By Gurmukh Singh, IANS
Toronto, July 5 (IANS) Friday namaz at a school in the Toronto suburb of North York has angered Hindu advocacy groups here, who want it stopped.
The noon-time prayers for 400 Muslim students of the Valley Park Middle School were introduced three years ago.
Angry Hindu advocacy groups want the 40-minute prayers, which are conducted by an imam specially brought from a mosque, to be stopped immediately.
The local Canadian Hindu Advocacy, led by Ron Banerjee, is roping in various Hindu organisations to hold protests outside the school to pressure management to stop the Friday prayers.
'This is alarming and unacceptable. We respect the separation of church and state,' Banerjee has said in interviews to the media.
'There's not supposed to be any religious classes taking place in public schools,' according to Banerjee.
He says his group is writing letters to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to intervene to stop the practice being allowed by the school management.
The school has the responsibility for ensuring secular education for students, the Hindu advocacy leader adds.
Banerjee says upset parents of Hindu students at the Valley Park Middle School have brought this practice to their notice.
He said Hindu groups will also raise objections to 'the serving of halal meat within TDSB schools. Our organisation is determined to ensure all Hindu students are provided non-halal meat alternatives'.
Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus are the biggest non-white communities of the Toronto area.
(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)
The noon-time prayers for 400 Muslim students of the Valley Park Middle School were introduced three years ago.
Angry Hindu advocacy groups want the 40-minute prayers, which are conducted by an imam specially brought from a mosque, to be stopped immediately.
The local Canadian Hindu Advocacy, led by Ron Banerjee, is roping in various Hindu organisations to hold protests outside the school to pressure management to stop the Friday prayers.
'This is alarming and unacceptable. We respect the separation of church and state,' Banerjee has said in interviews to the media.
'There's not supposed to be any religious classes taking place in public schools,' according to Banerjee.
He says his group is writing letters to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to intervene to stop the practice being allowed by the school management.
The school has the responsibility for ensuring secular education for students, the Hindu advocacy leader adds.
Banerjee says upset parents of Hindu students at the Valley Park Middle School have brought this practice to their notice.
He said Hindu groups will also raise objections to 'the serving of halal meat within TDSB schools. Our organisation is determined to ensure all Hindu students are provided non-halal meat alternatives'.
Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus are the biggest non-white communities of the Toronto area.
(Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh.s@ians.in)
4 comments:
It's now "Islamophobic" to enforce the law of the land in Canada (separation of religion and state).
Good for those Canadians of Hindu faith! No special rights for Islam! You are not "uppermost" in Canada, Muslims...and I hope responsible and active citizens make sure you never are.
Frosty
It Islamapbobia. It is fairness. The Toronto Disctiric School Board is not to accomoadte any relegion. I object thaving my tax dollars go to support a mosque in a public school caferia. There is a mosque for within walking distance to the school. And of course that means more merit with Allah.
This is the same school board that does not allow the Gideons to pass out New Testaments on school property. Are you prepared to call the TDSB Christaphobic?
Bartimaeus
Praying and preaching are two different things.The gideons hand out Bibles to preach but the Muslims pray to practice their faith.
If Sikhs werebanned from wearing any of their K's that would stop them from practicing their faith. The same applies to Muslims who are prevented from praying.
@ 2nd Anonymous,
My religion requires prayer 20 times each day. I demand that the Canadian school system accommodates our needs as well.
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