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Chicago Public Schools set up Muslim Prayer Rooms
Chicago Sun Times ^
| November 29, 2001
| Rosalind Rossi
Posted on 11/29/2001 5:45:06 PM PST by 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.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: islam; muslimprayerrooms; publicschools
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To: RobbyS
You are absolutley right! As a Catholic,our Mass on holy days are always scheduled early in the morning before work or school or in the evening to accomodate everyones schedule.
To: cookcounty
CALL THE ACLJ....ANYBODY WHO HAS A KID IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND IS A FREEPER. The ACLJ will likely help you out for free on this one....this could be a landmark case if it ever got to the SCOTUS that says it is NOT okay to support false religions and attack the Christian one in the public schools in the name of "tolerance" and allowing students the right to practice their faith (ignoring the Christians, of course).
To: americanusa
On the way home, I heard that they changed their mind when a Catholic official said that that was wonderful that they were doing it and then said "you are, of course, going to open prayer rooms for Catholics, Jews and other religions are you not?" The report then said the muslim prayer room was withdrawn. Rather than get bent "out of shape" his approach was clever.
63
posted on
11/29/2001 9:32:02 PM PST
by
poet
To: TopQuark
That is what I am saying.....this is the promotion of a minority religion and EXALTING IT OVER the majority religion. Once this gets to the SCOTUS and they strike the puppy down, it is one of the few times I can honestly say I will applaud them on the religion cases.
To: notaliberal
The Churches have, for the most part, ceded society to commerce. Why, for instance, can we find no chapel/churches in shopping malls? It's for lack of will to compete;nor beause we can't afford to pay for the space.
65
posted on
11/29/2001 9:34:35 PM PST
by
RobbyS
To: DonQ
Actually, you are wrong that a prayer room is unconstitutional because well, the Supreme Court is wrong. But, it is wrong in this case because the majority religion is not the one that is being used.
To: Colonel_Flagg
Amen
To: rwfromkansas; DonQ
I mean that in this case, it is WRONG TO HAVE A PRAYER ROOM because the minority religion is being advanced, not that the Supreme Court would be wrong in calling this unconstitutional. My point was that it is not unconstitutional to have a prayer room alone though, even though the Supreme Court says otherwise
To: GuillermoX
Maybe the same reason why these "One World Religion" proponents so despise Him and will actually say that there is no room "fundamentalist Christianity" in a unified religion. I'd say you're right. :)
MM
To: cookcounty
This one comes pretty close to the line here. In terms of Supreme Court rulings - this is on thin ice, giving that the Supreme Court has repeatedly said that setting aside space for particular religious observances is questionable if not unconstitutional.
In terms of what I think is constitutionally permissible, as long as there is no coercion or promotion of or affliation with a particular religion by the school then it is legal.
70
posted on
11/29/2001 9:57:54 PM PST
by
garbanzo
To: j_tull
The critical distinction you seem to have missed is that ANY mention of the Judeo-Christian God in public schools is ILLEGAL. This is not the case. Students are free to pray on their own time. Teachers are just not allowed to use school time to proslyetize.
71
posted on
11/29/2001 10:02:18 PM PST
by
garbanzo
To: Victoria Delsoul; harpseal; Travis McGee; Spirit Of Truth; Manny Festo; The Documentary Lady...
"Religion of peace" growl!
To: cookcounty
Christians!!!! jump on this one and run with it, what's good for the goose is good for the gander!!!!!
To: Sabertooth
"MOHAMMED (ATTA) OPENING A NEW MOSLEM PRAYER ROOM IN NYC"
To: cookcounty
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...
![](http://www.inlandempireonline.com/photos/080401/meast-314.jpg)
How about what's inevitable?
To: Sabertooth
A major stink bomb is about to go off in Chicago due to this. Let them be shamed the same way the edu-crats in NYC were.
76
posted on
11/30/2001 12:34:12 AM PST
by
dennisw
To: cookcounty; Sabertooth
Funny how the need to be PC has transformed the way the liberals look at prayer in school.
No doubt! Throw the folks in the closet with the guys in Maryland that want to
Ban Santa Claus!
To: cookcounty
This is good. Now with Advent beginning there will be a room set aside for Christian prayer, too. What? There won't?
78
posted on
11/30/2001 2:00:38 AM PST
by
Aeronaut
Comment #79 Removed by Moderator
To: Husker24
Are Christians required to pray in a certain manner at specific times during the day?
The policy of giving the muslims a room to pray is necessary in order to protect their right to free exercise. If they were to bow east in the middle of class that would be disruptive.
I know of no particular instructions regarding Christian prayer that would pre-empt any student from praying anywhere on school property at any time during the school day.
Do you?
It should also be noted that schools can and do allow students to form their own prayer groups and bible study groups and use school property to do so.
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