your thoughts on this?

[craigiep]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles /news/news.html?in_article_id=437624&in_page_i d=1770

[Loosehead]

Not surprising, just another step on the way to Englandistan

[samuel23]

If they are in a mainstream school, then they should integrate with the other pupils, just like jewish, jehovah's witness and catholic friends of mine had to. Just a few hundred metres away was a catholic church school. The pupils that attended that school followed that school's doctrines. Those whose parents saw fit to send them to our county school had to follow the rules of the school. So what are these people saying? Are they suggesting the white children of this country aren't fit to share the facilities with them? If so, then that's a racist comment and should be treated as such. Imagine the outcry if white church of england parents placed the same demands.

[Supernick]

Seperate changing rooms - I'm not sure I understand the point of this. Would anyone care to highlight to me why the Muslim Council feels this is necessary?

Prayer Rooms - Seems like a reasonable request to me. Everyone has the right to pray if they want as far as I'm concerned. What school doesn't have a spare room that could be used for this purpose?

Uniform changes - I see no reason why children can't wear crucifixes, turbans, a headscarf, skullcap, grow a beard if it is for religious purposes. I draw a line at the veil which I think is a hindrance to the education of the pupil, but a religious 'accessory' such as these are all fine with me. I think children should meet the basic uniform demands of the jumper/blazer and trousers, but where's the harm in the rest of it?

[mariner2]

Hey Loosehead, you can't call it Englandistan!
It's politically incorrect to leave out Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland so you should have said Britistan.

[mariner2]

I'm getting so sick of stuff like this, once and for all, if you don't like it here, please "go away"

[Loosehead]

How about: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...istan ?

[Supernick]

I think you're right Mani, although I'm still not sure why the Muslim Council want seperate shower rooms. This could be pretty tricky and a pointless waste of scarce school resources. I don't know the religious reasoning behind it, and fear that it could have an isolating influence.

We all know that traditionally the Daily Mail is pretty sensationalist about issues of race and sexuality, so I would take their reporting with a pinch of salt.

[craigiep]

Is it written in the Koran that Muslims other than spouses can't be naked in front of others, Mani? Or that boys should grow beards?

[anotheoldgit]

Be very careful craigiep or Mani will try and get you banned.

[craigiep]

nothing wrong with what I'm asking. In fact, I'd even appreciate it if he could give us the relevant quotes from the Koran

[Haggisdj]

In one of my previous jobs for Social Services there was a communal prayer room that all religions shared quite happily until an extremely devout muslim joined the work force. He removed all references to other religions from the room and when repremanded for this started to demand a prayer room for muslim-only worshipers.

Do the Islamic Council of Britian want communal prayer rooms or seperate rooms for Islamic worship??

[Supernick]

That makes sense then Mani - although from what I remeber of school, most kids perfected the showering in swimming trunks, and then dressing under a towel. Doubt that anyone saw each other naked anyway!
However:
One though that has occurred to me though is that the Muslim Council only appear to be suggesting a secondary set of shower facilities, implying that muslim boys can be seen naked in front of each other, but not by a non-Muslim. Is this the case? A wall will not suffice if no-one can see each other naked, we'll need seperate cubicles for everyone, which is simply not feasible, or a reasonable thing to expect in my opinion.

Does this also not present a problem when visiting the doctor? I always though that it was just men and women that were not allowed to see each other naked unless married.

[ludwig]

Mani asked "Why would any reasonable person object to being a bit tolerant for someone else?".

Good point - when are these religious bigots going to start being a bit more reasonable and tolerant and stop making inflammatory demands like this?

[craigiep]

HaggisDJ and Supernick, no doubt you'll get your answers when Mani provides the relevant passages from the Koran.

[Gromit]

I am extremely shocked.

The National Association of Head Teachers should not be using words like "undoable" .

[Hammer Head]

Absolutely disgraceful. It will only serve to further disintegrate muslims from society.

[craigiep]

In whgat ways are Muslims integrating, Mani?