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We see no issues with student prayers – Pandit Roopnauth Sharma, President of Hindu F
An imam presides over the Friday prayer at Valley Park Middle School. The school has more than 80 per cent Muslims students. However a Hindu advocacy group called Canadian Hindu Advocacy claims that it has received complaints from both Hindus and non-Hindus that Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has gone too far in accommodating Muslim students.
Accommodating Muslim students to pray in the cafeteria of school has raised constitutional issues as well controversies within the South Asian groups.
Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, said Islamic groups are “imposing their view and trying to change the rules, regulations, norms and values to accommodate themselves, and in the long-term, to spread their ideology,” he said. “….Pretty soon we’re going to have 50 different ethnicities and religions asking for different accommodations.”
Muslim Canadian Congress agrees. “The reality of that is that the school board is being politically correct and naive,” said Salma Siddiqui, the group’s senior vice-president, told the Globe on Wednesday. “Honestly it does not work in the long run. How are they going to accommodate other religious minorities?”
There is a mosque very close to the school. However leaving school to go to the mosque raises questions about student-safety and loss of instructional time.
“The parents were concerned on Fridays that the kids were leaving to go to the mosque but frankly taking their time to get there and get back. There were concerns about safety even thought their parents allowed it and there was a concern about the loss of instructional time,” said Shari Schwartz-Maltz, communications manager for the school board.
Valley Park Middle School has received no complaints on the issue so far. TDSB also says that the Ontario human rights code mandates accommodation of religious practices on a case-by-case basis.
Another concern being raised is that allowing Muslims students to pray on campus is perceived to be an endorsement from the school. “I think this looks like a school practicing religion,” said Ed Morgan, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Toronto. “The school may be conveying a message that they endorse religion and that’s what the school is not allowed to do.”
However, another Hindu group called Hindu Federation has issues a contradictory statement from Canadian Hindu Advocacy. Hindu Federation is the group formed by 11 mandirs in the GTA. Pandit Roopnauth Sharma, President of Hindu Federation, issued a statement saying
“Based on the information that we have reviewed we see no issues with students praying in their school cafeteria as long as such activities are sanctioned by the school authorities. We of the Hindu Federation extend compliment to all those involved on providing Canadian youths with the opportunity to pray. In these times when Canadian youths are facing many challenges of poor health habits, substance abuse, gang violence and family issues it is truly comforting to know that some youths are praying and have a place to do so.
I believe that we must try at all times to avoid the sensationalism and sometimes politically motivated actions of a few to disturb the tranquility of a harmonious entity such as the public school where tolerance and acceptance must be part of the basic educational food that nurtures the young minds of the future leaders of Canada.”
An imam presides over the Friday prayer at Valley Park Middle School. The school has more than 80 per cent Muslims students. However a Hindu advocacy group called Canadian Hindu Advocacy claims that it has received complaints from both Hindus and non-Hindus that Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has gone too far in accommodating Muslim students.
Accommodating Muslim students to pray in the cafeteria of school has raised constitutional issues as well controversies within the South Asian groups.
Ron Banerjee, director of Canadian Hindu Advocacy, said Islamic groups are “imposing their view and trying to change the rules, regulations, norms and values to accommodate themselves, and in the long-term, to spread their ideology,” he said. “….Pretty soon we’re going to have 50 different ethnicities and religions asking for different accommodations.”
Muslim Canadian Congress agrees. “The reality of that is that the school board is being politically correct and naive,” said Salma Siddiqui, the group’s senior vice-president, told the Globe on Wednesday. “Honestly it does not work in the long run. How are they going to accommodate other religious minorities?”
There is a mosque very close to the school. However leaving school to go to the mosque raises questions about student-safety and loss of instructional time.
“The parents were concerned on Fridays that the kids were leaving to go to the mosque but frankly taking their time to get there and get back. There were concerns about safety even thought their parents allowed it and there was a concern about the loss of instructional time,” said Shari Schwartz-Maltz, communications manager for the school board.
Valley Park Middle School has received no complaints on the issue so far. TDSB also says that the Ontario human rights code mandates accommodation of religious practices on a case-by-case basis.
Another concern being raised is that allowing Muslims students to pray on campus is perceived to be an endorsement from the school. “I think this looks like a school practicing religion,” said Ed Morgan, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Toronto. “The school may be conveying a message that they endorse religion and that’s what the school is not allowed to do.”
However, another Hindu group called Hindu Federation has issues a contradictory statement from Canadian Hindu Advocacy. Hindu Federation is the group formed by 11 mandirs in the GTA. Pandit Roopnauth Sharma, President of Hindu Federation, issued a statement saying
“Based on the information that we have reviewed we see no issues with students praying in their school cafeteria as long as such activities are sanctioned by the school authorities. We of the Hindu Federation extend compliment to all those involved on providing Canadian youths with the opportunity to pray. In these times when Canadian youths are facing many challenges of poor health habits, substance abuse, gang violence and family issues it is truly comforting to know that some youths are praying and have a place to do so.
I believe that we must try at all times to avoid the sensationalism and sometimes politically motivated actions of a few to disturb the tranquility of a harmonious entity such as the public school where tolerance and acceptance must be part of the basic educational food that nurtures the young minds of the future leaders of Canada.”
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