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Schools Observing Muslim Holidays

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Since we had a few speak on the topic yesterday I am curious on how everyone feels on this topic. It seems that more and more populations are becoming a Muslim Majority and schools are having to adapt for that. There are stories of a school in Michigan practicing football at night due to the number of players that celebrate Ramadan. Due to this they can not eat or drink during the time the sun is up.

Are you ok with this and where do schools need to draw the line? At what point can we no longer accomidate the masses? What can we do to adjust schedules to accomidate the communitites?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/13/debate-grows-schools-closing-muslim-holidays/?test=latestnews

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=5467167

http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/08/09/vikings-husain-abdullah-plans-for-ramadan-fast-during-training/
 

Dave in Waco

Premium Member
I thought provoking question indeed. I think everyone will realize that some concessions will have to be made in recognition of the Mulsim faith, but it is going to be a tricky line to manage between what is too little and what is too much as it is with any religion.

I guess an example would be that many school lunch menus for decades included fish on Fridays for those kids attending school of the Catholic faith. Now that would be a minor allowance that would not interfer with a school. So there will have to be a careful balance between the needs of religion versus the needs of the school and the students as a whole.

Hopefully, both the schools, the parents, and the kids will have patience with each other and that the schools will attempt to work with Muslim parents and kids to find some type of happy middle ground.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
we should have two school, one for muslims and one for christians. segregation works, right?

/kidding.

and yes i'm fine with it.
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
wouldnt that be supporting one religion over another by the governement? We cant pray in school but we are changing holidays and even football practice to cowtow to another? hummmm
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
my mother used to have kids in her class that couldn't participate in birthday parties and anything to do with holidays, they'd play on the computer. i don't see it as promoting so much as accommodation.
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Yeah, but the majority of public schools close in observance of Christian holidays like Christmas and in some cases, Easter. What's the difference between taking a vacation for 2-3 weeks in December and having football practice later in the evening to accommodate another faith? Sounds like a reasonable deal to me. My wife attended a public school in Maryland and they observed both Christian and Jewish holidays. No issues there.

That being said, if it were Christians attempting to change school policy, the ACLU would be all over that like flies on *(&*&. I'm all for accommodating, so long as it's equal for everyone.
 

JTM

"Just in case"
Premium Member
jewish kids typically get off for free for all their holidays, and there are like 20 a year.
 

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
wouldnt that be supporting one religion over another by the governement? We cant pray in school but we are changing holidays and even football practice to cowtow to another? hummmm

Well that is what I am asking. At what point do we draw the line? This happens just about every year here in Texas when a small school is not allowed to play in the state championship because it falls on a Saturday and there are cities in Texas that, due to religious reasons, totally shut down on Friday. I know one close to Fort Worth and that is Keene. Its population is predominatly 7th Day Adventist and I remember them having to forfeit several tournements when I was in school.
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
We draw the line when it becomes wrong to accommodate. If we say enough is enough and no religion gets holidays off you would see home school be the only school. The community sets the rules to accommodate their believes and if they suffer in sports or other aspects due to religious believes I think that they will get over that when they get into Heaven for being faithful. ;)
 

Dave in Waco

Premium Member
wouldnt that be supporting one religion over another by the governement? We cant pray in school but we are changing holidays and even football practice to cowtow to another? hummmm

I think those are different things though. The praying is kept out of school thanks to a misinteruptation of the Bill of Rights. As I'm fond of telling people, it's Freedom OF Religion not from.

The changing of football practice is to accomidate the players. If half your players can't make it to practice at a certain time, you change practice. I've seen coaches reschedule things for a single star player at times.
 

TexMass

Registered User
As a Texan who played HS football, I say they should practice at night. I played in the late 70's at Somerset HS under Coach Sonny Detmer. A great man and Coach but he liked three a day practices for three weeks before the season would start. It was freakin hot! August nights in Somereset would be in the crisp upper 80's....brrrrrrr. As far as the other holidays, if the kids knew that Summer would start later with each new holiday during the year they would probably protest. :)
 
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