No, Muslims Are Not Taking Over Public School Boards

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

4-6-2017

Abstract

Those who still doubt the existence of Islamophobia in Canada after the Quebec mosque shooting and the hateful rhetoric aired over M-103, the motion condemning religious discrimination, need only look to the hysteria engulfing the Peel District School Board (PDSB).

For years, the Peel board has allowed Muslim students to use school space for Friday prayers, an exercise in religious accommodation practised by a handful of schools in Ontario and beyond. The issue at Peel more recently has been the question of whether students should be allowed to write their own sermons. That, according to some in the community, is a step too far, and has led to calls to scrap the prayer spaces altogether.

Just the day before M-103 was passed, a group of more than 80 protesters showed up and disrupted a Peel board meeting over what they deem to be unreasonable accommodation. According to board spokesperson Brian Woodland, one of the protesters tore up a copy of a Qur'an, while another stomped on the pages and others shouted "fairly horrific" anti-Muslim statements. The police, who were there due to prior disruptions over the same issue, had to clear out the public so that the meeting could continue.

Publication Title

CBC.ca

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