Groups plan protest over Muslim prayers being allowed in Toronto school

TORONTO - Several faith-based groups are planning to picket the Toronto District School Board's headquarters next week over its decision to allow Muslim prayers in a school cafeteria.

The Jewish Defence League of Canada, along with Christian and Hindu groups, say they will protest the controversial prayer sessions next Monday.

The prayer services at Valley Park Middle School in the city's north end have been going on for about three years.

A local imam leads the prayers in the school's cafeteria on Fridays.

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=n7539974

And allow the non-religious atheists to leave the room first.

:headbang:
rocktivity

They only care about freedom of religion when it's their religion.

Girls are segregated for the Islamic prayer sessions. Girls having their periods are not allowed to participate...period.

While supporters and critics have been relentlessly debating the existential question of prayer in public schools, one group caught in the middle has garnered only a fraction of the attention. I’m referring to the female students who participate in Friday prayers at Valley Park Middle School, relegated to the back of the cafeteria and not permitted to participate when menstruating...

How is it that the TDSB can call for instruction on sexism and gender inequality in its Social Studies classes, yet look the other way when girls are facing active discrimination within its walls?

http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2011/07/11/girls-should-not-be-segregated-on-public-school-property/

Usual Tedious Personal Anecdote: one fine Friday when I lived in Alexandria, Egypt, I was out randomly exploring the city. That was one of my favorite things to do. I'd take the old streetcars to the middle of downtown, then just start walking into the surrounding neighborhoods. I got a lot of free food and tea that way...

I turned down an alley, and ran smack into a bunch of women standing around. Their expressions said they were not happy to see me, and I pretty quickly realized they were standing behind a mosque, apparently attending-but-not-quite the Friday services. It was very awkward for all of us and I vamoosed as quickly as I could.