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A Rational
Advocate"The most
formidable weapon against errors of any kind is reason" |
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Madrassas and American Public Schools
By Ben Cerruti
Madrassas (Islamic Schools) and American Public Schools do have
a similarity; this similarity lies in the fact that they both graduate
students that have been indocrinated with a unilateral social ideology.
Some may argue that Madrassas deal with religion but, in fact, the tenets of the
Koran that are taught include much involving the manner in which the society
must function.
The Madrassa, as first conceived, was a seminary where students
of various ages go to be schooled in reading and religious studies. It replaced
regular elementary education and higher education, and ultimately produced
religious leaders. The Koran, open to many interpretations, has provided
the means for Islamic elements to propagate those tenets that do not allow for
any deviation from the social structure they dictate.
So, you say, how can you possibly say American Public Schools
are in any way like Madrassas? I will explain. You surely will
agree that when we come into this world we are subject to the environment to
which we are exposed. It stands to reason that if any one of us where born
in the Middle East we could end up as a graduate of a Maddrassa – and a person
of Middle East descent born in the U.S. could end up graduating from a Public
School. Conceivably then, any one of us could end up as a supporter of
mid-east terrorism or a even a terrorist, if graduated from a Madrassa.
Hence, this proves our minds are malleable.
Fortunately, our Public Schools do not presently include
terrorism in their indoctrination. However, they have taken on the task over the
years to provide instructions on social matters not related to the three
R’s. Supported by public funding special interest groups, aided and
abetted by politically motivated forces, have slowly and surely infiltrated the
educational curriculums to meet their own economic and political ends. It starts
with the teacher’s unions whose primary aim is to protect the teacher’s interest
over that of the student. Following closely behind are those who wish to
forcibly introduce their own concepts of sex education and acceptance of
abnormal life styles. Whatever the issue may be you can find activists
attempting to include its message into the curriculum. Without the ability to
fund their children’s education outside the public school system many parents
have seen their children being socially and politically brain washed without
even knowing that it is happening.
Further, rather than being secular, Public Schools have in
essence become anti-religious. Secular is defined as “not overtly or
specifically religious”. It should be obvious from well publicized past
actions taken by public school officials, some ruled on by our court system,
that they have been blatantly overt.
Is it then possible that the problems created by the Madrassas
and Public Schools have the same basic solution? After all it is apparent
when government does not allow multi-lateral education to flourish, the results
are what we see presently occurring in the world and in our country. In
this country supporting education with government funding does not necessarily
mean the government must operate the system itself. It can tie the funding
to those in the private sector providing a basic curriculum that meets the
requisites of the three Rs and does not teach subject matter advocating
anarchy. Visit
Alliance for the Separation of School and
State .
Hopefully, Islamic countries and especially Saudi Arabia will
start to reform their educational systems and move towards a representative
government that will eventually allow freedom of religion and emancipation of
women. It would seem that it would be a much easier task for the leaders
in our country and communities to start to think of reforming our educational
system by removing government from its operation that would, in effect, allow
true freedom of religious (or non-religious) education. In comparison with
the middle east we are already one step ahead with the emancipation of
women.