In Montreal today, lawyers for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the National Council of Canadian Muslims told the court that the ban would cause irreparable harm if it is not suspended while a court challenge is heard on the merits of their case.
Screw their case. Keep religion out of our schools. ANY religion.
While I agree religion should be kept out of schools, I still think religious students deserve the ability to practice their chosen religion. At the end of the day a “prayer room” is just an empty quiet room where kids can go to do a religious prayer or do some “secular contemplation”. There’s nothing inherently religious about a quiet room, and it’s not like the school is forcing every student to attend mass or perform daily prayers, it’s simply an accommodation made to students who have a daily task to do based on their beliefs
I disagree. They can practice their religion at home. Not at the one place where logic and reasoning should be paramount over superstition.
My kids had a daily task to practice their creative writing, this doesn’t mean the school needs to accommodate them. And if anyone argues that the religious task has more importance than creative writing, then we are right back into the territory we started at. Special treatment for any religion should not be part of school policy.
What are your thoughts on lunch menu options at school then? For example if a school is serving a pork meal should they be required to provide a special accommodation for religious students?
I would say that schools should offer a vegetarian alternative for anyone with dietary restrictions of the sort. Wether religious or by conviction of otherwise.
Good question. I had to think about it for a bit. I think I have to say my opinion is that if a child has special dietary needs they should be addressed by their parents. If the school is serving something your child can’t eat, you should send a lunch. The same way a child with allergies would need to pack a lunch.
There are obviously some negative side-effects that could occur; like being singled out for not eating the main meal. But I would wager that most of that would actually be expressed as jealousy, and any actual bullying can be dealt with the same way as bullying for any other reason.
However, think that the upside of children learning that your religion is not important while at school would outweigh the possible negatives. Maybe it would even prevent some of these religious children from growing up to be religious adults who insist on having their myths brought into public unasked.
J’ai un enfant avec des allergies et nous lui faisons toujours sont lunch même pour une fête chez un ami. C’est un peu plate mais ce n’'est si dur. Les vegans fonts les même chose.
errr… how about the government stops throwing wads of taxpayer cash at Catholic private schools before it goes hammer & tongs after students using a “prayer room” a few times a day?
Priorities.
You know what makes things cool to kids? Banning them.
The article says that some Muslim kids are hiding to pray. You know what gives clout to religious conservatives? Martyrdom.
So by banning paying at school, you’re basically making it super cool and righteous. Give it a generation and it will be back with a vengeance.
You want to keep religion our of schools? Give them their damn airport-style multifaith chapel and make it boring and uncool to go there with cutesy multifaith “COEXIST” iconografy. Soon the cool kids will go back to hiding to smoke.
Unless I am very mistaken, this is not a ban on prayer. This is removing school support for said prayer. The rest of this comment just seems silly to me. ‘Cool Kids’ are not out praying in secret. And giving religious idiots clout is not something you can prevent. They will take it regardless of what you give.
The article says:
Children report having to hide to pray at school, says head of NCCM
[…] students have been threatened with disciplinary measures for praying at school. […] a student who was mocked by a teacher for trying to find a place to pray.
[… Education Minister] said students would still be allowed to pray silently and discreetly. But […] that’s not an option for Muslims, whose prayers require physical action.
The case was brought on behalf of a 16-year-old Muslim student at a Montreal-area high school who had been given a place to pray during the lunch hour but lost that accommodation after the ban went into effect. […] Sworn statements have also been entered into evidence from three other Muslim students who say they also lost the ability to pray.
So in fact, it’s not that the law doesn’t allow schools to set up multifaith chapels, the law doesn’t even allow the principal to say “fine, use that closet for 10 minutes a day”.
And even though the minister had said people would be allowed to pray “silently and discretely” they have not been allowed to do so.
RE: “cool kids hiding”: they are reporting that some kids are hiding. In the eyes of their peers, this can become, over time, a badge of in-group coolness. If you don’t understand that, you haven’t been around religious teenagers. And yes, you can avoid giving religious extremists clout, by not making them into symbols and martyrs. You want their moderate peers to feel comfy enough to turn to them and say “take it easy bro, things are nowhere near as bad as you describe them”.
Look buddy, I’m a secular atheist. In this case, ultimately the law is just being dickish. Schools don’t have to officially support prayer, just tolerate it. Superstition is not going to be wished away. But if you keep a lid on it and don’t feed it with outrage, it just withers away.
by not making them into symbols and martyrs
My point is that there is nothing you can do to prevent this. And it is less important than sending the message to children that religion is not meant for public places like school or work.
“Look buddy”
Oh, I see. I guess I am done here. Cheers.
Agreed. Religion needs to be kept in the home or places of worship.
The understanding should be that when you step outside to do business, go to school, or what have you, that your religious beliefs stay behind.
Whether that’s a politician voting on abortion or a baker making a cake for a gay wedding…your personal religious beliefs have zero decision making merit outside your front door.
Until that happens, petty stupid differences will keep society stunted in the middle ages.
