School is asking children to say ‘peace be upon him’ anytime Mohammed is mentioned

[Kitkat189]

My child’s teacher asks the class to always say ‘peace be upon him’ if the prophet Muhammed is mentioned in RE, for example. Used in a sentence it would be something like ‘Muhammad peace be upon him is the founder of Islam’

The teacher explained that this is to show respect to the Muslims in the class.

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this. Is there an expectation that non Muslims use this expression? Or is it more of a courtesy? I am guessing the latter?

And if it’s the former, should people be compelled to utter this phrase out of respect? To literally wish peace upon a prophet of a religion they don’t belong to? I realise this is not a problem for the majority of people but out of interest, would a devout follower of another religion have objections to this?

(This is year 6, teacher is not Muslim, there is one Muslim in the class whose family are pretty secular, he told the teacher he doesn’t use this expression himself.)

I repeat. this is not about any belief system. It’s about respect. Anyway, you’re intent on maintaining your position, This is how it all starts…

To be respectful to the non-believers they are going to need to preface every discussion of a religion with the fact that it is simply the mythology of a particular culture and is only important to the degree that it helps understand evolving cultures.

Of course it’s inappropriate- it’s asking children to carry out a religious observance.

It will be number 2.

More likely 3.

Well, yeah, it can. That's how I know that whilst I learned it by the time I was 14, I know my DDs learned it by the time they were about six going by the school work they did at primary where each in turn, six years apart, did a piece of work about Islam with pbuh carefully written after his name - 1998 and 2007.

So as between us, we covered the 80s pre National Curriculum, the 90s and 00s and since then I've been working in schools so know it's been taught in the teens and twenties, it's not some new plot to covert white children to Islam in certain areas - it's a normal part of school RE to be taught the appropriate way to refer to this prophet is to add pbuh afterwards.

Now if somebody wasn't listening in that particular lesson, I can see how they'd say 'we was never taught that', because my entire class swore blind we hadn't done anything on Mary Wollstonecraft when there was a two pointer question on the first GCSE paper asking who wrote the book - turns out it was on the left hand page opposite crop rotation systems, so we'd paid far more attention to that instead in class (with good reason, as that was one of the high scoring essay questions).

But in any case, having the concept of adding pbuh after his name explained in lessons isn't some fiendish new plot to indoctrinate children, it's been taught for at least 40 years.

So you'd be just as riled if children were asked to say the Lord's Prayer in an assembly and ended it with "amen"?

Yes, I opted my children out of all acts of worship.

Religions don't get to demand respect by way of people observing your practices.

Inappropriate and the school should dial back on that.

think you’re confusing what pbuh means in this context. It’s hardly forcing anybody to share a belief system.

Why would you wish peace upon the prophet of a religion when you don't share in the belief though? It doesn't make any sense.
Are there any other historical figures you'd wish peace upon randomly?

I'm not sure it's the school that is behind this. It sounds as though this teacher has come up with this all on their own. The one Muslim child in the class says that they never use the phrase.

However, I would have welcomed this sort of thing when I was at school because often I was acquainted with people of differing religious or cultural practices but had no idea of what they actually believed. It might be quite good to have a more immersive experience of that.

I am ancient now, but I used to love it when we had days of sharing each others culture at school - interesting food, clothing and music. I would welcome more of that than this awful hatred that seems to be spreading across the world.

Everything you say in your post is not comparable- the op is not about teaching dc about all the religions - no-one is saying that is a problem and no-one is saying that doing so is an effort to convert dc.

This is also not about attending a religious ceremony - this is about compelled speech apparently to show respect by way of observing a religious practice while going about your daily life - and it would not be acceptable for any religion so it is not islamaphobic to find this inappropriate.

I can't help feeling that Op has been a bit mischievous in the way they have framed this. I bet it is not as sinister an exercise as they make out in their post.

No. Its not appropriate.
Nor is saying grace before meals or saying prayers/singing hymns.
For some stupid reason, primary schools are required to ensure a daily act of religious worship takes place. It doesn't specify which religion but most schools opt for Christianity.
Religious worship is a personal choice and should not be enforced nor inflicted.

I will say that if I'd knowingly sent my child to a religious school, I would not object if part of their day involved prayer etc. I'd have made an informed choice ahead of time though.

Regardless - answering the op at face value does not make people responding islamaphobic and the casting of that accusation at pps is fucking ridiculous at best - even if we can agree on a definition of islamaphobia (noting that what is being pushed at the moment is driving at making it blasphemous to even criticise the religion) - I have not seen anything islamaphobic on the thread.

This thread is wasted here, OP. Hopefully the Daily Mail picks it up, or you could contact GB News maybe?

Then you believe in a deity and that’s fine, of course, so it’s not an issue for you anyway. We’re talking here about everyone, whatever their religion or if they are non believers, having to say those words. Differences between religions are what define a religion, and the differences matter to those of a particular faith. You can’t just sweep up all Abrahamic religions and say they’re essentially the same thing and the same god. That’s not respectful

Are you sure your daughter is accurately saying what is happening? I am a teacher and have taught this subject many times. I am very careful to say ‘Muslims believe..’ and I say it a few times but then I follow it up with ‘I’m don’t believe in any god so I don’t say this myself…’ it’s a really tricky one to navigate as a teacher I’ll be honest and a few times I’ve been grateful I’m not being observed because no one actually tells you whether your own beliefs are allowed to be mentioned. I also remind them I don’t believe in any god when we teach Christianity etc because at a young age they often are under the impression that anything you’re teaching them is the truth. I think when I taught about Islam in Y1 I got the kids to say ‘peace be upon him’ each time I said the prophets name (in a small section of one lesson) because they find it fun and it helps them to remember the words (there’s often an assessment at the end of each unit). However, if any of the children went home and said ‘we had to say this every time…’ that would technically be true for a period of about 5 minutes but I’m definitely following that up with an explanation that they are entitled to their own beliefs. I suppose it’s a bit like acting out a historical event to make the learning fun and memorable, the kids aren’t actually beheading any of their wives if you get my drift. You could maybe ask the teacher.

I finished compulsory education in 2000, it was a thing then.

Rubbish! Firstly there is no equivalent in Judaism except that orthodox Jews will write G-d without the o in it. But they don't expect anyone else to do that.

Secondly Jewish people don't get offended at non-Jewish people not displaying Jewish customs. Blasphemy about G-d would be offensive but nobody outside of Judaism is expected to use an expression denoting respect to any historical deceased religious figure.

Thirdly as a Jewish woman I would not cross myself around Catholics or say PBUH about Mohammed. I will be respectful but can't be expected to participate in a different religion, nor do I expect anyone to participate in mine.

Fourthly it's pretty disingenuous to claim a different standard is applied about antisemitism (and for the record I have seen some of the most virulent antisemitism of my life displayed freely on Mumsnet)

That’s a free choice though. Not what’s happening here. It’s disrespectful because it’s forced, mouthing compliance.

It is compelled speech and indoctrination and any teacher requiring this is out of line.

So when a yoga teacher says “namaste”, the class shouldn’t repeat it back but instead raise their pitchforks and angrily declare that they refuse to have Hinduism forced upon them?

I mean Muslims would also say "peace be upon him" when talking about Jesus or Moses etc. What's the issue?