Hindus protest Muslim prayers at public school 283

[Pax et Bonum]

Hindus protest Muslim prayers at public school 283
BY TOM GODFREY ,TORONTO SUN
FIRST POSTED: MONDAY, JULY 4, 2011 4:32:04 EDT PM

Valley Park Middle School on Overlea Blvd., the site of a controversial Muslim prayer service. (VERONICA HENRI/Toronto Sun)

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TORONTO - Hindus from across Toronto plan to protest outside a North York middle school until a controversial Friday prayer session for 400 Muslim students is stopped.

The Canadian Hindu Advocacy is one of a number of Toronto-area groups who are opposed to the 30- to 40-minute services that occurred in the cafeteria of Valley Park Middle School on Overlea Blvd. from November to March.

An imam from a local mosque is brought to school to head the service, officials said. During the service male students are made to sit in front of the girls.

“This is alarming and unacceptable,” said Advocacy director Ron Banerjee. “We respect the separation of church and state.”

He said his group will be sending letters of protest to the Toronto District School Board in the next few days and calling for an end of the noon-time services. That will be followed by protests in November, when the services resume, if the prayers are to continue next school year.

“There’s not supposed to be any religious classes taking place in public schools,” Banerjee said. “We will be asking the board to stop the practice.”

He said school officials stopped students from reciting the Lord’s Prayers years ago and his group will picket the Muslim classes if the practice isn’t stopped.

“Our organization has received many complaints from Hindu students and parents in the Valley Park Middle School region,” Banerjee said.

He said his group would like to begin a discussion with TDSB authorities aimed at restoring secular education within the school system.

“We would also like to discuss the serving of halal meat within TDSB schools,” he said. “Our organization is determined to ensure all Hindu students are provided non-halal meat alternatives.”

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/04...-public-school

[Pax et Bonum]

Christian students cannot pray at Ontario Public Schools but Muslims can;If Christians protested this we would be excoriated in the media and called the usual increasingly meaningless words RACISTS and HATERS.Thank God for the Hindus as they can be called neither.Two legs bad four legs good.

[Gift from God]

Originally Posted by Pax et Bonum

Christian students cannot pray at Ontario Public Schools

Actually, they can. I graduated from high school only two years ago and many students prayed. There is also no Provincial law banning individuals from praying in school

[Pax et Bonum]

Originally Posted by Gift from God

Actually, they can. I graduated from high school only two years ago and many students prayed. There is also no Provincial law banning individuals from praying in school

Can a Priest,Minister or Rabbi conduct ongoing WEEKLY prayer and worship services in a public school?I thought not.

[rlg94086]

The title reminds me of Tom Lehrer's song National Brotherhood Week:

Oh the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Catholics hate the Protestants
And the Hindus hate the Muslims
And everybody hates the Jews

It's fun to eulogize the people you despise
As long as you don't let 'em in your schools

[JacquesMaritain]

Originally Posted by Pax et Bonum

Hindus protest Muslim prayers at public school 283
BY TOM GODFREY ,TORONTO SUN
FIRST POSTED: MONDAY, JULY 4, 2011 4:32:04 EDT PM

Valley Park Middle School on Overlea Blvd., the site of a controversial Muslim prayer service. (VERONICA HENRI/Toronto Sun)
Prayers in school? What’s the problem?
School guidelines okay weekly prayers: Muslim leader
TORONTO - Hindus from across Toronto plan to protest outside a North York middle school until a controversial Friday prayer session for 400 Muslim students is stopped....
http://www.torontosun.com/2011/07/04...-public-school

Hi:

I don't know if people are aware of what's going on up here in Ontario, but there are two publicly-funded School systems here. There's a Catholic system where prayers are permitted, indeed, even required (The Chaplain says them on the PA every day, at morning and afternoon); but if you don't want prayers forced on your children, there is the option of the Public system instead, where they aren't required.

This story is really getting legs because of the type of prayer service going on (I'm starting to see letters complaining about it in all the local papers). What happens is that an Imam comes in from a local mosque, and the school cafeteria is "converted" into a place of worship (We do that in the Catholic system when we have School Mass). However, this prayer service has a barrier erected, made out of cafeteria tables; the boys pray in front of the barrier, and the girls behind it. Girls who are menstruating cannot take part at all; they have to sit on the floor at the back of the room (if we are to believe a column in today's National Post, this is apparently commonplace in mosques). It is the treatment of women that is causing such a furor, I think. There's a picture of the service here:

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/edito...hy-young-girls

And an update here:

http://www.thestar.com/article/10239...ys-second-rate

I am speechless at reading this. Dumbfounded. I don't know what to say.

Jacques

[Bwtby]

Originally Posted by rlg94086

The title reminds me of Tom Lehrer's song National Brotherhood Week:

Oh the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Catholics hate the Protestants
And the Hindus hate the Muslims
And everybody hates the Jews

It's fun to eulogize the people you despise
As long as you don't let 'em in your schools

How awful.. but true.