Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be angry that parents won't allow their children to go on school visit to local mosque?

346 replies

ptangyangkipperbang · 04/07/2007 14:06

DS2 is going on a school trip to the local mosque. However, the school nearly cancelled it because so many parents have refused to let their children go. I have only spoken to one parent who won't allow her child to go but she said "I'm not racist but...why should they visit a mosque when we daren't get a plane or go to a shopping centre because of that lot". Not racist .

OP posts:
chopster · 04/07/2007 16:50

surely a mosque run by fanatics wouldn't be too keen on a busload of non muslim children turning up anyway!

MorocconOil · 04/07/2007 16:57

You can't imagine a busload of any children being welcomed

Doodledootoo · 04/07/2007 17:11

Message withdrawn

bookwormmum · 04/07/2007 17:33

I haven't been to a mosque or a synagogue myself (been to both a Jewish and a Muslim wedding though) so I'd be interested to go from an educational standpoint myself. I visited a Buddhist Temple/retreat in Scotland earlier this year - after dropping in at the Rosslyn Chapel a few days earlier!

Blu · 04/07/2007 17:49

Mrsrecycle - it's sikhs who carry knives (ornamental).
Maybe the metal detectors are there to prevent attacks on Muslims? Given the number of attacks on Muslims and Asian people...

Airports are full of metal detectors...do you avoid those?

runkid · 04/07/2007 18:35

There is to much arguing about religion and politics i think that everything is getting out of hand. I will never understand terrorism its about time we all learnt to respect each other and muddle along together

BibiThree · 04/07/2007 18:40

DH once arranged a trip to a mosque for primary school children and one child told him he couldn't go because his mother said he had to have a passport to go there.

Hulababy · 04/07/2007 18:41

speedymama - faith schools have to still teach the NC, which means they have to cover all types of religion in the curriculum, not just their own faith.

I would have no problems with DD visiting a mosque, or any other type of religious building. Think it would be interesting for them.

Other parents being prejudiced, definitely

LittleBoot · 04/07/2007 18:46

Is there a mosque in Frindsbury?

Do you mean Finsbury? (IE Finsbury Park)

bewilderbeast · 04/07/2007 18:48

you are not being unreasonable. How do these parents expect their children to learn religious tolerance if they don't understand and experience other religions. We did several different types of church, synagogue, mosque and I think a temple as well as the interfaith centre at school its a great experience.

Elasticwoman · 04/07/2007 18:52

If my children were offered a school trip to a mosque, I'd be happy for them to go. However, I would also respect the views of any parent who didn't want their child to go.
But if the school were to invite a Muslim cleric to go into school and speak to the children, any parents objecting would have the right to remove their child, but not stop event going ahead for the other children.

OP you said "nearly cancelled". Is it/has happened?

bewilderbeast · 04/07/2007 18:53

you are not being unreasonable. How do these parents expect their children to learn religious tolerance if they don't understand and experience other religions. We did several different types of church, synagogue, mosque and I think a temple as well as the interfaith centre at school its a great experience.

Doodledootoo · 04/07/2007 18:55

Message withdrawn

Peachy · 04/07/2007 18:56

very indeed

agree with twigs- constantly venting at school at how come they amnage Church weekly but refuse to mentin other beliefs?

Elasticwoman · 04/07/2007 18:57

Doodle did you go to my school?

Peachy · 04/07/2007 18:59

If woman aren;t allowed in Mosques I wonder if the team showing mea round Cardiff thought I wa male? Given I ahd pink hair and a skirt (hadnt relaised where we were off) Is eriosuly doubt it

there are separate rooms in the Mosque for genders, separated by kinda trellis so they can share the worship

Muslim kids on my degree ahve no problems visiting churches, Buddhist communes, Jain / Hindu temples, Synagogues etc

Ladymuck · 04/07/2007 19:03

Ds1 created a stir at Sunday school when he realised that when it was time to pray they all sat down on a mat. From this, and his reception class RE lessons, he deduced that he was a muslim, and so announced this to the class. I took quite a bit of stick from the Sunday school teachers for that one.

Peachy · 04/07/2007 19:04

'We are NOT racist (my bil is from Pakistan and my best-friend is Muslim) but none of my kids are ever going to a Mosque again. dd1 (9) went on a school trip to one at the beginning of the year and witnesed someone pulling a knife out on someone - very scary for her. A random incident, I hear you all say - okay and I would agree - but, if that's the case, why do they have metal detectors all around the mosque??'

Yhree points:

*no metal detectores at alst mosqure I went to

*at age 9 Is aw a fellow pupil pull a knife on my teacher, should I have been stopped from going to school? (and I do think visitng religious sites is essnetial education)

*Only violence I have ever witnessed at our local Mosques (2 of them), was when some nasty twats burned one down, and put dead pig in the other.

Peachy · 04/07/2007 19:05

Ladymuck LOL my kids'd have thought it was a MOntessori

Peachy · 04/07/2007 19:07

(DC beinga rmed in Sikhism is only a required of Khalsa- Orthodox initiated- members- 5 k's and all that)

You can be a Sikh and not have a dagger, bracelet etc

Tho my boys would agree about the weapon being cool i think! Not sure how they'd react to the shorts though

Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 04/07/2007 19:41

DS2 has just been telling me about the visit which took place today. He didn't like the toilets (typical 7 year old comment!) and was fascinated with the coloured lights. Said the man who took them round was really nice. He seemed full of knowledge about what went on and has taught me lots!

The children who stayed behind at school had to produce a booklet on the muslim faith. Ha ha I bet they wished they'd gone on the visit!

OP posts:
Original poster
ptangyangkipperbang · 04/07/2007 19:44

Two classes were going on the visit which is about 52 children. 12 stayed at school which seems a significant proportion to me.

OP posts:
CaptainUnderpants · 04/07/2007 20:22

I bet that there will some moans by the parents of the kids that stayed behind when the children come home and moan that whilst their friends went on a school trip they had to do that.

At least they didn't get away without learning anything about another faith .

littleducks · 04/07/2007 20:24

I have never been to a mosque with metal detectors, i am confused about that, it is not something i have ever heard of.

There may be some confusion as others have mentioned, some sikhs carry knives but these are symbolic, for example knife shaped pieces of metal with a 'blade' blunter than a butter knife, or it can be sheathed.

If you are about Mrs Recycle could you let me know where this mosque was, i would be really interested.

Toady · 04/07/2007 20:26

My DS has learnt about all types of religion at his school, he is 10.

I went to a catholic convent secondary school from 1983 - 1988, (sounds similar to Doodledootoo's school) we visited all the different places of worship in our area, the nuns (our teachers) were very keen to learn and respect other religions.