Muslims ask for prayer rooms in Catholic schools

GeoffP

GeoffP

Caput gerat lupinum
Valued Senior Member
Just kidding.

Muslim prayer rooms should be opened in every Roman Catholic school, church leaders have said.

The Catholic bishops of England and Wales also want facilities in schools for Islamic pre-prayer washing rituals.

The demands go way beyond legal requirements on catering for religious minorities.

But the bishops - who acknowledge 30 per cent of pupils at their schools hold a non-Christian faith - want to answer critics who say religious schools sow division.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ened-Catholic-schools-say-church-leaders.html

I realize islam has been getting a hard time on the forums, but why is it always the one side that tolerates and the other that doesn't? What would be the reaction of local imams to setting up a Catholic prayer area complete with crucifix and Jesus in a mosque?

Neh, whatever. No one will be honest about their answers, and no one is interested in getting at fairness anyway.
 
umm GeoffP from your quote it apears they arnt talking about putting them in CHURCHES. They are talking about putting them in SCHOOLS. For instance my university (which is not a religious one i will point out) has pray rooms for muslims as well as for christans. Now i honestly dont know what ACU (Australian Catholic University) currently has but this proposal would be the equivlant of putting muslim pray rooms into ACU. I would be honestly surprised if this isnt already the case
 
I sorta have to say, This might be taking PC a bit too far.
However, I think it depends on the country. I mean, If the West wants to prove that they're better and more advance than the "barbarians" (be honest, thats what most of you think of the east), what better way than to allow them to practice their culture in their own religious schools ?
 
Egad! Does this mean we now have to run Jesus camp in our madrassas? :eek:
 
Schools they well may be, Asguard, but the point stands: would islamic religious schools allow it, since they see their religion as revelation "above" the other Abrahamic faiths? Doubtful. And Challenger: will this decision be seen as capitulation in some quarters? To an expansionist faith, I think it would. (However, I don't consider easterners barbaric, although the way that religion intersects with politics in some eastern countries is a bit barbaric.)

Also, we're not talking about uni here, which has to accomodate - and should so far as reasonable - people of varied faiths. I don't agree with separare prayer rooms, however; but that's a different issue.
 
I bet the Christians will be beating a path to the madrassas now. Any figures on how many Christians presently attend Muslim religious schools? Or teach Islam there?
 
GeoffP said:
Schools they well may be, Asguard, but the point stands: would islamic religious schools allow it, since they see their religion as revelation "above" the other Abrahamic faiths? Doubtful. And Challenger: will this decision be seen as capitulation in some quarters? To an expansionist faith, I think it would. (However, I don't consider easterners barbaric, although the way that religion intersects with politics in some eastern countries is a bit barbaric.)

Also, we're not talking about uni here, which has to accomodate - and should so far as reasonable - people of varied faiths. I don't agree with separare prayer rooms, however; but that's a different issue.
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it depends i surpose. Under Australian legsliation the religious schools have the RIGHT to exclude people who dont subscribe to that religion, this is in every anti discrimination act. The catholic system (which is the biggest non goverment school system) has not chosen to exercise this right very far. That being said mum told me (she is a teacher in the catholic system i might add) that the current policy is to more strictly enforce the preference for practicing catholics in the paticular church above other groups. Fair enough but they CHOSE to let non catholics in. I dont know if the few muslim (and jewish for that matter) schools have the same policy. If they do then like the catholic system they will need to make alowences for that, if they dont, they wont need to worry about it. This has been THERE decision, not a govermental policy forced on them from the look at your quote, good on them
 
That's the British Catholics for you. They seem to be fighting for Muslims to have rights above and beyond them. One of those Catholic fellows recently said something about the UK adopting Muslim law, or somesuch.
 
Um, why are there Muslims in Catholic schools?

What do school age atheists get?

To be fair all atheist kids should be allowed to curse God and all the believers in their own private room.
 
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GeoffP said:
Just kidding.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ened-Catholic-schools-say-church-leaders.html

I realize islam has been getting a hard time on the forums, but why is it always the one side that tolerates and the other that doesn't? What would be the reaction of local imams to setting up a Catholic prayer area complete with crucifix and Jesus in a mosque?

Neh, whatever. No one will be honest about their answers, and no one is interested in getting at fairness anyway.
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Totally with you on this. Its amazing to see the tolerance being extended by Catholics here, and I am impressed with that. It would completely blow me away (figuratively speaking of course)... to see an Islamic school do this. I still think Islam has a long way to grow up still and is perhaps working through its version of the Dark Ages.
 
Clearly, its why there are so many Christian and Jewish children in Islamic schools.
 
Asguard said:
it depends i surpose. Under Australian legsliation the religious schools have the RIGHT to exclude people who dont subscribe to that religion, this is in every anti discrimination act.
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They've clearly been quite tolerant then.

This has been THERE decision, not a govermental policy forced on them from the look at your quote, good on them
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I never said it was a governmental dictum, only that I wondered where the reciprocity was.
 
S.A.M. said:
I bet the Christians will be beating a path to the madrassas now. Any figures on how many Christians presently attend Muslim religious schools? Or teach Islam there?
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Good for the students at King David; yet, this isn't really the topic.
 
So you're expecting to see prayer rooms for non-existent Christian pupils in Muslim madrassas? I find it curious that there are Muslim pupils in both Jewish and Christian religious schools, but none in the other direction. Why?
 
JDawg said:
That's the British Catholics for you. They seem to be fighting for Muslims to have rights above and beyond them. One of those Catholic fellows recently said something about the UK adopting Muslim law, or somesuch.
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JDawg, there you go again, generalising and oversimplifying.
The suggestion was there could be value in using Shariah law to cover aspects of civil relationships, where disputes arise, that are not currently addressed by any existing UK legislation. In other words, lets us an accepted cultural medium, for those who wish to do so, to settle matters before they enter the official legal system.
Is this a good idea? I don't see why it is not worth giving some thought to.
 
S.A.M. said:
I bet the Christians will be beating a path to the madrassas now. Any figures on how many Christians presently attend Muslim religious schools? Or teach Islam there?
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Why shouldn't they? If Muslims get a prayer room in a Catholic school, then why shouldn't Christians be granted the same? What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Or do you have double standards too, sam?

I personally think the idea is fuckin stupid. It begs the question, why on earth are Muslims enrolling/attending Catholic schools? Or why would a Muslim want to work at a Catholic school? Doesn't it defeat the purpose?
And if the bishops are the ones wanting this, what is their motive? If they are doing this just to try to be accomodating, why not just let Muslims go pray in the same spot as the Catholics? Why segregate?
Common sense isn't very common, is it?
 
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