http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=cbc/montreal_home&articleID=2526406
Thursday, Jan 25, 2007 Montreal school boards exempt some Muslim students from music class (CBC) - A handful of school boards in Montreal are allowing Muslim students to opt out of mandatory music classes because some parents believe it contravenes the Qur'an. School boards are making the exception in an attempt to accommodate devout Muslim families who don't want their children to learn how to play instruments or sing. The director general of the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), Tony Lacroce, told CBC that schools are increasingly willing to take steps to respect their students' cultural and religious backgrounds. "You have some parents who insist on it, and when the parents insist, then obviously we accommodate." The option of opting out creates some logistical concerns for music teachers, but Lacroce said students who don't participate in class can take part in other types of music education, such as studying composers. The efforts at accommodation are laudable but point to a need for greater discussion among Muslims and educators, according to Omar Koné, a Montreal imam who has worked as a consultant with school boards on the issue of religious accommodation. Only a small minority of Muslims believe music disrespects the Qu'ran's teachings. "This is beyond the requests of traditional Islam, and it might be also beyond reasonable accommodation," said Koné. Montreal's largest francophone school board, the Commission Scolaire Marguerite Bourgeoys, also allows Muslim students to opt out of music classes. +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
