The Southern Baptist Academy Blog

By Mimi Rothschild

Randy Dotinga of The Christian Science Monitor reports that public schools around the nation are changing their schedules, policies, cafeteria food, and setting up prayer rooms, all to accommodate Muslim students. The intention of this blog posting is not to argue against the religion of Islam, but rather expose the apparent hypocrisy of public schools in America.

While discussing an elementary school in San Diego, Dotinga asks, “In accommodating Muslim students, is the school unfairly promoting religion?” That’s a compelling question. Why are these public schools catering to Muslim students? American public schools seem to be so afraid of offending religious groups, with the exception of Christians.

Christian students have the right to pray at public schools, but they cannot “pray solely Christian prayers as an organized part of the school schedule” (religioustolerance.org). Does this law not apply to Muslim students too then? Public schools, like an elementary school in San Diego, have organized their day so Muslim students can pray during Islam’s designated prayer time in a specially provided prayer room.

Some public schools appear to be promoting the Muslim religion by helping Muslim students pray, eat according to the Muslim guidelines, and set up prayer rooms. Yet, when Christian students pray, they are often humiliated and told they are not allowed to engage in such conduct in a public school? Double standard?

To read Randy Dotinga’s article click here.