Quebec Pupil Wears Headphones to Avoid Hearing Music

[August1991]

Il n'y a pas d'âge pour les accommodements raisonnables. La direction d'une école du quartier Saint- Michel accorde un passe-droit particulier à une jeune musulmane de maternelle: on lui permet de placer des écouteurs anti-bruit sur ses oreilles parce que sa religion lui interdit d'écouter de la musique.

QMI

I haven't seen this reported (yet) in the English media.

At the request of parents of a Muslim kindergarten pupil in Montreal, a public shool now puts headphones over the ears of the child whenever the class plays music. On religious grounds, the parents feel that it is wrong for their child to hear music.

The school's principal has said that it will accommodate the child this year but next year, she will have to listen to the music.

Quebec's minister of education has gotten involved and claims that this policy does not compromise "Quebec's educational programme".

An employee of the school that this request is not exceptional and they are increasingly common. I wonder if this happens elsewhere in Canada.

Edited December 21, 2011 by August1991

[olp1fan]

Is it ridiculous? yes BUT there is no problem here, at least the school did not cancel music altogether ..I remember being a JW and sitting on a chair in the foyer of my school when my class or school did anything that i didn't believe in like christmas, easter, halloween, birthday parties etc ..I'd not stand up during the anthem or prayer either in the morning..schools these days cancel christmas shows and instead do a winter theme..which is weak

I see nothing wrong with giving the kid headphones but that is whacked that the kids can't hear music

Edited December 22, 2011 by olp1fan

[sharkman]

If the parents don't want the child to hear music then they should be instructing the child to put on headphones, not expect the school to do it. I'm concerned that this sets a standard that could easily become very burdensome for teachers and administrators for the dozens of kids with anal retentive or ultra religious parents and it's not realistic to expect that the school bend to their every whim.

There comes a time when the parents should just send the kid to a religious school if they feel so concerned about it.

[olp1fan]

There comes a time when the parents should just send the kid to a religious school if they feel so concerned about it.

If they can't handle our culture no one is stopping them from going back to the hole they came from

[cybercoma]

If they can't handle our culture no one is stopping them from going back to the hole they came from

Maybe someone should have told your parents that when you were stuck in the hallways by your teachers. You know, instead of burdening the school with your "issues."

[olp1fan]

Maybe someone should have told your parents that when you were stuck in the hallways by your teachers. You know, instead of burdening the school with your "issues."

Jehovah's Witnesses culture is not a Russian or French culture....it doesn't really centre in any one country

what a dumb comment by you though

[cybercoma]

Jehovah's Witnesses culture is not a Russian or French culture....it doesn't really centre in any one country

what a dumb comment by you though

What's the ONE country that Islam is centered in?

In other words, you're an ignorant bigot. These people might be Canadian citizens, but you assume they're not because they're Muslim.

Edited December 22, 2011 by cybercoma

[olp1fan]

What's the ONE country that Islam is centered in?

centered in the middle east which is obviously not 1 country but JW doesn't really have a main region..its sparse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_by_country

[olp1fan]

In other words, you're an ignorant bigot. These people might be Canadian citizens, but you assume they're not because they're Muslim.

calm down hoss, no need to give yourself a heart attack, I don't have to accept their backwards culture that demeans women, homosexuals, converts, apostates

[cybercoma]

calm down hoss, no need to give yourself a heart attack, I don't have to accept their backwards culture that demeans women, homosexuals, converts, apostates

You don't have to accept those things at all. In fact, I encourage you to fight against those things. However, none of those things are happening in this thread and the fact that you read Muslim and automatically assume they're not Canadian is pretty ignorant.

[olp1fan]

You don't have to accept those things at all. In fact, I encourage you to fight against those things. However, none of those things are happening in this thread and the fact that you read Muslim and automatically assume they're not Canadian is pretty ignorant.

you're so full of shit cyber, you'll defend Muslims 'til the death

their culture is not Canadian so they can go where their culture is practiced even if they were born in Canada

If you went to their countries and blared Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl why don't you see the reaction you'll get..they should at least expect the same here

Edited December 22, 2011 by olp1fan

[cybercoma]

If you went to their countries

Their country is Canada if they're Canadian citizens.

they should at least expect the same [treatment] here [as in Middle Eastern countries]

If you actually believe that, then you are no better than those zealots.

[olp1fan]

Their country is Canada if they're Canadian citizens.

If you actually believe that, then you are no better than those zealots.

why are you editing my post without my consent and adding in words? surely that is not allowed

[Scotty]

Their country is Canada if they're Canadian citizens.

As far as I'm concerned, If they cling to a foreign culture and foreign values then they're foreigners. I don't care what the papers they bought say.

[olp1fan]

As far as I'm concerned, If they cling to a foreign culture and foreign values then they're foreigners. I don't care what the papers they bought say.

it used to be popular for liberals on cbc to pander to every foreign minority group but if you look at the comment section on the cbc website of some articles that deal with this issue they think like we do..cybercomas view point is no longer the popular viewpoint in Canada

just look at the comments on this article

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/12/12/pol-kenney-citizenship-rules.html

seems like cybercomas liberal buddies have left him behind and progressed

[Moonlight Graham]

If the parents don't want the child to hear music then they should be instructing the child to put on headphones, not expect the school to do it. I'm concerned that this sets a standard that could easily become very burdensome for teachers and administrators for the dozens of kids with anal retentive or ultra religious parents and it's not realistic to expect that the school bend to their every whim.

pretty much agree. I think the admin still made a good call, not kick them out but warn them for next year.

I think Muslim separate schools would not be so great though since it would isolate them even more from mainstream society.

[olp1fan]

I think Muslim separate schools would not be so great though since it would isolate them even more from mainstream society.

Agreed, we want them to hold Canadian values..can't do that if they are not mixed into the population

[cybercoma]

As far as I'm concerned, If they cling to a foreign culture and foreign values then they're foreigners. I don't care what the papers they bought say.

You're coming awfully close to hate-speech, which is a crime in Canada. Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act states:

Hate Speech

13. (1)

It is a discriminatory practice for a person

or a group of persons acting in concert

to communicate

telephonically or to cause to be so communicated, repeatedly, in whole or in part by means of the facilities of a telecommunication undertaking within the legislative authority of Parliament,

any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that that person or those persons are identifiable on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination

.

Interpretation

(2) For greater certainty, subsection (1) applies in respect of a matter that is

communicated by means of a computer

or a group of interconnected or related computers,

including the Internet

, or any similar means of communication, but does not apply in respect of a matter that is communicated in whole or in part by means of the facilities of a broadcasting undertaking.

Expressing that Canadian citizens who are Muslim will always be "foreigners," regardless even of them being born here, calls at the very least for contempt upon them, if not outright hatred, since you have expressed that their religion or culture is anti-thetical to Canadian values and deserves such contempt.

[cybercoma]

it used to be popular for liberals on cbc to pander to every foreign minority group but if you look at the comment section on the cbc website of some articles that deal with this issue they think like we do..cybercomas view point is no longer the popular viewpoint in Canada

just look at the comments on this article

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/12/12/pol-kenney-citizenship-rules.html

seems like cybercomas liberal buddies have left him behind and progressed

You might get your values by going along with the crowd, but that's the kind of crap that got Germans into trouble in the 30s and 40s.

[bud]

Agreed, we want them to hold Canadian values..can't do that if they are not mixed into the population

what if they don't want to eat canadian bacon? is that against canadian values?

stop looking like an ignorant asshat. just because 1 muslim family doesn't want their child to listen to music, it doesn't mean that all muslims like that.

i keep trying to avoid reacting to your comments, but the bigotry which comes from being ignorant and your inability to be able to understand that not everyone who follows a certain religion holds the same values has gotten quite annoying.

[cybercoma]

i keep trying to avoid reacting to your comments

I should try that. I'm the worst when it comes to trolls.

[August1991]

Their country is Canada if they're Canadian citizens.

So according to you, to be "Canadian", one has only to be a Canadian citizen.

Moreover, you believe that the State determines what is "Canadian".

----

IMV, the definition of "Canada" and "Canadian" is something that we Canadians do on our own, in our own way. The State does not decide membership. We do.

Edited December 22, 2011 by August1991

[TimG]

In other words, you're an ignorant bigot. These people might be Canadian citizens, but you assume they're not because they're Muslim.

I take it you are in favour of killing women who shame the family. If not you are a hypocrite because you expect people to conform to "canadian standards" some of the time but call people racist who happen to have different ideas about where to draw the line.

Frankly, it is perfectly reasonable to differing opinions where that line should be but it is quite pathetic to see someone calling others racist because they have different ideas on where that line should be.

Edited December 22, 2011 by TimG

[cybercoma]

So according to you, to be "Canadian", one has only to be a Canadian citizen.

Moreover, you believe that the State determines what is "Canadian".

----

IMV, the definition of "Canada" and "Canadian" is something that we Canadians do on our own, in our own way. The State does not decide membership. We do.

This is a funny POV. The suggestion was made to go back to where they're from. If they hold a Canadian citizenship, then there is no going back to anywhere. Their from here. That was my point. You can define Canadian conceptually any way that you would like, but the State most certainly does determine legally what your citizenship is.

[cybercoma]

I take it you are in favour of killing women who shame the family. If not you are a hypocrite because you expect people to conform to "canadian standards" some of the time but call people racist who happen to have different ideas about where to draw the line.

I'm not even going to humour this with a response.