Islamic group urges Catholic school to move to Muslim faith

[scribblet]

Could this be next in Canada? Why are Muslims sending their kids to a Catholic school, and how would they feel if this were the other way round?

http://news.scotsman.com/education.cfm?id=71792006

Islamic group urges Catholic school to move to Muslim faith

HILARY DUNCANSON

AN ISLAMIC campaign group has called for a Catholic primary school to be based on the Muslim faith.

The Campaign for Muslim Schools said 90 per cent of pupils at St Albert's Primary, in the Pollokshields area of Glasgow, are Muslim, yet children are having to take part in Catholic rituals like saying the Lord's Prayer and attending mass.

Osama Saeed, co-ordinator of the alliance of Glasgow's main mosques and Muslim organisations, said he could see no reason why the main faith of the school should not change.

He said: "Clearly the parents of that area find a faith school, even if it is of another denomination, preferable to a secular one. But surely it should be possible for them to have one that is relevant to their own faith.

"To move towards this would be a fantastic example of good faith - in more ways than one - on the part of the Church."

The call came just days after Scotland's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, sparked controversy by stating that Scotland's core faith was Christianity and that other faiths should recognise they were "living in Scotland as a Christian country". A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland was not available for comment tonight.

[geoffrey]

We were debating allowing a parallel legal system for the Islamists in Ontario not so long ago.

I can't see why a minority in Canada couldn't attack a majority group and be succesful. It happens continuously.

Eventually someone's got to stand up for themselves and draw the line. Equal treatment sure. Extra treatment no chance.

[Melanie_]

If there can be Catholic schools, why shouldn't there also be Muslim schools? Are you against the idea of a Muslim school in general, or are you just offended that they wanted to change it from a Catholic one?

[YankAbroad]

If there can be Catholic schools, why shouldn't there also be Muslim schools? Are you against the idea of a Muslim school in general, or are you just offended that they wanted to change it from a Catholic one?

If they don't like a Catholic school, which they voluntarily enrolled within, they should leave and start their own school -- not demand the Catholics hand theirs over.

[Melanie_]

I agree. I just was wondering what the issue was for the previous posters. I may be misinterpreting, but it sounds to me like an objection to Muslim schools in general.

We were debating allowing a parallel legal system for the Islamists in Ontario not so long ago.

I can't see why a minority in Canada couldn't attack a majority group and be succesful. It happens continuously.

Eventually someone's got to stand up for themselves and draw the line. Equal treatment sure. Extra treatment no chance.

.

[Leafless]

Melaine

You wrote- " If there can be Catholic schools, why shouldn't there be Muslim schools."

I have come to the conclusion there should only be public schools in Canada as with multiculturalism, denominational schools are becoming a devisive issue as well as problamatic and expensive.

Catholic schools have existed since Roman Catholics are the largest denomination of Christian faiths in Canada and exist as they represented a national identity at one time prior to Canada becoming officially multicultural.

But even in Quebec where there was a very high prorportion of Roman Catholics school boards and schools have been replaced from denominational to linguistic (French) due to a Constitutional Amendment in 1997 allowing this.

But in Ontario for instance a province that is not officially bilingual, francophones have been successful under minority rights to pursue French Catholic school boards as well as French Catholic schools in which all Ontario tax payers pay for this privledge.

Obviously all linguistic minorities and religions cannot have their own school system as the cost would be prohibitive.

I am surprised that there has not been more oppositon, an outcry and demostrations to our Charter (minority rights) and other sections that are placing unreasonable financial and discriminatory costs and on the provinces to support all aspects of Federal Charter rights which in fact the feds should be responsible for.

[YankAbroad]

Why should religious schools be publicly funded?

Canada would be better served by allowing private religious and nonreligious schools and universities to operate, rather than insisting that every institution be beholden to Ottawa dollars. Depoliticized education is crucial to the development of a mature democratic society and a strong economy.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear YankAbroad,

Canada would be better served by allowing private religious and nonreligious schools and universities to operate,

I shudder when I think of the day that I might see 'Wal-Mart Elementary School', 'World Wrasslin/50Cent Junior High', and 'Raytheon Technical Vocational Correspondence School'.

I hope that public education remains public. With Catholic schools, sure it is a throwback to the days of church and state togetherness, but the standards and courses are virtually the same, with the exception of 'religious studies', and you get to make your choice at census time if you wish your taxes to fund separate or public schooling.

[Leafless]

thelonius

You wrote- " And you get to your choice at census time if you wish your taxes to fund seperate or public schooling."

Catholics and francophones do not fund their own schoolboards. This was the old way years ago.

All Ontario tax payers fund all school boards and this is why the United Nations found Ontario discriminates in 1999 concerning funding Catholic schools and of course public schools but not other denominations.

Official multiculturalism has opened a can of worms and questions why funding is not available for all denomominations.

This is why I say it is better for the public to fund only public schools in the majority language.

The Charter should be re-written as it guarantees to many rights with the burden placed on the provinces rather than the federal government.

[Argus]

If there can be Catholic schools, why shouldn't there also be Muslim schools? Are you against the idea of a Muslim school in general, or are you just offended that they wanted to change it from a Catholic one?

I don't like the idea of Muslim schools in general. Muslims are foreigners who have not integrated culturally into Canadian society. Schools for Muslim kids (the language spoken will certainly be Arabic) will simply contiue to make it more difficult for them to integrate into Canadians society.

[BubberMiley]

You don't have to assimilate to integrate. I think most Canadians agree with that. Perhaps you're the one having problems integrating.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear leafless,

You wrote- " And you get to your choice at census time if you wish your taxes to fund seperate or public schooling."

Catholics and francophones do not fund their own schoolboards. This was the old way years ago.

I was actually asked the question for the last census, 2005.

Actually, upon doing some research, I found this link...

http://www.bgcdsb.org/separate_school_tax_suppor.htm

It seems that Roman Catholics have a choice as to where a portion of their property taxes can go.

[Leafless]

thelionus

You wrote- " It seems Roman Catholics have a choice as to where there property taxes can go"

It also says on the census form under the title- "Why is your support important" and that indeed it is a publicly funded Catholic school system.

I think Bill-160 introduced in 1997 has something to do with the funding formula.

Anyways all other statements on the census form relating to Catholic school funding is simply to acquire numbers that in turn are applied to the public funding formula.

The bottom line on this one is like I said official multiculturalism could have a severe impact on denominational schools in Ontario with no one to blame initially but the federal Liberals.

It is uncomprehensible to see our previous rights severley threatened by immigration and Charter rights and by a province like Quebec who seems can discriminate against English speaking and get away itself from not adehering to Charter rights but benefits greatly even though it never signed the Charter.

[Argus]

You don't have to assimilate to integrate.

However you define it, they have done neither. And muslim schools will hardly help matters. Irshad Manji often talks of how she went to a Muslim school here, and how she was taught that Jews were evil and all non-Muslims were inferior. All such schools are run by religious Muslims from "the old country" and carry their cultural values and beliefs.