, and using that as a lever to manipulate the larger population of infidels.
As I note above, the Imam around the world denounce these traditions (even the spirit of Thanksgiving) BECAUSE it is tied to America.
“At issue is whether Halloween and Christmas celebrations are insensitive to school children who are Muslim.”
If that school in anway support anything Muslims the parents needs to sue for supporting a religion. I am tired of having to set aside American culture for this foreign cult of Islam.
Many Dems vote the way the do because the subliminal message from the Dem political elite is that it will take care of everyone. Afterall, isn’t that what communists say they are about. Of course there is the little matter of all that you must give up for this benevolent leadership—the right live where you want, the right to worship anything but the new communist leadership God, the right to speak your mind, the right to wear what you want, the right to eat what you want, the right to choose your own doctor, the right to choose to get a yearly physical exam or not, the right to drive the car you want, the right to be free of propandized education, the right to choose what you want to do for a living and the right to not have to pay for other people’s choices/mistakes in life. Also, there is the little matter of giving up your right to dissent. But these are such small things compared to being taken care of for life.
Muslim mothers making their children starve during Ramadan?
What next? Brainwashing them to recite that Jews are the offspring of pigs and monkeys and that it is a great joy to wear a suicide belt?
Sally Fields said that there would be no wars if women ruled the world. Golda Meir said “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us”.
They don’t always have their childrens’ best interest at heart.
I would agree with you. However, your statement only works if you're dealing with open minded people eager or willing to arrive at a compromise.
Obviously, that's not the case here. It's their way or no way.
ping,,,
Like I say, let’s start a new secular “ramadan” tradition. It lasts a month so there is a lot of time to celebrate.
First we’ll just say it is the “holiday season” since Ramadan and Halloween and Labor Day and Columbus Day are near each other even if not eveyrone celebrates them.
And then we must come up with the color scheme for this holiday season. White is out, I hear, after Labor Day. Brown and Root, er Brown and Gold sound good?
And what kind of foods are served in this holiday season? Well they should be tempting because it isn’t hard to swear off food if it is unappealing.
If we aren’t going to eat until sundown, how about something that takes a long time like roasting a pig? People all over the neighborhood would smell the slow roasting critter. It is a little late for a luau but “global warming” will keep it warm enough for an outdoor luau in much of the US in the Autumn season.
That says it all. If the Muzzies don't like what their kids are being exposed to in public school let them do like many other parents have done and send their kids to private parochial schools. I'm sure in a madrassa their kids will learn all the important things like intolerance of other beliefs, antisemitism, hatred of all things Western and jihad.
But then YOUR children wouldn’t learn about Islam and their missionary goal would not be met.
What about the Christians and the Jewish kids? Don't they count for anything, or is it just the Muslim kids feelings that are important?
Now I’m not associating Halloween with Christian and Jewish beliefs .... It’s just that this Oak Lawn thing just keeps popping up. They don’t want to offend the Muslim community but they’re ignorin the others in their efforts. Along with Halloween, they’re also excluding the things that DO matter to the other faiths ... all in the name of being sensitive to the Muslims.
When will be the last straw?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.