2004-10-20: Teaching US Kids to Be Good Muslims, http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=13222_Teaching_US_Kids_to_Be_Good_Muslims
In my 2004-10-11 post lgf: "A Little Child Shall Lead Them" - Teaching Islam to public school students in Herndon, I quoted:
"During the next few weeks, multicultural trainer Afeefa Syeed will bring third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from a Muslim academy in Herndon, Va., to nearby public schools to share the practices and beliefs of their holiest month, Ramadan."
It's worse than I was initially led to believe. According to FrontPage magazine, 'there will be explanations of the fasting month and “role-playing” that requires students to recite Muslim sacred words and imitate their prayer practices.'
Here's what Northern Virginiastan sent to the Superintendent of Schools and School Board of Fairfax County Public Schools:
I am a taxpayer who lives in [city in Fairfax County] and works in [city in Fairfax County]. It has come to my attention that elementary school students from a Muslim academy in Herndon, facilitated by “multicultural trainer” Afeefa Syeed, will be visiting their counterparts in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to share the practices and beliefs of the Islamic “holy” month of Ramadan.
It is my understanding that Ms. Syeed and the students from the Muslim academy will present the call to prayer in Arabic and that there will be “interactive” activities in which FCPS students recite Muslim sacred words and imitate Islamic prayer practices. This presents the opportunity for Ms. Syeed and her students to convert FCPS students to Islam. One becomes a Muslim by uttering the Arabic words transliterated as “Lā ilāha il-Allāh Muhammadur rasūl Allāh,” which means, “There is no god but God [and] Muhammad is the messenger [or prophet] of God,” in the presence of Muslim witnesses (see Shahada, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahada). Thus, young FCPS students might unknowingly convert to Islam by reciting words they and their teacher don’t understand.
It has long been accepted that public schools can teach about religion, but cannot teach religion itself. This effort to educate FCPS about Ramadan crosses the line into promoting and proselytizing a particular religion, namely Islam. I urge you to inform Ms. Syeed that her training is not welcome in public schools.
Regards,
(My real name and address)
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1 comment:
I wonder what the Washington Post, Fairfax County or the ACLU would say if a Christian Church group or a Jewish group or a group of Hindus was to go into a Fairfax county school and recite prayers with the students?
I would think it would make the national wire and the county officials would be investigating on how this could happen in their public schools. Can you say DOUBLE STANDARD.
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