File this one under things that I never thought I would have to explain to adults.
A North York school has been allowing students to use the school’s cafeteria as a pray room on Friday afternoons. Cue the armageddon?
Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, said in an interview Tuesday that Islamic groups are “imposing their view and trying to change the rules, regulations, norms and values to accommodate themselves, and in the long-term, to spread their ideology,” he said.
So a director of a religious advocacy group is having a problem with a religion trying to “accomodate themselves” and “spread their ideology.” Um, yeah, good luck with that one. Here’s an idea: If you have such a problems with religious advocacy maybe you shouldn’t be in charge of a religious advocacy group!
Just a thought.
What really worries me however is the inability of many to understand that there is a difference between “mandatory” religion and “optional” religion.
Take this selection from the handle “BARNEYCANOE” on The National Post:
When we’ve outlawed prayer (Christian prayer) in the schools, it’s ridiculous to allow Muslim prayer. Are we equal under the law or not?
A) No one has “outlawed” prayer in schools, christian or otherwise. What was stopped was a reading of the Lord’s Prayer that ALL students were subjected to, in class, whether they were christian or not. The only students who attend this cafeteria prayer session are students who wish to do so. It is without a doubt fundamentally different than preventing a christian prayer to be read over a school loudspeaker.
B) The idea that christian religious activities have somehow been been prevented in schools is downright false. First of all, I know this first hand as I was subjected to an after-school bible study program during the 1990′s. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus…. blah, blah, blah.) Secondly, the following statement is from a memorandum from the Deputy Minister of Education in 1990, and posted on the Toronto District School Board site.
4. Boards of education may continue to provide space before the beginning or after the close of the instructional program of the school day for indoctrinational religious education. Given the provisions for equality of treatment in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, boards choosing this option must make space available on an equitable basis to all religious groups.
See, indoctrination is totally allowed! Which, from my point of view is completely depressing* but until we have evidence that the school has explicitly prevented christian students from setting up a prayer club in the cafeteria on Mondays, people really need to shut their mouths.
