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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want my kid to go to a mosque ...again!

425 replies

moaningminnie2 · 01/10/2014 14:46

We live in North Yorkshire and every year the village Cof E school run a whole-school trip to Bradford.First they went to a mosque, then the following year a Gurdwara and then a Hindu temple, and now this year back to a mosque again.They do that in the morning, then have lunch and a run around in a park, and then in the afternoon a quick visit to 'Bombay Stores' and then back home for school pick up. DD and her friends don't want to go ( they went in Y2) and I resent having to pay £13 for each of my 2 kids at the school.Whaty is the point of going to the same place again, and do the school get 'Brownie Points' for doing this sort of RE trip.

OP posts:
BravePotato · 01/10/2014 17:21

I would not be keen on my children visiting any religious building, that includes catholic churches, yes

Sirzy · 01/10/2014 17:22

Generally if someone has to make a point of stating they aren't racist is just that.

You can't post such a post and then proclaim not to be racist really.

LaurieFairyCake · 01/10/2014 17:22

Well BravePotato there's plenty of loony right wing Christian churches who carry out terrorist acts - that doesn't stop me going to church. My Christianity is not like that, those people who kill doctors who carry out abortions - nothing to do with me. Not in my gods name.

Islam is NOT terrorist, there are just as many peaceful Muslims as there are peaceful Christians. Just as many Muslims who hate terrorists like I hate those deluded 'Christians' killing abortion HCP's.

vestandknickers · 01/10/2014 17:22

You certainly are being racist BravePotato.

And ignorant.

BravePotato · 01/10/2014 17:22

Which race are we talking about then?

Whiskwarrior · 01/10/2014 17:22

Ahahaha, BravePotato you're saying people don't like mosques (which are peaceful places of worship, just in case you didn't know) because of the crimes carried out in the name of Islam (by a very small minority of fanantical twats, not the vast majority of peacful, Allah-worshipping Muslims) and you're not being racist?

Have a word with yourself.

GratefulHead · 01/10/2014 17:23

My son has been to our local mosque several times. Once with school, twice with me for various things. The one locally is very welcoming of all faiths and none.
DS has also visited Cathedrals, a Synagogue and a Sikh temple as a result of an enthusiastic RE teacher in Junior school. He loved it....it was a day out of school. Not quite the effect his RE teacher was after I suspect Grin.

And yea while I might moan about a £13 cost, I do know that this will be to fund a coach trip rather than anything extra. I missed the details in he OP's post about the journey...can see how it would attract such a coat.

OP, it might be worth asking the school what they are linking this too from the curriculum, it won't just be a jolly away from school.

Vycount · 01/10/2014 17:25

Hopefully as schools continue to take children to mosques and other places of worship and educate them about other religions, said children will use that knowledge to overcome the negative influence of racist and narrow-minded parents.

BoomBoomsCousin · 01/10/2014 17:25

It may be that they have a well planned curriculum and are building on the understanding developed in the three years since the last trip. It may be that they have identified the major religions that they believe will impact the children's lives over the next few decades or they have focused on these 3 institutions because they have deep links with them or are making use of linked resources or skills they have access to to help them deliver an interesting and deep religious education.

Or they may be a bit lazy about it and have decided these are (relatively) easy trips and they can get away with a three year rotation.

I don't know which of these (if any) is true, and it doesn't seem you do either OP. So unless you go in and talk to them about it I think YABU to not want to send your DCs.

Chandon · 01/10/2014 17:25

I don't think £13 is that expensive for a trip.

GratefulHead · 01/10/2014 17:27

Yep....I think bravepotato could do with having a word with him/herself too Grin.

I have several Muslim friends and they are appalled and disgusted by the actions of those who kill in the name of their peaceful religion. These terrorists are not Muslims, they are psychopaths..end of.

AMumInScotland · 01/10/2014 17:27

BravePotato But surely a better understanding and more links between nice ordinary normal people of any faith or none will help to dispel those kinds of bigoted attitudes? I mean amongst those people, who are obviously not you, who might think such a thing?

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 01/10/2014 17:27

BravePotato
I think the opposite to you. Now is exactly the time when people should visit mosques. IS is not representative of Islam as a whole and by encouraging faiths to mix together (and people of no faith) we might help break down some of the barriers and misunderstandings that can otherwise arise.

trolleycoin · 01/10/2014 17:29

Yes MissM but in a way I find it a shame because it implies that they have something missing in their community and therefore have to go to a "multi-cultural" urban area in order to experience it. Does the reverse trip ever happen? Do schools with 75%+ ethnic minorities go to rural communities to learn about their way of life, cultures and beliefs?

I've just always believe that what you do for one you do for them all. E.g. go to different places of worship but also find out about people who don't believe for example.

bakingnovice · 01/10/2014 17:31

For the poster who asked about segregation in mosques, me and dc went this year during ramadan. The local mosque had an open evening for the whole community and invited everyone to an iftari dinner. I can't remember any major segregation except that during the prayer the men went into another room to read alongside an imam. During the meal the women and children sat in the same room as the men but ate alone whilst the men were praying.

It was a really eye opening event. Op you should try visiting a mosque yourself sometime. It'll do wonders for your paranoia my dear.

We recently paid £15 for my ds to attend a visit to the local hospital which is only a few miles away.

Whiskwarrior · 01/10/2014 17:32

Do schools with 75%+ ethnic minorities go to rural communities to learn about their way of life, cultures and beliefs?

They certainly did when I was at school. I went to a primary school with approximately 20 non-Muslim children in the school and we visited the local church to learn about Christianity and also had a Christmas party every year.

We also had an Eid party each year. Some folk on this thread would have exploding heads at the mere thought of such a thing!

FreudiansSlipper · 01/10/2014 17:33

They may learn something new going again as they are at a different age

but if you want your children to remain ignorant and have a similar pov as yourself then do not send them

BlueBrightBlue · 01/10/2014 17:34

A few years ago I posted a link about someone I thought people might like to watch because she was so bloody hilarious.
Strangely enough I got jumped on because she mentioned her faith; Moslem, and a few people got quite irate about it.
She was white.....
Does that make her less funny?

OP isn't judging Islam,she doesn't think all Muslims are terrorists ; she's questioning whether it is reasonable to shell out £13 per child for a place they've been to before, and of course it's not going to be as much fun as going to LEGOLAND.Are there no Mosques in North Yorkshire?

If that youtube link was about a bunch of Christians dancing to Pharell Williams' "Happy", I wonder what sort of response you'd get?

cleanmachine · 01/10/2014 17:35

Trolley, my dsis teaches in a school which is 90% asian. The school has been twinned with a school from the next village for many years which has a 100% white intake. Reverse trips happen too its just that you won't see Asians complaining about having to visit churches.

BlueBrightBlue · 01/10/2014 17:37

GratefulHead, I wish there was a " like" button.

Maisyblue · 01/10/2014 17:40

I'd be interested to know if they've ever visited a Catholic Church on one of their visits to learn about other religions.

Gileswithachainsaw · 01/10/2014 17:41

For me it would depend entirely on how the other trips were handled. If it was interesting and engaging and dd learnt a lot then I'd not object to paying again.

But don't we all remember that "look, a rock" school trip?

I'd be Hmm at a 15 pound trip to the local hospital too. I dont see how taking kids to a petri dish bigger than their class room is a particularly good idea.

But dd does go on all schopl trips where ever they are and will continue to do so providing we can afford it.

We have a 14 pound trip coming up and it's really bad timing this month.

BlotOnTheLandscape · 01/10/2014 17:44

Laurie some religious places do charge - my son went to a synagogue with school and they had to pay a fee per child to the synagogue as well as for the coach.

cansu · 01/10/2014 17:44

I can't believe your dd 'doesn't want to go'. That really isn't a good attitude. I think it sounds like a great trip and obviously she will get something different from the trip this time round as she is older and can appreciate it more. I am sure that the trip takes a great deal of organisation and is a huge amount of work. If you make enough fuss maybe the teachers will decide it just isn't worth the effort and stop doing this trip and others...

Chandon · 01/10/2014 18:01

Cleanmachine, Asian does not mean the are Muslim though.

So not sue that analogy works?