Re: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims
From the various news reports, it does not appear to have arisen from any complaints of actual Muslim students on campus. I think the reported statements below from the Council on American-Islamic Relations sums it up pretty sucinctly, particularly the highlighted sentence. I would hope that the D.C. Office of Human Rights agrees that this is a non-issue. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/charge-that-catholic-university-discriminates-against-muslims-rejected/ Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the crucifix complaint “a non-issue.” “Muslims pray all the time in various locations,” Hooper told CNA. “A Muslim can pray anywhere, practically, from a bus station to a classroom to a cubicle at work.” Hooper acknowledged that distracting images are present in many locations, but said that they should not prevent Muslims from focusing on their prayers. “These kinds of things occur every day,” he said. “Particularly at a Catholic institution, you would assume that there would be Catholic symbols in locations throughout the university.” Hooper does believe that Muslim students at Catholic University should be permitted to have an organization on campus if other religious groups are allowed to. But he believes that the issue can be dealt with through dialogue rather than legal action. “American Muslims have very good relations with the Catholic community,” he noted. Will Esser --- Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam Charlotte, North Carolina We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy is when men are afraid of the light. (Attributed to Plato, 428-345 B.C.) From: Esenberg, Richard richard.esenb...@marquette.edu To: Law Religion issues for Law Academics religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2011 9:30 AM Subject: RE: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims Isn't there a strong tradition of aniconism in Islam. You're not supposed to depict Allah, Muhammed or the lesser prophets? Richard M. Esenberg President General Counsel Wisconsin Institute for Law Liberty 225 E. Mason Street, Suite 300 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 414-727-WILL (9455) 414-727-6367 (direct) 414-213-3957 (mobile) r...@will-law.org Adunct Professor of Law Marquette University Law School 1215 W. Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 5202 414-288-6908 richard.esenb...@marquette.edu From: religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu [religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu] on behalf of Finkelman, Paul paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu [paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu] Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 6:30 AM To: Law Religion issues for Law Academics Subject: RE: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims Since Jesus is a prophet in the Muslim faith, I wonder how serious the complaint is. * Paul Finkelman, Ph.D. President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law Albany Law School 80 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 518-445-3386 (p) 518-445-3363 (f) paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu www.paulfinkelman.com * From: religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu [religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu] on behalf of Brad Pardee [bp51...@windstream.net] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 11:14 PM To: religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu Subject: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims I'm intrigued by this story. Apparently, in Washington DC, it may turn out to be a human rights violation for Catholic University to be pervasively Catholic. http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/muslims-want-catholic-school-to-provide-room-without-crosses.html Is there some perspective from the view of an impartial scholar where this is NOT patently absurd? Brad Pardee ___ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.___ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
RE: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims
Since Jesus is a prophet in the Muslim faith, I wonder how serious the complaint is. * Paul Finkelman, Ph.D. President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law Albany Law School 80 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 518-445-3386 (p) 518-445-3363 (f) paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edumailto:paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu www.paulfinkelman.comhttp://www.paulfinkelman.com * From: religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu [religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu] on behalf of Brad Pardee [bp51...@windstream.net] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 11:14 PM To: religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu Subject: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims I'm intrigued by this story. Apparently, in Washington DC, it may turn out to be a human rights violation for Catholic University to be pervasively Catholic. http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/muslims-want-catholic-school-to-provide-room-without-crosses.html Is there some perspective from the view of an impartial scholar where this is NOT patently absurd? Brad Pardee ___ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
RE: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims
Isn't there a strong tradition of aniconism in Islam. You're not supposed to depict Allah, Muhammed or the lesser prophets? Richard M. Esenberg President General Counsel Wisconsin Institute for Law Liberty 225 E. Mason Street, Suite 300 Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 414-727-WILL (9455) 414-727-6367 (direct) 414-213-3957 (mobile) r...@will-law.orgmailto:r...@will-law.org Adunct Professor of Law Marquette University Law School 1215 W. Michigan Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 5202 414-288-6908 richard.esenb...@marquette.edumailto:richard.esenb...@marquette.edu From: religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu [religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu] on behalf of Finkelman, Paul paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu [paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu] Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2011 6:30 AM To: Law Religion issues for Law Academics Subject: RE: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims Since Jesus is a prophet in the Muslim faith, I wonder how serious the complaint is. * Paul Finkelman, Ph.D. President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law Albany Law School 80 New Scotland Avenue Albany, NY 12208 518-445-3386 (p) 518-445-3363 (f) paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edumailto:paul.finkel...@albanylaw.edu www.paulfinkelman.comhttp://www.paulfinkelman.com * From: religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu [religionlaw-boun...@lists.ucla.edu] on behalf of Brad Pardee [bp51...@windstream.net] Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 11:14 PM To: religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu Subject: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims I'm intrigued by this story. Apparently, in Washington DC, it may turn out to be a human rights violation for Catholic University to be pervasively Catholic. http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/muslims-want-catholic-school-to-provide-room-without-crosses.html Is there some perspective from the view of an impartial scholar where this is NOT patently absurd? Brad Pardee ___ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
RE: Catholic University sued about prayer rooms for Muslims
Colleagues, My understanding (just from news reports) is that no Muslim students have complained about this matter; instead, John Banzhaf filed the complaint, as a kind of follow-up to his complaint about Catholic University's recently announced move to single-sex housing for undergraduates. In a recent statement, Pres. John Garvey said: Banzhaf has created the perception that it is our Muslim students themselves who are offended by the symbols of Catholicism on our campus, and that they object to the absence of worship space set aside specifically for them, Garvey said. The fact is that no Muslim student at Catholic University has registered a complaint with the university about the exercise of their religion on campus. And today we learned from an article in The Washington Post that Mr. Banzhaf himself has not received any complaints from our Muslim students. Garvey added, I regret very much that our Muslim students have been used as pawns in a manufactured controversy. http://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=13952 Elsewhere, Garvey said: Contrary to the impression Mr. Banzhaf would like to create, [a] December 2010 [Washington] Post article spoke in overwhelmingly positive terms about the experience of Muslim students at Catholic University, and explained why they are attracted to us. A considerable part of the attraction stems from the fact that our community, because of its own outward expressions of Catholic faith, makes them feel comfortable living their faith among us. http://m.christianpost.com/news/muslim-students-not-behind-complaint-against-catholic-university-59796/ Best, Rick Richard W. Garnett Professor of Law and Associate Dean Notre Dame Law School P.O. Box 780 Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-0780 574-631-6981 (w) 574-276-2252 (cell) ___ To post, send message to Religionlaw@lists.ucla.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change options, or get password, see http://lists.ucla.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/religionlaw Please note that messages sent to this large list cannot be viewed as private. Anyone can subscribe to the list and read messages that are posted; people can read the Web archives; and list members can (rightly or wrongly) forward the messages to others.
