Mumsnet Talk

Following on from my thread here
I spoke to the headmaster and the secretary at school about Samaritans Purse and gave them a load of bumpf to read about it, news articles and the like, along with some alternative suggestions that I got from MN.

They ooohed and ahhhed and said they hadn't realised and of course they would look into alternatives and how awful, yadda yadda.

Lo and behold, DD came home on Friday with an Operation Christmas Child leaflet! I told her we're not doing it and why, and that she and I could do something ourselves this year for our local childrens' hospice instead.

I'm so annoyed that they've ignored all the info and gone ahead anyway. I feel like handing out info at the school gates because I just think that people will give boxes because they don't know the full story of what happens with them.

DD was horrified when I told her, and I have a feeling that she'll be telling all her friends so I'll be in trouble I bet....

Have to go to a farking pta thing tonight and sit smiling with them both, will take a lot of restraint for me not to mention something about it.

<SIGH> Rant over, thankyou for listening

I feel your pain. Our school ignored my info about the Nestle cereal box tops for books thing last year despite claiming to have awards for Fair Trade and Healthy Eating awareness.

Oh and it's a Catholic school. They are always raising money for CAFOD - who support the nestle boycott!

It's so annoying isn't it? I know they're not obliged to do as I say, of course not, but I thought it was an important enough issue to consider seriously.

It's a non-faith primary but the headmaster is religious and we aren't - I wonder if he thinks I'm just being anti-Christian and therefore is ignoring what I've said.

There should be at least 50 parents at the pta thing tonight, I really feel like bringing it up <rebel>

It isn't anti-Christian, it's unethical. I would love for you to say something but I know how good HTs are at dismissing concerns in a seemingly nice manner. I used to work for one!

Yes, he's very good at promising to do something and then it never happens.

Thing is, I can't think of a way to let other parents know other than word of mouth, it's not like I can put it in the school newsletter!

we've been asked to do this for the playgroup which I go to which is attached to a church I feel I should tell some of the mums what really happens to the gifts but I think I wouldn't be too popular so have decided to keep stum against my better judgement
have agonised over it a bit tbh

Why can't you bring it up at the PTA? It's the ideal place, I'd have thought! I'm mulling over writing to the local paper, which featured a school collecting money in Smarties tubes for a Third World charity.

Do you have any muslim parents at the school. You might want a word with a couple of them (as I understand that this charity particularly targets certain muslim countries).

I'd like to bring it up but I have a feeling they will say it's a school issue and not a pta issue and I will be shushed.

Actually the more I think about it, the more annoyed I am. I think I will def at least mention it to the pta chair who has a sensible head on her shoulders.

Depending how annoyed I am by 7pm I might be ranting out loud about it!

(I'm just not really one for public speaking and don't want to come across as a hysterical ranty lady!)

I would bring it up at the pta if school were doing it tbh but I am on the committee there

Yes there are muslim children at the school, a couple are in DD's class in fact.

What I could do with is a few factual bullet points I can quote, as all I have at the mo is heaps of downloaded articles and my own bumbling opinions, which put together do not really make a very clear argument atm.

I'm on the commitee, but hadn't really brought it up with pta before as it's organised through the school office rather than the pta IYSWIM.

I do think that it'll be the only way to inform some parents though, other than standing with a placard and giving out info at the school gates which is a bit Bree imo.

If you are keen to see this halted, then I would get a muslim parent to speak or write to the headmaster, pointing out that they are aware that another parent has already raised the issue. The headmaster should then explain why he is encouraging their muslim child to be actively involved in trying to proselytise fellow muslim children into becoming Christian.

good idea from ladymuck

I'd appreciate links to any articles about Samaritans Purse: the only one I've seen was one a few years ago in the Guardian by the Vicar of Putney. I too would like to bring it to the attention of my school asap before we get the leaflets

i read an article about the teams who go out delivering the boxes, a couple of years ago.

they were delivering to children in russia who live in the underground heating system in Moscow.

these children have nothing, and are often abusing whatever substnaces they can get their hands on to block out the pain of their daily lives.

having a box of stuff that was just for them was thrilling for them. having the means to wash themselves, getting a hat that would help keep them warm, and a toy that that allowed them to spend a short time being the children that they really are was amazing.
do you really think they gave a shit if there was a piece of religious text in the box too?

if i had nothing and my child could get something-i wouldn't care where it came from.

i think there is far too much smug 'western' political correctness going on here.
if you don't want to partake then don't but don't be so pushy in your trying to stop others doing what they think is right!

I informed my dd's school of the situation (didn't try and stop them mildmanneredjanitor) and they made the decision not to do it the following year.

I think they should be clear in the letters sent out by the school/nursery that religious text will be included
Then people can make an informed choice about whether or not to contribute

I'm not being PC/ smug. I don't want my children involved with an evangelical organisation which directly links religious beliefs and aid.

I am a Catholic and beieve in solidarity/ bearing witness etc. This means, to my mind, living the gospel by helping people who are less fortunate, not by evangelising those people. Cafod is my type of aid organisation. It is clear in its aims and objectives and its very name makes it clear what it is. I do not think Samaritan's Purse is above board in its aims and objectives.

It is perfectly legitimate for a parent to express their concerns at literature coming home from school supporting a charity which the parent has doubts about. Furthermore, if the parent believes the charity does not clearly state its objectives and that the school may be operating under a misapprehension, it is not smug or politically correct to point this out.

Are there any articles on Samaritans Purse since the 2003 one? I thought they had changed their tactics and whilst they will still include a book of bible stories (it is Christmas after all), they have clarified that they do not restrict the giving out of boxes to Christian children. How is this any different from a Muslim charity giving an Eid gift to children in this country (or any other Christian country), accompanied by a text about the Eid festival?

mmj it is unfortunatly not that simple some of the children are told they have to attend religious classes to receive the boxes

I completely see your point and where you are coming from but there are other charities that schools can do the same thing through that aren't spouting the sort of right wing evangelical stuff that sp do

what is the harm in suggesting a different charity? or in allowing parents to make an informed choice and perhaps donate to save the children or unicef instead?

MMJ I don't care whether they put religious, tory or angelina ballerina text in the boxes, I just think people should have the full facts before they participate, which I didn't have before.

I thought it was a fab idea to send these gifts to children that have nothing, until I found out that children were being made to sit through christian sermons before they were allowed to have a box, and muslim children were forced to agreed to convert to christianity before they were given a box. I didn't know that the founder of Samaritans Purse was such a fundamentalist who preaches about the wrongs of Islam.

I don't think receiving aid should be conditional on a child's religious beliefs.

Whilst it is obviously a website set up to criticise OCC, have a look at this.

Bramshott, I guess that you would have to extend the analogy to look at the context of how the boxes are given out (which will vary). The leaflet does include the steps inviting someone to become a Christian, and children are invited to go on to a club which will essentially cover the basics of christianity for 10 weeks. These boxes and leaflets may be given out through schools/nurseries.

No problem with my children getting sweets to celebrate Eid, but if they were being invited to become muslims through it then I'd be more than a little bit .

There has never been much question about the fact that not only Christian children receive the boxes. They are intended as an evangelistic tool, so in general they charity is not targetting Christian children.

The contrast between the UK and US websites is interesting.

where does it say that children have to promise to conform to christianity before they are allowed a box? can you show me proof of that?

but lady muck-if you had literally NOTHING and a muslim charity gave your kids SOMETHING-included stuff from the koran, invited them to a youth club etc would you still be ?
i wouldn't give a crap!!!!

i wouldn't care if they wanted to me to promise to paint myself blue !