I agree with every word you’ve said, Malkin.
I recently received an email with a petition to request the end of Muslim prayers in this particular school and I emailed back and said I voted in favour of Muslim prayers.  I also suggested that rather than be so negtive towards a different religion having their prayers in schools, why aren’t the Chrisians pushing to get Christian prayer back in schools?  In other words, if it’s so important, then why are we lashing out at others rather than putting our energy into fixing our own problems?

The reason I support closing the program is that there is no place for religion in public schools except as a subject of study. This is a private matter that belongs in the church, temple, mosque or synagogue.

I look forward to the day when there is no religion in public life at all.

I would say yes, but I still have to say no for a reason the public education system, has done everything in their power, to eliminate Christianity in our schools, and the rest of society. Merry Christmas, is now Happy Holidays, the Lord’s Prayer is out, and for that matter a simple bible reading for opening exercises. All gone, because of the politically correct on steroids, eliminating the Christian foundation that our laws, and society in Canada is based on.

What is in, is everything from A to Z, except for Christianity concepts. As for the Muslim prayers to become a reality, it requires all others who are not of the Muslim faith, to make allowances that goes over and above where students have to give up their cafeteria, for Muslim prayers. It is a start of a slippery slope, in any school when schools’ resources and space is being used by evicting and excluding the non-Muslim students of the use of the resources and space at lunch time. If indeed, the services are taking place at lunch time, and has been disputed that the services actually takes place after lunch, and in class room instruction time. Which leaves the non-Muslim students to carry the ball for their Muslim students, to provide the notes and whatever was missed in class.

The laughable part of it, and ironic at the very least, the same arguments being used today for Muslim services in the public schools, are the very same ones used to denied Catholic instruction in public schools, during or after school hours. Being Catholic, attending public schools, the only allowance being made, was the allowance of having a half day off once a week for instruction, at the ages of 6 to 8 and if necessary the ages of 11 to 13. Apparently it is a problem today, as it was a problem back in the 1960s,

The best solution for schools who would like to have Muslim services, extend the day of instruction time for days Monday through Thursday, and Friday a half-day for all students, and than the Muslim students who wish to attend prayer services on school property can and do so, without having others making allowances and prevents them from carrying out their activities. Better yet, if a school has a majority of Muslim students, have a 4 day week, making it a 3 day weekend for all students.

It becomes negative when discussing religion when values of one faith is imposed on the other faiths and values held by others. Using exclusion to accommodate one faith, is asking for others to accept the imposing of another’s faith unto the individual. In other words, it is asking the individual to voluntarily to accept that their faith has less value and importance than another faith, because it does not demand rigid lines of prayer at certain times of the day or for that matter services on a rigid time schedule.

Slippery slope, that leads to other practices such as the elimination of Oh Canada, Christmas hymns, and other traditions that are just as common and are shared values Canadians hold true to their heart, as their hold share values concerning all faiths. The problem is which ones should be in the public schools, and how to accommodate without excluding others or imposing values unto the individuals.