Parents threaten to protest school for allowing Muslim author to speak with students.

[MrsMike]

 This happened within my community. I am so saddened by it. I'm not surprised, which is also sad, because the anti-Muslim position is not uncommon around here. What a disturbing message to be sending to our children. The worst part is that Muslim children attend this school and they've basically been given the message that the school district allows this prejudice to happen.

Parental complaints prevent Muslim author from visit to Kulp Elementary

[HappyHappyMommy]

I'm very sad and disturbed to hear this. If there is any way that we can support this author and this program in the school and most of all let Muslim children who attend this school (and all schools in the US) that it's not ok that the school district allows such prejudice to happen, please post and let us know.

[jimblejamble]

How horrible!

[Eurobaby]

Has there been a protest or petition from parents who supported the speaker attending? I would be pretty angry my kids education has been limited by fringe conservatives.

[MrsMike]

I don't know how to take action or how to help. I'm not affiliated with that school, but it is within my community. My understanding is that there are parents who objected to this decision, but that their voices were drowned out by those of the protesters. The responses I hears are either, "Well, that's not right," with no action or, "Good! We need to protect our children from those people."

[kbaldridge06]

I agree with the parents of the children.  Christianity is not allowed in school so why are other religions?  My senior year in high school 2003-2004 a kid in my class was suspended because he refused to change his shirt which read "I <3 Jesus".  If one religion is banned, then they all should be.  If a Christian author was there to talk to children people would protest and the author would not be allowed to speak.  And no one would be upset about that...so why do people get upset because he/she is Muslim?  

[stik]

If the author was visiting the school to proselytize, that would be inappropriate.  But, like any other children's book author promoting a book, the purpose of her visit would have been to read her book (which is about inclusion and had illustrations of the school she was visiting, as it was written about the author's son's experiences at that school) and talk about writing and publishing books.  

I'm sad that this woman has been treated so horribly by her community.  I think it's terrible that there were protests about this.  

[HappyHappyMommy]

Originally Posted by stik 

If the author was visiting the school to proselytize, that would be inappropriate.  But, like any other children's book author promoting a book, the purpose of her visit would have been to read her book (which is about inclusion and had illustrations of the school she was visiting, as it was written about the author's son's experiences at that school) and talk about writing and publishing books.  

I'm sad that this woman has been treated so horribly by her community.  I think it's terrible that there were protests about this.  

 

[MrsMike]

Originally Posted by kbaldridge06 

I agree with the parents of the children.  Christianity is not allowed in school so why are other religions?  My senior year in high school 2003-2004 a kid in my class was suspended because he refused to change his shirt which read "I <3 Jesus".  If one religion is banned, then they all should be.  If a Christian author was there to talk to children people would protest and the author would not be allowed to speak.  And no one would be upset about that...so why do people get upset because he/she is Muslim?  

The students in this school just learned about Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa in December. It was a district wide thing to educate about various cultures and their winter celebrations. This school houses plenty of books on Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. My son goes to a school in this same district and his class was asked to write/draw a picture about his favorite winter holiday. He drew a picture of Baby Jesus and wrote that he loves Jesus. It's displayed outside of the classroom in the hallway. There is no shunning of Christianity here. Also, she was not coming to speak to convert children. She was talking about the writing process and her steps to becoming an author. FTR - Christian authors have been able to speak, so...

[Cyllya]

Originally Posted by kbaldridge06 

I agree with the parents of the children.  Christianity is not allowed in school so why are other religions?  My senior year in high school 2003-2004 a kid in my class was suspended because he refused to change his shirt which read "I <3 Jesus".  If one religion is banned, then they all should be.  If a Christian author was there to talk to children people would protest and the author would not be allowed to speak.  And no one would be upset about that...so why do people get upset because he/she is Muslim?  

The woman wasn't going to talk about anything that had to do with her religion, so if the school policy was actually based on this logic, they wouldn't have any teachers, because everyone has some kind of religious belief even if they don't actively practice.

[TiredX2]

Just a reminder that this is the Activism forum so all posts need to be in support of the call to action in the OP.  If you want to start a different call to action, please place it in a different thread.

[sleepingbeauty]

What can we do about this?  I'm so sad that these children have to see this happening...

[Kelly Mathews]

What was the author going to talk about, exactly? What are her books about?  Because otherwise it's discrimination and bullying pure and simple. Are parents who are Muslim not wanting to cause a stir and be accepted in the community? Because I agree, this is exactly the kind of situation to start a petition for on Change.org. 

It will get the word out fast, and get the school to change its decision. 

Also, writing letters to the school and principal are always ways to change things. If the school gets recognition for discrimination, especially when members attending that school are of the same religion, it adds pressure.