Mason Muslims (Lunchtime for Democracy)

A group of religious students at a local public high school have been given special consideration because of their faith, and the citizens are outraged. Here we go with another group of fundamentalist Christian wackos violating the sacrosanct principle of separation between church and state. Right?

Try again. This time it's a group of Muslim kids who want a place to go during lunchtime in the month of Ramadan, at time when they observe a fast between sunrise and sunset. They have simply been given an empty classroom away from the feeding frenzy. And the citizens who are outraged are conservative Christians on the Mason City school board.

I'm waiting for fellow local bloggers Brian Griffin and 'The Dean' - outspoken Cincinnati-based defenders of a purely secular role for all things derived from government - to stand up and express their indignation over this foul encroachment of theocracy on an education system paid for by public taxation. Won't you join Jennifer Miller (the hardcore Christian on the school board) in denying these Muslim kids a simple classroom?

Hm?

Perhaps it time to admit that there are extremists on both sides. There's nothing wrong with Christian kids saying prayers before school, nor is there anything wrong with all of the Muslims spending one boring half-hour in a classroom during lunch. They can even have the lights on at taxpayer expense. We shouldn't care - and as long as nobody is actively promoting religion or practicing discrimination on those who are religious, we owe it to ourselves to be reasonable and accommodating in a pluralistic society. Somebody will always be hopping angry about some exception - but the rest of us need to be reasonable grownups.

Update: Brain Griffin thinks I've mischaracterized his views, but his argument seems to hinge on when we are asking the Muslim kids to attend school. He suggests that if we asked Christian kids to attend school on Sundays we'd have to accommodate their faith.

I'll admit this puzzles me, especially from someone who has been so stern a critic of 'theocracy'. The Muslims are allowed to use the classroom because the state requires them to go to school during Ramadan? Does that mean Catholic kids get to use state resources during Lent and Advent? I've never heard 'timing' used as the distinction before, but it starts to get tricky when every religion has a calendar.

I don't think you can have it both ways. You can't criticize the fundamentalists as a bunch of fascists - and treat religion as anathema - and then turn around and find some reason to be sensitive and tolerant when it comes to Muslims. You either apply principles fairly or you come out and admit you hate the Christian fundamentalists in particular.

But let's be clear: Jennifer Miller is a terrible community leader, and she sounds like she has a fearful, bigoted streak towards Muslims. And any claims she makes about this being 'a Christian nation' are meaningless in terms of the law and rights of individual citizens. As far as I'm concerned, as long as the mission of the school is not impacted (and there are no attempts at conversion) - the Muslims, Catholics, Baptists and followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster can all share the marginal benefits of public resources like an empty classroom - whether it's Lent, Ramadan or Yom Kippur. No convoluted distinctions are necessary.

Tags: Ramadan, Muslims, Mason City Schools