More on the mosqueteria- Canadian Islamist groups praise TDSB for taking a ‘principled’, sharia stand.

It should come as little surprise that Canadian Islamist groups are gushing with glee over the Toronto District School Board’s decision to play host to the illegal cafeteria-cum- mosque, it’s travelling Imam and the gender apartheid, Muslim menses ban set-up at Valley Park Middle School in Toronto. I especially love their references to the importance of human rights.

It appears the legal beagles over at the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association must have opted to appear for Friday prayer instead of attending the classes which directly reference sections 15 and 28 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing equality and gender equality respectively.

Here’s CAIR-CAN’s press release:

CAIR-CAN Applauds Toronto District School Board for Respecting Canadian human rights law.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011 1:45 pm

– For Immediate Release –

(Ottawa, Canada – July 6, 2011) – The Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN), a national Muslim civil rights organization, today commended the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for defending the religious accommodation of young Muslim students at the Valley Park Middle School. Valley Park Middle School allows Muslim students to remain at a school on Friday’s to perform congregational prayer. This accommodation has been practiced by this particular school for three years without complaint.

“We wholeheartedly praise the TDSB for taking a principled stand to protect the religious accommodation of Muslim youngsters at Valley Park Middle School. The accommodation made is in line with Federal and Provincial human rights laws which make it clear that service providers, including public schools, must accommodate religious needs to the point of undue hardship. The law is crystal clear on this point and allows any Muslim student who wishes to observe the prayer to do so,” said CAIR-CAN Executive Director Ihsaan Gardee.

“This accommodation fulfills the objective of ensuring the educational requirements of students are not impeded by their desire to fulfill any religious observance and is essential to the emotional, spiritual, and academic well-being of Muslim students. Furthermore, this measure in no way imposes this accommodation on other groups or restricts their rights to make any request for religious accommodation that they deem appropriate.”

CAIR-CAN is a national, non-profit, grassroots organization striving to be a leading voice that enriches Canadian society through Muslim civic engagement and the promotion of human rights.

Hindu Canadian Alliance (HCA)
World Sikh Org.

Here’s the Canadian Islamic Congress’s press release:

THE CANADIAN ISLAMIC CONGRESS — MEDIA COMMUNIQUÉ

ISLAMIC CONGRESS VOICES SUPPORT FOR STUDENT PRAYER ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY TORONTO DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD

The Canadian Islamic Congress today voiced support for the “principled and far-sighted” approach taken by the Toronto District School Board in approving weekly Friday prayers at Valley Park Middle School, where up to 90 per cent of students are from Muslim families.

While the TDSB has encountered recent criticism for allowing a local Imam to hold services at Valley Park (an arrangement that began three years ago without opposition), CIC national president Mrs. Wahida Valiante said today that the Board should instead be complimented for upholding the values of Canadian multiculturalism and for recognizing that in Canada freedom of religion legally supersedes the education act.

“We as Canadians, and particularly Canadian Muslims, should be proud that the TDSB has taken such a respectful and considerate approach toward human rights — including religious practice — as they are expressed within our Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” she said.

She added that the TDSB and Muslim community groups, both locally and provincially, have spent considerable time and effort in developing positive programs to promote religious and cultural understanding among students of diverse ethnicities, as well as creating effective methods to discourage bigotry and Islamophobia. “With all of this foundational work in place, the CIC asks, ‘why now?’,” she said in response to the recent flurry of negative media comment.

CIC maintains that outside critics’ arguments against the parentally approved 30-minute Friday prayers at Valley Park Middle School simply don’t hold water, ethically or legally.

In keeping with its legislated responsibilities, the TDSB has clearly stated that there is no indoctrination or proselytizing involved and no exclusion or coercion of non-Muslim students, who have always been welcome to the services.

In fact, concluded Mrs. Valiante, “to deprive these young people of an opportunity to worship would be tantamount to reverse discrimination.”

Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association Applauds Decision of Toronto District School Board

Canada NewsWire

TORONTO, July 15, 2011

TORONTO, July 15, 2011 /CNW/ – The Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) applauds the decision of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to permit private prayer for one half-hour each week in a designated space at Valley Park Middle School.

This sign of tolerance and respect allows students of the Muslim faith to avoid having to leave school premises to attend the once weekly congregational prayer, which is an essential part of the Islamic faith, and ensures that they can return to class safely and in a timely fashion.

Said Ms. Yusra Siddiquee, Chair of the CMLA: “I am proud to live in a country where we accommodate and respect the cultural and religious needs of various diverse communities within a public school system, so that all children can learn together.”

The TDSB is not involved in the prayer service, and students participate voluntarily and with parental consent. The accommodation was requested by the local community, and has been ongoing for three years without complaint.

The TDSB’s decision is consistent with provincial and federal human rights laws, which oblige service providers, including public schools, to accommodate religious needs. It furthers the aims of the Education Act by maximizing instruction time for its students. The TDSB’s decision upholds the Charter of Rights of Freedoms, which guarantees freedom of conscience and religion for all Canadians. We believe that the TDSB has struck a helpful balance that is in line with the legal obligations of the TDSB, but also furthers the values of tolerance, respect and fairness that Canadians proudly uphold.

The TDSB adopted a community-based approach in fulfilling its legal and ethical obligations, and worked with parents and members of the Valley Park neighbourhood to achieve a solution that accommodates the needs of over 300 students. Organizations across faith lines have come forward to support the prayer accommodations at Valley Park Middle School.

The CMLA applauds the TDSB’s commitment to ensuring that the religious needs of all faith groups are respected and accommodated, without imposition or detriment to others.

Endorsed By:

Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association

Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations

Canadian Council of Imams

Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians

Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association

Hindu Canadian Alliance

Islamic Circle of North America – Canada

Islamic Foundation of Toronto

Islamic Institute of Toronto

Islamic Society of Markham

Islamic Society of North America – Canada

Islamic Society of Toronto

Islamic Society of Peel

Masjid Darul Iman

Muslim Association of Canada

The Mathabah Foundation

Sri Lankan Islamic Foundation of Ontario

 

6 Replies to “More on the mosqueteria- Canadian Islamist groups praise TDSB for taking a ‘principled’, sharia stand.”

  1. I think it is wrong of those islamic groups to deny other nonbelievers the human rights of a cafetaria just to accomodate a group of selfish islamic group in a public school. If they are really so obssesed with their islamic faith, they should start their own religious school instead of imposing their praying rights on us nonbelievers. There should be a limit to accommodation to any faith or nonfaith, and it is unbecoming that the islamic groups choose to set such a bad example to other children (of other faith or nonfaith), with the islamics takeover of cafetaria and gender segregation in a public school. Are they going to take over the whole school next via their various other islamic agenda?

  2. Well then can we expect a priest to come in, set up an altar, hang a crucifix on the wall, and celebrate Mass on the next Catholic holy day? (I’m not sure about Canada, but here in the U.S. that day would be August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, probably not a school day because of summer vacation…How about Nov. 1, all Saints Day. And of course Dec. 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception).

    If they are going to try to satisfy all the religious needs of everyone, they might as well just close the school and call the building “The Multicultural and Diverse Expression of Religious Belief Center”.

  3. A note for those unfamiliar with the Catholic holy days—working people and students would go to Mass during their lunch hour or in the evening, as the Church accomodates people with extra Masses at noon time and in the evening. Christians do not try to disrupt and annoy everyone to fulfill their religious obligations.

    A courtesy which does not exist in Islam.

  4. Ann,
    Although I can appreciate your sentiment, the school boards are not trying to satisfy the religious needs of everyone- they are accommodating only Islam and by doing so, they are in direct violation of Canadian law. The groups mentioned in the above post have been working diligently for years to ensure sharia is implemented in public (and private) institutions and seeing it has a foothold at Valley Park Middle School (and others) they are thrilled. Not satisfied with guaranteeing that sharia is practiced within the Muslim community, their lobbying won’t stop until sharia is followed in every community across the country. The only way to deal with this is to demand that Canadian law is enforced.

  5. Yes, Grace, I agree. My comment was somewhat tongue-in-cheek. We all can easily see that the very leftists who have been so hostile to any religious expression in public (at Christmas, etc) are now so willing to accomodate Islam under the rubric of “multiculturalism”.

    A big part of the islamic agenda in Canada and the US is to be in the “infidel” face with everything from the hijab, to Ramadan, to ultimately, the imposition of Sharia law.

  6. You talk about “like a thief in the night.” Whenever I hear of incidents like this, I always wonder how much money is being passed around to accommodate this? If Christians want equal treatment, they should be prepared to pay up or shut up. Yes, Muslims and leftists are just this corrupt.