Posted on 10/10/2004 6:07:29 AM PDT by tdewey10
Posted on Sat, Oct. 09, 2004
Teaching Ramadan in public schools
Accurate lessons in demand after 9/11
By HOLLY LEBOWITZ ROSSI
Religion News Service
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.
Syeed and the children will present the call to prayer in Arabic, display prayer rugs and offer tastes of dates. In countless other classrooms across the country, similar efforts will be made to educate students about the time of fasting and spiritual reflection for adherents of the world's second-largest religion.
Ramadan, which likely will begin Oct. 15, depending on the sighting of the new moon, is making more appearances in public school classrooms, thanks to a series of new teacher training initiatives, an increased fascination with Islam and the assurance that schools, if careful, can educate impressionable children about religion without crossing a constitutional line.
The Council on Islamic Education, a nonprofit organization based in California, plans to release an updated version of its booklet “Muslim Holidays,” which was first published in 1997, for the more than 4,000 teachers nationwide who have used it.
The booklet, which contains lesson plan ideas and historical and cultural background on Ramadan and other Muslim holidays, also outlines the various state regulations governing instruction about religion in public schools and discusses accommodations that schools can make to enable Muslim students to observe the holiday.
Muslim educators note tremendous progress in education about Ramadan and Islam in general in public schools, particularly since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 — perpetrated by extremist Muslims — brought Islam into the national spotlight.
Another reason for this success, some say, is an increased general awareness in public education circles of what is constitutionally appropriate to teach about religion.
In 1995, President Clinton released “Religious Expression in Public Schools: A Statement of Principles,” guidelines on promoting the free exercise of religion in schools without endorsing a particular faith. The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center in Arlington, Va., subsequently launched a series of training initiatives to remind public school officials nationwide of the regulations concerning religion in schools.
Unlike the political situation, which has become divisive in some ways, “the educational arena came out unscathed” by increased attention on Islam since Sept. 11, said Shabbir Mansuri, founding director of the Council on Islamic Education.
Whereas Ramadan used to garner only cursory attention from public school teachers, Muslim education consultants say, interest in deeper understanding of the holiday has spiked.
“They want to know accurate information,” said Sharifa Alkhateeb, president of the Washington-based Muslim Education Council.
For teachers and administrators, as well as fellow students, explaining Ramadan helps the school accommodate the religious requirements of the holiday.
For example, at puberty, children begin to participate in the daily fast, which lasts from sunrise to sundown each day of the month. Many schools arrange for Muslim students to sit in the library during lunchtime so that they are not surrounded by food as they fast.
Educators cite Ramadan as a good opportunity to teach students about Islam and its practice. But teaching Ramadan in public schools has not been without controversy. Last year a federal judge said that the Byron Union School District in California could continue a three-week curriculum that emphasized role-playing exercises requiring, among other things, seventh-grade students to recite Muslim prayers.
Despite the ruling in the district's favor, the school suspended the program because of the outcry the lawsuit spawned.
Crucial to avoiding these kinds of problems, say educators, is understanding the difference between “teaching” and “teaching about” religion.
Role-playing exercises that require students to recite sacred words or imitate Muslim prayer practices simply are not appropriate.
“It is a wonderful method in teaching history, but when it comes to religion, we will have to modify it a bit,” Mansuri said.
Syeed, who also uses a globe in her presentation to show students that Muslims live all over the world, says her lesson plan “The Seven S's of Ramadan” highlights aspects of Islam that children of other faith backgrounds can relate to, like patience, peace and gratitude.
“It's really just to define who we are on our own terms and make the connection with a much larger, universal aspect,” she said.
"Even though a jerky judge saw nothing wrong with the course, there was such an outcry that the school decided to discontinue the course. That means that parents and taxpayers certainly can influence what the schools teach their kids, because if it doesn't meet with the approval of parents and taxpayers, there will be hell to pay and screw the courts."
Those parents should've made it their mission to kick that judge off the bench.
Radical Islam's 'plan' to take over America - Arab-American author outlines secret 20-year strategy to undermine country - ( www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=33898 )
The Islamic States of America? - ( www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1224601/posts )
Misunderstanding the Enemy: the Islamic Threat and the U.S. Media - ( www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1224264/posts )
You are very welcome. Islam is all about slavishly copying the life of Muhammad. What Muhammadans call his "examples" as set down in Koran and Hadith.
Will they teach The children the true meaning of Islam to "infidels", which is convert, die or be enslaved?
I skimmed the video with the SOUND OFF!!! The 5 Islamo-scumbags were grouped like a rap music posse. They laid down their rap and talked for more than 2 1/2 minutes. Then kill him in the last 14 seconds
With so much Islamo-babble this is most definitely a propaganda vehicle designed to frighten and inspire the Muzzzie masses to Jihad. These videos are sold on the streets of Iraq on DVDs
May Gd rest Bigley's soul
(I posted this on another thread)
bump
I hope they teach them about Honor Killings... and the Shiria law...
"With so much Islamo-babble this is most definitely a propaganda vehicle designed to frighten and inspire the Muzzzie masses to Jihad. These videos are sold on the streets of Iraq on DVDs"
I read the ghoulish beheadings have taken over the number one Iraqi male favorite DVD, PORN. Such a souless, depraved society of mysogynis barbaric male ghouls aimlessly roaming in secular limbo in the middle east. Team sKerry's dream team is having wet dreams over this, Dawn of the Dead.
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