With today marking the beginning of Ramadan, Dieringer School District in Washington is urging teachers to follow guidelines issued by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) about adherence to Islam. In March, CAIR submitted an “Informative Letter on Upcoming Islamic Holidays and Religious Accommodations” to Superintendent Judy Martinson. Martinson enacted the letter as official District policy when she distributed the letter to school principals, who in turn circulated the letter to all teachers and staff.
To help Muslim students observe Ramadan at school, CAIR presses District officials to, among other things, “[w]elcome Muslim students during Ramadan with ‘Ramadan Mubarak!’ or ‘Ramadan Kareem.’” The letter also instructs teachers to monitor Muslim students’ Ramadan fasting and not to schedule any tests on the Islamic holidays Eid Al-Fitr and Eid.
“By urging teachers to bless Muslim students in Arabic, the District is running roughshod over the First Amendment’s mandate of government neutrality toward religion. A school district would never order teachers to ‘welcome’ Catholic students during Easter with ‘He is risen, alleluia!’ Singling out Muslim students for special treatment is blatantly unconstitutional.”
Daniel Piedra, FCDF’s executive director.
A District parent and teacher reached out to the Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund (FCDF) expressing concern about the letter.
In response to the District’s new Ramadan policy, FCDF sent a legal memo today to Superintendent Martinson to warn her that the District is likely violating the Constitution by favoring Muslim students. The letter also warns Martinson about CAIR’s longstanding anti-Semitic advocacy and ties to radical Islamists. According to the letter:
To be clear, nothing in the Constitution prohibits public schools from accommodating students’ religious exercise to the extent it would not interfere with educational interests. “But the religious liberty protected by the Constitution is abridged when the State affirmatively sponsors” religious practice. Here, by issuing the CAIR Letter to District employees, you acted under color of state law to create an official policy that has a primary effect of advancing religion. The Ramadan Policy, in both adoption and implementation, plainly imposes liability on the District under the United States and Washington Constitutions.
FCDF’s Legal Memo to Washington School District
“This case is yet another attempt by CAIR to infiltrate uninformed school districts so it can advance its subversive agenda. CAIR must not be allowed to indoctrinate impressionable schoolchildren under the guise of ‘diversity’ and ‘cultural awareness.’ FCDF is committed to keeping CAIR out of our America’s public schools.”
Daniel Piedra, FCDF Executive Director
FCDF warned Martinson that legal proceedings may be initiated against the District if it does not rescind its Ramadan policy.
12 Comments
Georgia McDaniel
May 7, 2019
I am a retired schoolteacher. I was not even allowed to read from Proverbs two of my students. As long as prayer and Christianity teaching is barred from public schools, ALL religion must be banned!
Anton Savarese
May 8, 2019
No Christians or Jews need apply? Right?
No! It’s just plain WRONG!
‘Nothing to see here, just move along’..?? No.. I don’t believe that I will
Anton Savarese
May 8, 2019
The scandal(s) riddled, and Jew & Christian hating Congresswoman from Minnesota (from Somalia via Kenya), Ilhan Omar was allowed (INVITED) to speak in a school auditorium in front of a packed house of impressionable ‘children’, at the St Anthony Middle School, in St Paul Minnesota..
* NO PARENTS OR PRESS WERE ALLOWED TO ATTEND.. ..NO PARENTS OR PRESS WERE ALLOWED TO ATTEND..
See a disturbing pattern here? I certainly do..
Anton Savarese
May 8, 2019
PS…
The St Anthony School administration refuses to answer questions..
Paul Nelson
May 8, 2019
Lawsuits should be flying !
Samah Sharmin
May 9, 2019
As a Muslim high school student, I find this to be completely ridiculous. Schools are closed for Christmas, Easter, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, etc. But when Muslim students just want to have a day off without worrying about missing any tests, you throw a tantrum? When Muslim students want to stay in for lunch, you have a hissy fit? When schools try to take a step to welcome their Muslim minority, you call it a “violation of the Constitution?”
Forgive me if I’m mistaken, but I thought the Constitution was created to protect the rights of all Americans, regardless of religion, not to attack minority groups. This entire article is simply disgracing the very Constitution it seeks to uphold, using the document as a facade behind which to hide Islamaphobia.
Dawn Jones
May 9, 2019
This is BS!! You have students in a Muslim school in Philadelphia teaching under Islam, “Behead the Infidels” but heaven help us in the nation BUILT on Christianity we are allowed to mention our Christian faith in schools. This is the LEFT WING RADICALS trying to eradicate Christianity. We MUST do something to stop this insanity or be ready for Judgment Day much sooner than anyone thought would happen. And quite frankly with the insanity going on in the world right now, I’m ready for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Scott
May 9, 2019
Thank you for confronting this rogue school district official.
John
May 9, 2019
CAIR is an anti-American, anti-Israel, extremist, radical front group. They need to be exposed and called out for who they are and what they support! The main problem are all the leftists in our government who give them the ‘time of day’, -and, in this case and others, -actually act on behalf of CAIR, indoctrinating innocent, unsuspecting children.
D P
May 13, 2019
Samah,
You apparently didn’t read our letter. Muslim students absolutely have a right to receive religious accommodations. That includes being allowed to miss a day for a religious observance and being able to make up tests and assignments without getting penalized. They are also allowed to pray somewhere during quiet during lunch. It would be unlawful if schools prevented Muslim students for exercising their religious rights without a serious reason. We’d happily represent a Muslim student who’s being denied basic accommodations. But, as we argue, when school districts purposefully bend over backwards to single out a religious group for special attention, then that violates the Constitution.
D P
May 13, 2019
So sad.
George
May 14, 2019
Schools are not closed for Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashhanna or Easter which falls on a Sunday. Prayer is and should not be allowed in Public School. Religious services should not be allowed in any Governmental institution. Pray in your house of worship.
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