Will the ACLU pounce on this, claiming that it violates separation of Church and State? Columbus Manor Elementary School in Oak Lawn, the school that banned Christmas, pork and Jell-O, hosted a performance funded by a local Mosque, which tells us that the school isn't really interested in teaching about other religions but in appeasing Muslims:
The French Canadian singer-songwriter, who converted to Islam in 1993, on Thursday brought his musical message of peace to the cafetorium at Columbus Manor Elementary School in Oak Lawn, performing guitar and percussion-based songs for the schoolchildren."Music has been a crucial part of who I am and how I find peace in my own life," Wharnsby said. "Hopefully, some of that will rub off on the lives of some of the kids who I meet."
Columbus Manor PTA president Merrit Arnold said the performance, paid for by the Bridgeview mosque, was presented in hopes of easing recent tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim parents about including Ramadan on the school's list of observed holidays and the elimination of pork products and Jell-O from the lunch menu.
"It's great that we can all come together and listen to this artist play the guitar and sing his beautiful music and promote healing," Arnold said. "Music can really reach your heart. You can feel it in your soul. It doesn't matter what God you believe in or what church you belong to."
Hamet Arif, of Oak Lawn, came with his son Ryan, 7, a second-grader at the school.
"When I saw the flier saying that (Wharnsby) was going to be here, I knew I had to be here," Arif said. "I felt the spirituality in the man, and I really wanted to hear what he had to say."
Arif said a positive message is more important than the religion it comes from.
Hmm. I wonder if this father would have the same attitude if the singer was funded by a Christian church.
Hat tip: Stop the ACLU
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Education, Islam
Comments (6)
You've got at least three f... (Below threshold)1. Posted by jpe | October 21, 2007 2:07 PM | Score: -9 (9 votes cast)
You've got at least three facts to get straight before you can make any kind of plausible case (although I suppose that's not the point. Who cares about making sense when there's mindless, shrill screeching about the ACLU to be had?).
1) Were the songs religious?
2) Was the performance during class hours?
3) Was attendance compulsory?
1. Posted by jpe | October 21, 2007 2:07 PM |
Score: -9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2007 14:07
2. Posted by GianiD | October 21, 2007 2:13 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Islamic musical message of peace?
What do they use to keep rythm, an AK-47? What's bass, an RPG? Grand finale, C4?
2. Posted by GianiD | October 21, 2007 2:13 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2007 14:13
3. Posted by Lee | October 21, 2007 2:21 PM | Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Government schools, soon to be madrassas, teaching the way of lying, murdering, torturing, pedophile, rapist named mohammad.
Thank the NEA for such bullshit along with the banning of words like Mom & Dad, Father & Mother, encouraging drug use and sex, whether it's girl on girl, boy on boy, or whatever.
Government (read public) schools and the socialist NEA will kill this country from the inside.
3. Posted by Lee | October 21, 2007 2:21 PM |
Score: 6 (8 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2007 14:21
4. Posted by Falze | October 21, 2007 2:43 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Am I reading this right? The school, to placate Muslims that might have, I dunno, made some threatening noises, bans items that Muslims don't like - and to make it up to those that are outraged by this kowtowing they host a Muslim singing songs paid for by a mosque?
WTF?
4. Posted by Falze | October 21, 2007 2:43 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2007 14:43
5. Posted by DaveD | October 21, 2007 4:55 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
This is a bit of a snarky question, but I wonder how the ACLU would have reacted if it were a black gospel choir under sponsorship singing to the glory of Jesus and the Christian God? I'm white but I certainly find that type of music much, much more spiritually uplifting for me than Islam percussion-based music. But, hey, it was for the kids. Where have we heard that before?
5. Posted by DaveD | October 21, 2007 4:55 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2007 16:55
6. Posted by jpe | October 21, 2007 8:44 PM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
6. Posted by jpe | October 21, 2007 8:44 PM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on October 21, 2007 20:44