Who's side are you on?

I will go middle of the road on this one and say they are both right to a certain extent and each make good and interesting points.

On one side, you have the boy who quit, making this argument:

Then you have the school, who also makes a good point:

Both, in my humble opinion, are correct in some regard.

The boy has every right to quit and will not be punished in any manner. If he is personally offended or feels uncomfortable, he should be allowed to speaks his mind and not participate, which is what is happening.

The school on the other hand, should be allowed to play this song. I do not feel it is in any way a violation of church and state and do not feel it is in any way an attempt to indoctrinate our children or anything of the sort. It is an innocent song that sounds like it was selected based more on the beautiful nature of it as well as one that allows the voices to be showcased.

After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If people have no issue with Christian-themed songs and Christmas music in schools, they do not really have an argument for opposing this one. If you are going to include one, you have to include them all. This is not a buffet to pick and choose. It is all or nothing.

What say you?

Read more: Colorado Student Quits High School Choir Over Islamic Song Praising 'Allah' | Fox News

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At his age, yes, a bit extreme to quit. However give an inch and a mile is taken. It used to be said 'what happens in the USA happens in the UK five years later,' so vice versa may be so in this case.





Schoolboys punished with detention for refusing to kneel in class and pray to Allah

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:30 AM on 04th July 2008


Two schoolboys were given detention after refusing to kneel down and 'pray to Allah' during a religious education lesson.

Parents were outraged that the two boys from year seven (11 to 12-year-olds) were punished for not wanting to take part in the practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped.

They said forcing their children to take part in the exercise at Alsager High School, near Stoke-on-Trent - which included wearing Muslim headgear - was a breach of their human rights.

One parent, Sharon Luinen, said: "This isn't right, it's taking things too far.
"I understand that they have to learn about other religions. I can live with that but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim prayer.

"Making them pray to Allah, who isn't who they worship, is wrong and what got me is that they were told they were being disrespectful.

"I don't want this to look as if I have a problem with the school because I am generally very happy with it."

Another parent Karen Williams said: "I am absolutely furious my daughter was made to take part in it and I don't find it acceptable.

"I haven't got a problem with them teaching my child other religions and a small amount of information doesn't do any harm.

"But not only did they have to pray, the teacher had gone into the class and made them watch a short film and then said 'we are now going out to pray to Allah'.

"Then two boys got detention and all the other children missed their refreshment break because of the teacher.

"Not only was it forced upon them, my daughter was told off for not doing it right.

"They'd never done it before and they were supposed to do it in another language."

"My child has been forced to pray to Allah in a school lesson." The grandfather of one of the pupils in the class said: "It's absolutely disgusting, there's no other way of putting it.

"My daughter and a lot of other mothers are furious about their children being made to kneel on the floor and pray to Islam. If they didn't do it they were given detention.

"I am not racist, I've been friendly with an Indian for 30 years. I've also been to a Muslim wedding where it was explained to me that alcohol would not be served and I respected that.

"But if Muslims were asked to go to church on Sunday and take Holy Communion there would be war."

Parents said that their children were made to bend down on their knees on prayer mats which the RE teacher had got out of her cupboard and they were also told to wear Islamic headgear during the lesson on Tuesday afternoon.
Deputy headmaster Keith Plant said: "It's difficult to know at the moment whether this was part of the curriculum or not. I am not an RE teacher, I am an English teacher.

"At the moment it is our enterprise week and many of our members of staff are away.

"The particular member of staff you need to speak to isn't around. I think that it is a shame that so many parents have got in touch with the Press before coming to me.

"I have spoken to the teacher and she has articulately given me her version of events, but that is all I can give you at the moment."

A statement from Cheshire County Council on behalf of the school read: "The headteacher David Black contacted this authority immediately complaints were received.

"Enquiries are being made into the circumstances as a matter of urgency and all parents will be informed accordingly.

"Educating children in the beliefs of different faith is part of the diversity curriculum on the basis that knowledge is essential to understanding.
"We accept that such teaching is to be conducted with some sense of sensitivity."



http://http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1031784/Schoolboys-punished-detention-refusing-kneel-pray-Allah.html



The teacher was subsequently suspended.
http://http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1032915/Teacher-suspended-punishing-boys-refused-kneel-pray-Allah.html

And subsequently sacked
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1189497/Teacher-sacked-making-pupils-kneel-pray-Allah-RE-lesson.html

This statement strikes me as quite patently false

"The song was chosen because its rhythms and other qualities would provide an opportunity to exhibit the musical talent and skills of the group in competition, not because of its religious message or lyrics," Kirtland told FoxNews.com in an email while noting that the choir "is a voluntary, after-school activity."

That sounds like bullsh!t to me. I would bet my bottom dollar that the actual reason it was chosen was BECAUSE it was Islamic and chosen for political purposes rather than musical.

That song was chosen EXACTLY because the school wanted to fling Islam into the students' faces. Go ahead, people, and try to change my opinion on this.

What facts brought you to that conclusion?

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You don't need facts for an opinion!

Seriously, this looks like something a teacher brought up some days ago. It was "scoop" from the Department of Education about having the students exposed to other religions and cultures, and diverse things. Here I was thinking the schools were about reading 'riting, and 'rithmetic. Silly me!

It really has more to do with common sense in understanding motivations than it does hard facts.

Some people have a b.s. detector, and some don't.

What leads you to believe the school has suspect motivations?

And some people do not form harsh opinions without substantial proof or evidence.

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My B.S. detector pegged and smoked when I read the article.

Well, for starters, Islamic music is so exceedingly rare in terms of availability, distribution, popularity, appeal and general position in the popular culture that the odds are magnitudes greater that it was chosen because of its Islamic nature rather than despite it.

Like I said -- common sense.