Muslims ask schools to compromise - (Muslim Prayer in Schools)

Baltimore Sun ^ | November 18, 2002 | By Liz F. Kay

[Damocles]

A growing number of Muslim students and their parents in Howard and Montgomery counties are lobbying for compromises in school rules to accommodate their religious practices.
At issue are scheduling of standardized tests on religious holidays, vegetarian options in school lunches and finding times and places to pray during the school day.

Since the beginning of the school year, members of the Muslim Council have served on the school system's curriculum, food service and calendar committees, as well as on the Equity Council, an advisory board of community members that reports to the superintendent.

"We're really not fabricating prayer rooms. Space in schools is not always what we want," she said. However, if acceptable supervision can be provided, "students may pray in a nondisruptive manner" when they're not in class, she said.

[Damocles]

OK. I agree with the nutritional value of high school cafeteria. When I was there I always wondered why we got french fries and mashed potatoes with gravy and some sort of fried fritter on a bun.

But the prayer thing is puttin' a burr under ny saddle.

[elephantlips]

Either change the rules about "separation of church and state," or go pound salt.

[Elkiejg]

Agree!! You're in America now - love it or leave it.

[Bob Buchholz]

Wonder if they ever considered why the Catholics have their own schools?

[knuthom]

In our school, the same lady touches the pepperoni that handles the cheese pizza

Horrors!

[Damocles]

Wait until they find out everything is fried in pork fat!

[Guillermo]

Noooo, Muslims don't want to impose Shariah Law here in the United States...

[2sheep]

Punishment includes Islam indoctrination

[Guillermo]

Members of the Muslim Council also want to make themselves available to train teachers in the tenets of their religion so the teachers can provide accurate information about Islam in their classes.

[GirlShortstop]

A growing number of Muslim students and their parents in Howard and Montgomery counties are lobbying for compromises in school rules to accommodate their religious practices.

Here's what muhammadans sow in school when they're accomodated:

"I will make my body a bomb," said the boy, "that will blast the flesh of Zionists, the sons of pigs and monkeys.... I will tear their bodies into little pieces and will cause them more pain than they will ever know."  His classmates shouted in response, "Allah Akhbar," [God is great] and his teacher shouted, "May the virgins give you pleasure."

Islam Unveiled, David Pryce-Jones cites Jack Kelley's article in USA Today describing the latter's visit to a school run by Hamas... an eleven year old boy reported to his class.

[meenie]

It's rather disturbing that we, the most free nation in the world, have a group of Muslims promoting the free exercise of prayer in our schools. We can humor them and allow prayer for them but have fought doggedly to keep Christian or any other religion out of our schools. Seems like double standards to me.

[Frankss]

No prayer in school,not even a moment of silence.No Biblical studies on school grounds,not even after class. Now they want prayer in school (Moslem prayer only?) Several times per day!

[joesnuffy]

what they want..is recruiting rights...
Muslims are on a mission..to conquer the USA and make it a Muslim land
Once established it will be die convert or leave..
The tolerant ones are doomed.....

[Far Right Of Left]

There's plenty of schools in Pakistan,Saudi Arabia,etc. where you are free to pray to your "god" anytime you like.If you don't like the way we do things here,don't let the door hit you in the a**!!!

[kidd]

Vouchers.

[Cicero5]

I live in Howard County folks, expect to see this get some real consideration and maybe pass. (It's not like the libs haven't peed all over the constitution before).

This county is digustingly liberal, a good example is the subsidized housing right next to middle class neighborhoods. (Gee, all of a sudden we have drugs and violent crime in our neighborhood, where could it be coming from?)

We have some of the highest taxes in MD, mostly to support the school system, which is excellent at the elementary and high school level. But we also pay for kids who come from Baltimore City and PG County and use fake addresses. The schools know who they are but won't say a word about it (don't want to be racist...) Enough ranting.

[angkor]

Woodbury said meeting the need for prayer space may require creativity. "We're really not fabricating prayer rooms. Space in schools is not always what we want," she said. However, if acceptable supervision can be provided, "students may pray in a nondisruptive manner" when they're not in class, she said.

Translation: we're trying to find a way to violate the last 20 years of anti-Christian legal rulings without anyone noticing.

[ladylib]

I bet that they'll bend over backwards to accommodate them. Look at all that state aid they'll lose if the Muslims decide to pull their kids out and either homeschool them or set up religious schools.

Too bad they aren't that considerate of Christian students. Perhaps Christians should be more militant, either that or set up their own private schools or homeschool.

[valkyrieanne]

Oh, the wahhabis will set up their own private schools all right - especially if they can get voucher money to pay for it. You heard it here first.

[nypokerface]

How come the seperation of church and state seems to only include Christians.