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AIBU?

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Original poster

To be flabbergasted by this?

300 replies

Cloudhopping · 03/02/2016 12:59

My dd is in year 5 of a village school, which we are really happy with. As it's small, I know most of the parents at the school. My dd is learning about Islam as part of RE and is today visiting a Mosque as part of this. Some of the parents have not consented to their children going as they don't want their children visiting a mosque. I'm not sure of the exact reasons and realise I am making some assumptions here, but am I being unreasonable to be shocked by this attitude?

OP posts:
Iwantakitchen · 03/02/2016 14:54

Op has the school organised visits to other religious places, or just a mosque?

I would be happy for my children to visit religious sites if all they given equal footing. visiting a mosque wouldn't be on top of my list to be honest. I would prefer if my children would visit a Christian Church, a Synagogue, a Hindu temple, a Sikh temple, a Buddhist temple. I would quite like to visit all of those myself.

dawnviews · 03/02/2016 14:55

When you consider all the trouble across the globe in the name of Islam it doesn't shock me at all. Blame the extremists who are the cause of it all, also small minded people. But it doesn't shock me in the slightest.

Behooven · 03/02/2016 14:58

They're hardly going to wind up reading Latin or History at university, are they? Sorry, I realise that's probably a bitchy thing to say but I don't now how else to put it.

That is bitchy. Anyway I'd much rather my dc do a degree that will get them a job. They did the visits to the Mosque, Synagogue and Chapel as well. We aren't religious at also they were mildly interested and survived unscathed.

gooseberryroolz · 03/02/2016 15:03

People are weird. Some people object to ALL religion and RE. Some people are bigoted. You don't know which group these parents fall into, so how do you know if being flabbergasted is the correct response?

Probably the same people who are worried their children will 'catch islam' by eating halal meat

Who thinks that spare?

icysphincterporn · 03/02/2016 15:07

Some people are so anti-religion that they become quite weird. I'm happy for my DC to visit all places of worship to learn "this is what X believes". I want them to learn to be tolerant, even if they don't believe it themselves nor think it's right.

These threads come up often and are always about mosques. Orthodox synagogues have the same rules but oddly enough, I've yet to see this be such an issue.

trevortrevorslatterfry · 03/02/2016 15:16

OK, what do you do when you're on holiday in some ancient city having an historic mosque or cathedral or museum (housing art that is inevitably heavy with religious context)?
They're hardly going to wind up reading Latin or History at university, are they?

Actual LOL to these.

On that holiday I wonder how I've been transported away from the beach, which is where I spend my actual holidays.

Can you even "read" study Latin at university? Perish the thought the PP's kids may end up studying some intellectually impoverished subject like science.. medicine.. I dunno, something actually useful to society

AMouseLivedinaWindMill · 03/02/2016 15:17

There are efforts to integrate mosques, allow ex muslims to pray, men and women side by side ( there is no reason why they cant now) and allow gay and lesbian muslims to pray also.

when this happens I would be happy to send my DC to one. Until then....no.

Is a visit to a church teaching children about paedophilia?
"I wasn't aware that paedophilia was a key part of the Christian teachings?
Islam teaches that men & women should be separate, I don't think Christianity teaches that people should abuse children?"

Same here what a ridiculous comparison.

LagunaBubbles · 03/02/2016 15:20

Absolutely Trevor, I thought I was being quite restrained when I said to that poster they were making massive assumptions about my holidays!

My 22 year old has a good job as an apprentice design engineer specifically on the signalling systems on rail lines....heaven forbid hes not did a degree in Latin eh, how helpful would that be in protecting passengers safety eh I wonder?!! Grin

Drew64 · 03/02/2016 15:25

Both of our boys have been on a school trip to the local Mosque, both loved it and both said the people there were really friendly.

In my opinion it's good that our children are taught cultural diversity and they should be taught to appreciate or have knowledge of different cultures.

I'm not very comfortable that a parent would object to this type of trip. If a parent stops their children going on this type of trip I worry about the message that parent is sending out to their children.
but hey, each to their own

Collaborate · 03/02/2016 15:30

Imagine a world in which no one learned about ideas that they do not subscribe to. Imagine what we'd all be.

Ignorant.

allegretto · 03/02/2016 15:32

I would like to visit a mosque.

Marzipanface · 03/02/2016 15:51

I don't really understand the issue here to be honest. You can refuse to let your child go to the Mosque for your own reasons, or you can let them go and find out for themselves.

TitClash · 03/02/2016 15:58

I'd let them go and see the segregation first hand. Its wake up call as to how very ordinary seeming people can hold bizarre views, like racism.

So YANBU IMO.

AMouseLivedinaWindMill · 03/02/2016 16:32

Imagine a world in which no one learned about ideas that they do not subscribe to. Imagine what we'd all be

AH so not going into a mosque will render everyone ignorant?

I dont suppose there are countless other religions out there we all need to visit their place of worship?

Has anyone heard of a school trip to visit the local scientology center?

LagunaBubbles · 03/02/2016 17:08

Imagine a world in which no one learned about ideas that they do not subscribe to. Imagine what we'd all be. Ignorant

How patronising and judgmental that sounds collaborate, what an ignorant and intolerant opinion it is to be so arrogant to think/assume that no-one can learn anything without it being about learning it YOUR way.

Fortunately I dont think like that and am far from ignorant and appreciate there are different ways of learning, if someone wants to learn about Islam and what it thinks of women then they are more than welcome to visit a Mosque if they feel it would enhance this learning, either for themselves or their children. I have not judged or criticised anyone for this, unlike people like yourself. And if I take your statement literally then Im also very glad I dont "subscribe" to sexism.

KakiFruit · 03/02/2016 18:17

I wouldn't allow my children on a school trip where boys and girls were required to dress differently. Doesn't matter if it's a mosque, synagogue, church or whatever.

Jazzface1 · 03/02/2016 18:27

Most bigotry and hatred stems from Ignorance.
Learning about other cultures can only be a good thing.
The OP has described something rather too common, from daily mail reading middle England.

LagunaBubbles · 03/02/2016 18:30

Jazz and how exactly do you need to actually visit a Mosque to learn about another culture?

Jazzface1 · 03/02/2016 18:40

I didn't suggest 'needing' anything did I?
We are lucky for the main to live in a cosmopolitan accepting society, and I for one consider myself lucky to have grown up and lived along side people of different cultures.
I would be happy for my child to visit anywhere for the purpose of learning.

AppleSetsSail · 03/02/2016 20:10

Has anyone heard of a school trip to visit the local scientology center?

Scientology was invented in 1954. It doesn't figure into this discussion.

My son's history class has been studying Thomas Becket and they're visiting the Canterbury Cathedral tomorrow - I'm chaperoning.

AppleSetsSail · 03/02/2016 20:11

I'm hoping that no one is carsick.

LagunaBubbles · 03/02/2016 20:37

I didn't suggest 'needing' anything did I?

The thread is about people not wanting their children visiting a Mosque and you stated Most bigotry and hatred stems from Ignorance. Learning about other cultures can only be a good thing. The OP has described something rather too common, from daily mail reading middle England.

Since the OP doesnt know the reasons why the parents do not want their children going to a Mosque why write about bigotry and hatred? Why write about learning about other cultures being a good thing (which it is) in relation to visiting a mosque then - what has visiting a Mosque got to do with it?

AppleSetsSail · 03/02/2016 20:51

Why write about learning about other cultures being a good thing (which it is) in relation to visiting a mosque then - what has visiting a Mosque got to do with it?
Laguna, most people accept that classroom learning is enriched by field experience. Learn French, go to France. Learn about the Celts, go to Butser Farm. Learn about the Battle of Hastings, see the Baueaux Tapestry. Learn about Shakespeare, go to the Globe. And so on.

Jazzface1 · 03/02/2016 21:07

Laguna
I stand by my comments.
You don't see the link between learning about other cultures and visiting a mosque?

Snoopadoop · 03/02/2016 21:11

Learn French, go to France. Learn about the Celts, go to Butser Farm. Learn about the Battle of Hastings, see the Baueaux Tapestry. Learn about Shakespeare, go to the Globe. And so on.

Of course. But you don't HAVE to.