Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Prayer Time in Public School

There's a public school that provides 15 minutes during class time for students to pray. Where's the ACLU? Oh yes, it's for Muslims, so the rules are different:
Carver Elementary in Oak Park added Arabic to its curriculum in September when it suddenly absorbed more than 100 students from a defunct charter school that had served mostly Somali Muslims.

After subbing at Carver, the teacher claimed that religious indoctrination was taking place and said that a school aide had led Muslim students in prayer.

An investigation by the San Diego Unified School District failed to substantiate the allegations. But critics continue to assail Carver for providing a 15-minute break in the classroom each afternoon to accommodate Muslim students who wish to pray. (Those who don't pray can read or write during that non-instructional time.)
I don't mind accommodating the religious beliefs of students--but I object to giving different treatment to some religions, and I especially object to treating Islam as legally superior to Christianity. You can make a strong case based on Founding Era statutes that the First Amendment's establishment clause was consistent with giving preference to Christianity (although not any particular denomination) over other religions and over non-belief. (This doesn't mean that we are required to do so today, but that there is nothing contrary to the Constitution in giving such preference.) But to give special preference for Islam is crazy.

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