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| Europe |
| Milan Blocks Plan for Islamic Classes |
| 2004-07-15 |
| Education authorities in Milan have blocked a plan by a local public school to create a separate class for Islamic students, a decision that fueled an ongoing debate over the role of Muslims in this predominantly Catholic nation. The decision Tuesday came after days of raging controversy in Milan. Over the past months, two other cases have made headlines in Italy: that of a Muslim activist who went to court to have a crucifix removed from his son’s public school classroom; and a kindergarten that asked a Muslim trainee teacher to remove her headscarf. The plan by the Gaetana Agnesi school called for 20 high-school students of Egyptian origin - three boys and 17 girls - to study together. The girls would have been allowed to wear headscarves in class, and would have had Friday off for Muslim prayer services. "The possibility of creating classes with students of the same language, culture and religion must be ruled out, because it would be in contrast with the constitutional principles and values aimed at overcoming all forms of discrimination," said Mario Giacomo Dutto, the head of school programs for the Lombardy region that includes Milan. Giovanni Gaglio, the school principal, argued he was trying to guarantee the children a right to an education while preserving their cultural and religious identity. "Our project was one of real integration, a challenge that I and all of us teachers believed in very much," he was quoted as saying Wednesday in the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera. The students came from a self-governed education center that was part of an Islamic mosque, officials said Wednesday. The education center was not a school recognized by Italy, but it taught 400 children, largely of Egyptian origin. The childrens’ parents proposed the separate class. But many politicians and teachers’ unions condemned the move as discriminatory. After Tuesday’s decision, the Northern League, a member of the government coalition known for its tough anti-immigration stance, called for Gaglio’s resignation. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #5 The plan by the Gaetana Agnesi school called for 20 high-school students of Egyptian origin - three boys and 17 girls - to study together. The girls would have been allowed to wear headscarves in class, and would have had Friday off for Muslim prayer services. I understand Egypt has many such places. Why not try there? |
| Posted by: BH 2004-07-15 9:34:06 PM |
#4 "Nobody can seek to remain a stranger to the surrounding world."Except the moslems. And they'd appreciate it if the surrounding world went back to the 7th Century with them so they don't feel left out. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-07-15 8:19:46 PM |
| #3 "Nobody can seek to remain a stranger to the surrounding world." But we can try...INFIDEL! |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-07-15 9:30:09 AM |
| #2 how much of the separate curricula would've been memorizing the Quran? A true worthless death cult - without value to a civilized 21st century society |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-07-15 9:01:03 AM |
| #1 The childrens’ parents proposed the separate class. Why does this not surprise me? Muslims too good for the *inferior* Western classes? Watch for seething and calls of discrimination, coming to an Italy near you! And while I'm on the subject, what do you want to bet that those three Islamboys would have gone nuts at the prospect of a room with seventeen girls? Would the girls have been forced to wear burkas? I have this terribly hilarious image of three boys and seventeen black-sheet-clad girls, and the teacher not being able to tell who's who . . . |
| Posted by: The Doctor 2004-07-15 8:26:39 AM |