Classes on Islam should be mandatory, UK teachers say

[Ors Might]

Is RE in the UK its own class? If it is, wouldn’t it make more sense for it to be an elective going over the history and beliefs of religions while religious tolerance is promoted in the same way you promote not bullying other kids for being different? I’d imagine those two would have some overlap.

You don’t need to have an in-depth knowledge of a religion in order to have been taught to not hate them.

[Rojava Free State]

Then why make a single, exclusive Islam clas to teach exclusively about Islam? No, that's a stupid idea. Just make a single religion class where the big religions can be teached about. The school system is failed and already has useless subjects, why make 1 more useless subject?

You did not read anything, did you ?
There is a general course about world religions. Parents however keep their children at home during the classes about Islam.

Okay whatever. I guess the kids will fail the test and flunk the test. It's no skin off our noses

[Inkopolitia]

Then why make a single, exclusive Islam clas to teach exclusively about Islam? No, that's a stupid idea. Just make a single religion class where the big religions can be teached about. The school system is failed and already has useless subjects, why make 1 more useless subject?

You did not read anything, did you ?
There is a general course about world religions. Parents however keep their children at home during the classes about Islam.

Meh. If the parents can skip classes about Islam, parents should also be able to skip classes about Catholicism or other religions, I don't care. I view religion as useless, after all.

[Gormwood]

If the parents believe Team America: World Police is a documentary and want to pull their kids out of Islamic religious study classes before they catch the Muzzie Zombie Virus then it's their right. A shame the kids will be more likely to believe stereotypes but as long as they don't go beating or murdering Muslims no big deal.

[Rojava Free State]

You did not read anything, did you ?
There is a general course about world religions. Parents however keep their children at home during the classes about Islam.

Meh. If the parents can skip classes about Islam, parents should also be able to skip classes about Catholicism or other religions, I don't care. I view religion as useless, after all.

Institutional religion is archaic as far as I'm concerned. It's the way people explained natural phenomena before the scientific reasons were discovered.

[Minachia]

It applies to both groups. Most mosques separate them by a screen or a wall.

Nice. Instead of dehumanizing one gender or another, you dehumanized every one

To be fair, Al Mum claims the purpose is to keep attendees focused on prayer and not the hot chick/dude on the other side of the room.

[Bear Stearns]

Sorry but... Islam is the most violent religion in the world. It is like saying "Let's make IRA classes mandatory"

I mean, nothing wrong with learning about the IRA. The IRA is a pretty big part of British history. Islam isn't.

Learn about how Cromwell did nothing wrong.

[Rojava Free State]

If the parents believe Team America: World Police is a documentary and want to pull their kids out of Islamic religious study classes before they catch the Muzzie Zombie Virus then it's their right. A shame the kids will be more likely to believe stereotypes but as long as they don't go beating or murdering Muslims no big deal.

This isn't something school should teach. People ought to have the common sense to not be bigots and if they dont, no class will save them

[The New California Republic]

Is RE in the UK its own class?

Yes it is.

If it is, wouldn’t it make more sense for it to be an elective going over the history and beliefs of religions while religious tolerance is promoted in the same way you promote not bullying other kids for being different? I’d imagine those two would have some overlap.

A lot less students would take it if it were elective. At a guesstimate the classes would lose 75%+ of their students.

[Al Mumtahanah]

It applies to both groups. Most mosques separate them by a screen or a wall.

Nice. Instead of dehumanizing one gender or another, you dehumanized every one

Doesn't feel dehumanizing

[Inkopolitia]

Meh. If the parents can skip classes about Islam, parents should also be able to skip classes about Catholicism or other religions, I don't care. I view religion as useless, after all.

Institutional religion is archaic as far as I'm concerned. It's the way people explained natural phenomena before the scientific reasons were discovered.

Agree. Religion is a thing of the past

[Trinadaed]

If they teach Islam, they must teach other religions too. Unless they also teach other religions, I will say no.

[The Grims]

Nice. Instead of dehumanizing one gender or another, you dehumanized every one

To be fair, Al Mum claims the purpose is to keep attendees focused on prayer and not the hot chick/dude on the other side of the room.

The idea that the bumsweat of the man in front of you is not more distracting is an odd one.

[The Grims]

If they teach Islam, they must teach other religions too. Unless they also teach other religions, I will say no.

They do - and yes, this means muslims will not be able to opt out of classes about devil worship, paganism or the worldview that Mohammed was a bad man. Fair is fair.

[Al Mumtahanah]

To be fair, Al Mum claims the purpose is to keep attendees focused on prayer and not the hot chick/dude on the other side of the room.

The idea that the bumsweat of the man in front of you is not more distracting is an odd one.

Muslims are supposed to dress very cleanly for mosque and it is customary to use perfume.

[Rojava Free State]

Sorry but... Islam is the most violent religion in the world. It is like saying "Let's make IRA classes mandatory"

I mean, nothing wrong with learning about the IRA. The IRA is a pretty big part of British history. Islam isn't.

The IRA and Islamic fundamentalist terrorists are sooooo very different.

The IRA calls in to warn about a bombing before it happens so civilians can escape and infrastructure is the only thing damaged (they aren't perfect at this but they do try). Islamic fundamentalists seek to maximize the number of casualties in a bombing. The IRA fights to reunite northern Ireland with the republic. Islamic fundamentalists fight to take over the world in the name of Islam. The IRA is motivated by 800 years of British oppression. Fundamentalist Muslims are motivated by passages in the Quran that celebrate their religion's supposed superiority over others. The IRA isn't trying to totally wipe out the people of Britain. The fundamentalist Muslims want to convert or kill everyone.
Both organizations are terrorists and don't get me wrong, the provos have done some horrible things such as killing alleged informants and kneecapping. But there's a huge distance between the Irish Republicans and ISIS or Al Qaeda.

[Grinning Dragon]

To be fair, Al Mum claims the purpose is to keep attendees focused on prayer and not the hot chick/dude on the other side of the room.

The idea that the bumsweat of the man in front of you is not more distracting is an odd one.

What of the offshoots where the women have to basically wear a sleeping bag over their bodies, how would one even know if she were a hot chick or not, hell, how would one even know it was a female wearing it? Why would they need to be separated at all in this case?

[The Grims]

The idea that the bumsweat of the man in front of you is not more distracting is an odd one.

Muslims are supposed to dress very cleanly for mosque and it is customary to use perfume.

Even more distracting.

[New Bremerton]

When I was in school, I had to visit a mosque, a gurdwara, a synagogue, a cathedral, a Buddhist temple and a Sikh temple all in a single day. Religious studies involved the study of all the world's major religions. Even Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime was covered. The subject was more descriptive rather than prescriptive. Rather than tell us what to believe, we were required to formulate our own thoughts on abortion, vegetarianism, torture, the death penalty, the existence of a god etc.

If these kids are learning just about Islam and no other religion, then that would be suspect and parents would have every right to be worried. I know I wouldn't send my kid to Catholic school. Faith schools of any religion should be closed down or converted to secular schools, and religious and political indoctrination of minors should be outlawed.

[Gormwood]

If they teach Islam, they must teach other religions too. Unless they also teach other religions, I will say no.

They do - and yes, this means muslims will not be able to opt out of classes about devil worship, paganism or the worldview that Mohammed was a bad man. Fair is fair.

Since when did Muslim need to attend classes to hear that? The whole world keeps telling them that every day.

[Rojava Free State]

If they teach Islam, they must teach other religions too. Unless they also teach other religions, I will say no.

They do - and yes, this means muslims will not be able to opt out of classes about devil worship, paganism or the worldview that Mohammed was a bad man. Fair is fair.

Good. Let's test the waters

[Rojava Free State]

They do - and yes, this means muslims will not be able to opt out of classes about devil worship, paganism or the worldview that Mohammed was a bad man. Fair is fair.

Since when did Muslim need to attend classes to hear that? The whole world keeps telling them that every day.

The whole world is right

[Al Mumtahanah]

Muslims are supposed to dress very cleanly for mosque and it is customary to use perfume.

Even more distracting.

Not really, It's for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).

[Inkopolitia]

When I was in school, I had to visit a mosque, a gurdwara, a synagogue, a cathedral, a Buddhist temple and a Sikh temple all in a single day. Religious studies involved the study of all the world's major religions. Even Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime was covered. The subject was more descriptive rather than prescriptive. Rather than tell us what to believe, we were required to formulate our own thoughts on abortion, vegetarianism, torture, the death penalty, the existence of a god etc.

If these kids are learning just about Islam and no other religion, then that would be suspect and parents would have every right to be worried. I know I wouldn't send my kid to Catholic school. Faith schools of any religion should be closed down or converted to secular schools, and religious and political indoctrination of minors should be outlawed.

This sums up my thoughts perfectly

[Imbalistan]

Teach the history (crusades, starting point, spread, ETC) and not the religion. Even as a muslim, it would be beyond stupid to force our values down young and impressionable minds.