An education authority is investigating claims that two school pupils were punished for refusing to kneel down and pray to Allah during a religious education lesson.

Parents complained after the boys, Year 7 pupils at Alsager High School in Cheshire, were given detention for being "disrespectful" to the prophet, the Congleton Chronicle reported.

Parent Sharon Luinen told the paper: "This isn't right, it's taking things too far.

"I understand that they have to learn about other religions, I can live with that, but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim prayer. Making them pray to Allah, who isn't who they worship, is wrong and what got me is that they were told they were being disrespectful."

The school is believed to have received complaints from five sets of parents since the alleged incident on Tuesday.

Another parent, Karen Williams, said: "I am absolutely furious my daughter was made to take part in it and I don't find it acceptable. I haven't got a problem with them teaching my child other religions and a small amount of information doesn't do any harm.

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In another article (link) it is also said the teacher had prayer mats and turbans ready to go. Why does the UK have so many issues with Islam? Why are people being forced to learn about it, cater to them, etc?? I have no issue with Islam or Muslims. They are very good people. And this is not about them and it is distressing to hear people be so biased against Muslims on such threads as they are on others so I thought I should chime in before that happens. Quit being bigots mmkay...

...but no one should be forced to learn about other religions in this way.

Salaam (Peace)

Thank you Clovis for chiming in this way. I'm not sure whats up in the UK, Muslim and non-Muslim. No one should be forced to learn a religion, much less practice a religion. It saddens me Muslims do things like this, and it saddens me, that with all the beautiful verses in The Quran, I have to keep posting this one!

“There is no Ikraaha ("force", "coercion", "compulsion") in religion”
(Quran 2:256)

I don't know if the issue is specifically with Islam or Muslims, it's possible the parents would have objected whichever religion it was - just the fact that it was a different religion and not their own - that may have been enough to anger them

I think teaching Children about different religions is good, we should have them in the US, but it would be like me forcing children of different religions to participate in a Pagan ritual. It is one thing to ask the children if they want to as part of a demonstration it is another to force them. I think the teacher used bad judgment to punish the children for not participating in the demonstration. I think what she did as far as the demonstration was fine though.

I don't know ....... I got wacked with the ruler in the first Grade by Sister Pacifica for not wanting to say the Our Father. For taking out the communion wafer and looking at it in 4th grade . and alot of trouble until 12th for asking too many questions I guess they deemed sacreligious.

Apparently, the orgies and virgin sacrifices scheduled to be held in next week's Religious Education lesson, are a lot more fun.

lol Tiggs...

There is a difference between teaching children about other religions and teaching them a religion. I have heard some real horror stories about Catholic schools.

Its funny isnt it? (rhetorical question)

All my years growing up, in the australian education system, no one ever cared enough about religion to make an issue of it one way or another (and now it is basically banned from within govt schools)

However. In year 6 when i was about 10 we had a teacher who was a great sports fan. He would take the boys out on the oval each day and teach them the liturgy, sacraments and hymns of his religion, aussie rules football, fully accoutred in the traditional holy vestments.

Then as a test of our faith, sincerity, and prowess in the religion, he would line us all up on the cricket pitch to kick the footy. The 2 or 3 boys who kicked the least distance were taken back inside and offered justice or mercy Being small and gentle i was always one of those 2 or three.


Fortunately i was no one's fool and always chose mercy. This involved being bent over and whacked forcefully, once, on the bottom with a beach bat. Being round and flat, the pain was tolerable. The other boys asked for justice (didnt want to whimp out i guess)

This was a yard rule, and was applied with a vigorous swing to the backside, by the teacher. Being narrow and flat, it hurt a lot more; but worse was to come. By accident, or design, the yard rule had a split in the end of it. When it hit your backside the split opened, then closed, pinching you tightly on the backside.

It reduced many tough young boys to tears.

So no, i dont think anyone shou;d be punished at school for refusing to participate in religious festivities, whatever form that religion takes.

Someone needs to educate that teacher about the idea of "no compulsion in religion", as taught in the Qur'an. What is being done is therefore very un-Islamic.

Teaching tolerance is commendable IMO, but forcing it is not.