LETTER OF THE DAY
Ignorance and bigotry run rampant in NCCo.
Muslims should not have special times
I am appalled that the Muslim people think they should have special treatment because of their religion at Bancroft Middle School.
If other children cannot pray in school, then why should special consideration be given to the Muslim people during Ramadan?
If we are going to find a special place for the Muslim children to pray and fast then perhaps this option should be given to children of all religions and faiths.
I think it is unfair not to allow prayer in public school, however if special consideration is going to be given to one group of people, then by all means do the same for everyone.
Patricia Stanley, Bear
I agree 100%. Kids should (and, in fact, do) have the right to pray during the school day. There’s a huge difference, though, between kids being allowed to pray and State-sponsored prayer. The folks who call for prayer in schools are generally asking for the latter. All the Muslim parents wanted was for their kids to not be forced into the cafeteria during Ramadan (while they’re fasting) and to be allowed to use an empty classroom to pray during that time. Seems eminently “fair” to me.
2 Responses to “LETTER OF THE DAY”
 Comment by Adrian October 31st, 2004 at 4:55 pm |
“If we are going to find a special place for the Muslim children to pray and fast then perhaps this option should be given to children of all religions and faiths.” Actually, that’s exactly what should happen. |
 Comment by CED November 1st, 2004 at 5:19 pm |
What’s being denied in many cases is not the prayer, it’s the audience. Muslim students don’t pray publically over loud speakers on stages at football games and graduation ceremonies. They pray in the closet, so to speak. On the other hand, their very public calls to prayer in residential neighborhoods have been litigated. Another frequent mischaracterization of the prayer in public school issue is that it’s a grumpy atheist causing problems for everyone. In many instances the litigant was motivated by the sectarian nature of the so-called nonsectarian prayer. The plaintiff in the football game prayers here in Texas was a Mormon, I believe. |