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.)

Perhaps the child was reading something out loud where it was written Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) so the teacher expected them to say the words?

I usually tell the kids I teach RE to that it's a respectful term which Muslims use after the prophet's name. But non-muslims don't have to say it.

I am a Y6 teacher and over half of my class are Muslim. I have never done this, Muslim pupils in my class have had no issue with this nor have their parents.

If speaking or writing about Muhammad, some of my Muslim pupils will add 'peace be upon him' or PBUH after his name, but there is no expectation that anyone else will.

Have you spoken to the teacher? On the face of it, this seems batshit crazy - could your child perhaps misinterpreted what the teacher was saying?

Sure and in the same class I would expect the teacher to ban “Oh my God”, “Jesus Christ”, “Jesus wept”, “Holy crap” etc. blaspheme.

As in it’s never going to happen so not going to say PBUH either. One rule for all or none at all I’m afraid.

I teach RS and explain that Muslims say it as a mark of respect and write (pbuh) after the name of a prophet. I do model it when teaching Islam and suggest they do the same when writing, but don’t insist on it especially when speaking.

No. It’s expecting pupils to follow a certain set of rules laid down by a specific religion. Unless they follow that religion, they shouldn’t be expected to do it.

My understanding is that actual Muslims (unlike the teacher) wouldn’t expect or consider it disrespectful for a non-Muslim not to say “peace be upon him” anyway. Even more stupid of the teacher to insist if the only Muslim pupil in the class doesn’t use the phrase himself!

Fuck that

Sounds like the teacher is teaching kids to be respectful and aware of other religions. Maybe he/she is just trying to create better cohesion and awareness of Islam rather than the fear mongering and outright hatred the religion gets.

It’s neither inappropriate nor complaint worthy.

I’m secular, but brought up in a Christian household. This wouldn’t even register for me if my children were being taught this.

Have they also told the class to bow their heads every time they say Jesus to represent Catholics?

Not in the text books we used in 2015.

The teacher sounds batshit. I lived in the middle east and nin muslims would not be expected to say this. Although this kind of phrase is built into the language there, so saying Inshalla for example, is just how people talk.

Or her kid maybe.
We are atheists but my kid goes to Catholic school. She is still in her first year, so very small but she’s under the impression Jesus was akin to a Marvel superhero.
She asked me did I know Jesus could fly and that god created the dinosaurs. Tbf she then showed me a picture in her religious text book about the creation and there was a picture of dinosaurs on it 🤦‍♀️

Actually, I think this kind of thing - albeit well-intentioned - can foster the very kind of division and anti-muslim prejudice it tries to avoid.

My Muslim students would never have expected non-muslim students to say the phrase.

I've never heard that before in an RE class. I don't even think they'd say that in an Islamic school would they? It seems very OTT. I mean, the teacher may say it but they shouldn't force the kids to do so.

It's not on.. it's dystopian..
Reminds me of The Handmaids Tale.. when they have to say. .. Blessed be the Fruit etc.

Of course it's appropriate and expected for Muslims to do this, but not non-Muslims!

The teacher wouldn't expect non-Christians to Genuflect or cross themselves would she!

I'd complain to the Head. This teacher is wrong.

I'd have been incandescent.

Do you expect them to make the sign of the cross when Catholicism is being taught?

Yes we say this but I wouldn't expect a school in England to adopt this :/
We are Muslims and
My child goes to a catholic school and she joins in with the hymns and church visits and everything that goes with being a catholic, I would not never expect anything like this.

Is the school majority muslim?

The Qur'an (2:256) sets out a general rule on the absence of compulsion in religion: 'let there be no compulsion in religion'

would be a good starting point.

Fuck that

Would it register for you if after an atheist says "no gods exist", to show respect, everyone has to chant "there are no gods"?

I'm not a fan of compelled speech personally.

No, just no, it's like making the whole class cross themselves when father,son and holy spiritvis mentioned in Re (I do this because I'm Christian but don't expect others to)

Report to OFSTED, it is not appropriate to force the veneration of the founder of such a misogynistic religion.