Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School Students Learn to Pray to Allah

reply to post by sweetliberty

Oh no, kids going on a field trip that their parents allowed them to go on..

Of course they overlook the fact that this happens many times in public schools, going on trips to religious centers.

At my school students were often invited to come visit Mosques, Churches of many different branches including; LDS, Protestant, Catholic. In a religious education class there were even some rituals that were simulated by by Jews, Wiccans, and several other religions..

If the parents had a problem with this, they shouldn't have let their child go.

Originally posted by Miraj
reply to post by sweetliberty

 

Oh no, kids going on a field trip that their parents allowed them to go on..

Of course they overlook the fact that this happens many times in public schools, going on trips to religious centers.

At my school students were often invited to come visit Mosques, Churches of many different branches including; LDS, Protestant, Catholic. In a religious education class there were even some rituals that were simulated by by Jews, Wiccans, and several other religions..

If the parents had a problem with this, they shouldn't have let their child go.

Where are you from?
I phoned two different schools today, actually three if you count Wellesley Middle School. The first two schools do not have field trips any type of church whatsoever according to the people who answers their phones. One did mention they sometimes take the children, with permission from the parents, to visit The Holocaust Center.
members.virtualtourist.com...

Holocaust CenterOne of the oldest Holocaust museums in the country, founded in 1982. It has a permanent exhibit, traveling exhibits, a 6,000 volume library, a film series, and community programs. There is no admission charged, and the parking is also free. Because many of the visitors are students on field trips, you can explore the history of the Holocaust with a minimum of graphic images and disturbing representations.

Thanks
sl

Originally posted by OneisOne
reply to post by RainCloud

 

Regarding religion, can I ask a question? Why are the men & women separated for prayer? Is it to cause less distraction? I mean no disrespect by asking this question, I'm just looking to gain knowledge.

Thank you!

Your question got me to thinking and I think I may have figured it out, lol.
Maybe the women are lined at the back or even in a completely different room because it might be a challenge for the men to concentrate if the ladies rear ends were slowly rising and lowering when praying, and visa versa. I guess there is a time and place for that and it's understandable even encouraged on my behalf that they are separated

reply to post by sweetliberty


I have never, ever heard of school field trips to churches synagogues or Mosques,

Originally posted by Whine Flu
Only in America, eh? Wo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0, Islamification... scary. If this wasn't shown, you wouldn't know about it, so you wouldn't care.

Really, this is kinda like getting a new car. When you see the same car on the streets you think that they're all over the place, but it's all in your mind. They've always been there, but you've only started to take notice.

No it is not only in America.

Children being exposed to other religions should be the parents' call.
That said, it probably is, in the form of the signed permission slip....no?

Watching is one thing, but asking them to participate is a bit confusing, and irresponsible, in my opinion. I'm all for exposure to other religions, but ultimately, this has to be the parents' choice...and is outside of the normal academic curriculum.

There's a reason courses on religion are typically in higher education levels.

Originally posted by Truth_Hz
I for one think that children should be exposed to different religions and also the fact that they do not have to believe in any or all. It is called learning.

dude,
u do not have to attend a Mosque to learn about Islam.
You can do that on the internet.

If this was subjected on my kid:
2 things would occur

1) My kid would be taken out of this school and enrolled elsewhere.

2) A law suit against the school

reply to post by Gazrok

that's the whole point
this trip was labeled as a field trip
about architecture, yet when they
got there it was all about religion.
Do you see or hear anything presented
as having to do with how the Mosque
was built? Didn't think so.
It was Islam shoved down the throats
of school kids without their parents permission.
It was bait and switch.

I agree that anyone's basic education should include understanding the beliefs of different religions. It is essential for understanding people, and the world.

I found a problem with the speaker saying "Allah is the one and true God", rather than saying "Muslims believe Allah is the one and true God".

The latter would have been educational, the former was indeed proselytizing, which in fact has no place in the public educational system in the U.S.

I'm glad to see the school has admitted to the error. It seems like the agenda may have been subject to change without notice?

Originally posted by Stormdancer777
reply to post by sweetliberty

 

I have never, ever heard of school field trips to churches synagogues or Mosques,

Exactly, this is a first for me too. I'm still asking questions and doing a little more research on this. Thanks for posting and try to be good out there Stormdancer.

sl

reply to post by sweetliberty


anyone from the wellesley/newton area in massachusettes? very jewish naborhoods, always has been!! so thats a stretch--maybe there is hope for us all!!

Originally posted by Kokatsi
reply to post by SmokeandShadow

 

I was an assistant teacher in the US for a year. I thought it was pretty backwards that US kids were NOT allowed to learn about the world's religions as British kids were - because some folks took advantage of the principle of separating church and state. It is mainly fundamentalist Christians that took advantage of this legal principle and it was done the following way: by applying a literal ban on all and any religious activity in any state-sponsored
school, they hoped to keep their childishm backwards religion intact.

No one else bothered to make a problem of this - atheists, Jews etc.

In fact, few years later Macbeth was banned in Texan public schools - because fundamentalist Christian kids should not be "exposed" - that was their word - to any mentioning of witchcraft.

Well, if this is not censorship by a bigoted group, then what is?
The Muslim religion, I repeat on every forum here, is no better and no worse than others.

I was struck by this sentence: "How was this allowed to happen"? and by the serious tone the narrator used to read this aloud.

Imagine this: Someone gives a report on TV that The President went to observe a Jewish holiday. And then someone would say the same sentence: "How was this allowed to happen?"
American Jewry would be outraged and justifiably so.

Lucky that I am not a Moslem - my patience would be wearing thin these days by the sheer amount of bigotry allowed in this country.

Doesn't the sentiment expressed in the post, by an assistant teacher, illustrate exactly why the subject of religion shouldn't be broached in public schools?The line between teaching and preaching is just too easy to cross.
Shouldn't everyone be justifiably outraged that one religion is cast as bigoted while another gets a free pass?
How does the attempt to shield children from the perceived evils of Macbeth differ from the attempt to shield children from the perceived evils of pork?
Were I a Fundamentalist Christian - my patience would be wearing thin these days by the sheer amount of bigotry allowed in this country.

If the NRA decided to host a field trip to a shooting range for the benefit of the children observing firearms safety and then went on to indoctrinate the children into the belief system of the NRA (which in my state would involve the Michigan Militia and the Baptist faith) many Americans would be appalled. If this was a catholic church and students were encouraged to kneel in prayer and partake of the sacrament many Americans would be appalled. But because it has become taboo to have any misgivings about Islam Americans are labeled bigots for supporting the separation of church and state, a fundamental American value.

HOW DID THEY ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN? THIS IS PROPESTEROUS! MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL LEARN TO LOVE CHRISTIANITY AND TO NEVER LEARN ABOUT ANY OTHER RELIGION IN THE WORLD !!! I DONT CARE IF MY SONS AND DAUGHTERS VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATED AT THEIR OWN CONSENT WAHHHHH

This teacher better be taking those children to an Indian Rain Dance Next. If they are not and the teacher turns out to be Muslim then his employment should be terminated. A captive audience for religious conversion probably is illegal in the U.S.

You know what would happen in the Middle east if a Christian teacher took a bunch of Muslim students to a Church and listened to a sermon? He would be executed! That is why public schools should not get involved with religion.

When Saudia Arabia, the heart of Mecca, has true freedom of religion then I will take my words back.

If I had children, I don't, but wouldn't allow them to go, simple as that.

You don't need to jump into a dumpster to learn that it stinks.
Forget the PC notion I am calling this out for what it is.

I want my children taught math, science and language, not muslim prayer ceremonies.

Originally posted by Miraj
reply to post by sweetliberty

 

Oh no, kids going on a field trip that their parents allowed them to go on..

Of course they overlook the fact that this happens many times in public schools, going on trips to religious centers.

At my school students were often invited to come visit Mosques, Churches of many different branches including; LDS, Protestant, Catholic. In a religious education class there were even some rituals that were simulated by by Jews, Wiccans, and several other religions..

If the parents had a problem with this, they shouldn't have let their child go.

I don't know what planet you attended school on, but when I attended school from K-12th grade, we DID NOT go visiting religious centers, or participate in worship.

And quite frankly, I really don't give a # how muslims pray. Or jews or sikhs for that matter. Let everyone go about their business and leave the rest of us and the children alone.

reply to post by sweetliberty


I am sure the parents were aware that their kids were being sent to a mosque hence the need to sign parental forms before kids can go on fieldtrips. That being said, these kids should not have been required to pray or worship. The choice of religion should be a discussion between the parents and their own children. It would have been fine had those teachers incharge of the fieldtrip quietly lead those kids outside and left.

This is not the first of such an incident where religion has meddled in schools, it has been done numerous times before, in particular through christian groups. Religion practices have no business in the schools unless for educational purposes. Nobody should be worshipping anything. There are private schools that can facilitate this.

Originally posted by sweetliberty
Where are you from?
I phoned two different schools today, actually three if you count Wellesley Middle School. The first two schools do not have field trips any type of church whatsoever according to the people who answers their phones. One did mention they sometimes take the children, with permission from the parents, to visit The Holocaust Center.

So essentially you phoned two schools and they told you they were not sending any students to any church at the moment, and through this you have concluded that the only field trip for schools to religious centers are mosques? Really? One of my very good friends is a teacher and he has gone on numerous field trips with kids to buddhists temples, hindu temples, mosques and catholic churches. It is very rare that kids are required to worship and when that is the fact, it should be reported. But this islamic mosque is not the first, similar incidences with christian groups/churhes have occured. Heck there was even a bill put before congress to allow prayer in schools. This is really beginning to look to me as though you are making this a 'muslim' issue when its not.