Minnesota school teacher under fire for teaching children to praise Allah and sing in Arabic

Thursday, December 24, 2015 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: Blaine High School, Minnesota, muslim indoctrination

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(NaturalNews) If your child was told to sing a ballad in honor of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan as part of a musical performance at school, would you object? A handful of parents representing students at Blaine High School in Minnesota sure are, chastising a music teacher for including a performance of an Arabic song that praises Allah as being a god in an upcoming variety show.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District, representing northwest Minneapolis and St. Paul, says the song, entitled Eid-un Sa'Eid - Zain Bhikha, is merely an educational addition to a larger program that also features songs celebrating the Jewish and Christian religions. But a number of parents and onlookers aren't so sure, warning that the performance is not only inappropriate, but also insensitive in light of recent terror events.

As the narrative goes, Muslims are responsible for various school shootings and other terror events that have occurred in recent months because, well, the government says they are. So instructing students to sing songs praising the "religion of hatred" is an offense to our nation, say some, because it's indoctrinating children into a mindset of tolerance for behaviors that represent a threat to national security.

A recent Facebook post about the song garnered attention both locally and nationally, as critics decried the inclusion of the song as offensive to religious freedom. Some parents are already opting their children out of the performance, which the school has indicated is not a problem. But opting out could also draw unwanted attention to objecting students and their families, who would rather not have the song included at all.

"No child should be forced to sing a song about the Muslims and the religion of hatred," wrote one online commenter in opposition to the song's use in the variety show.

Is Blaine High School embracing Islam as its official religion?

Since the issue gained national attention, Blaine High School has issued a notice that students who choose not to participate in the Arabic song will not be penalized with lowered grades. The school is, however, defending its use of the song, arguing that many of its students come from diverse backgrounds and religious traditions.

"Songs are not performed in a worship setting or to promote religion," reads a statement issued by the Anoka-Henneping School District, "but rather in [an] educational setting where students are learning and performing music."

Some of the offending lyrics in the song include references to Allah, in which he is thanked verbally "for this blessed day." The song also glorifies the season of Ramadan, which for Muslims is "a time of brotherhood" and "a time of peace." Numerous statements of "Allahu Akbar" are also included in the song, which translated into English says, "God is great."

This isn't the first time Blaine High School has generated controversy over the content of its holiday variety shows. Last year, students led their audience in songs that also praised Allah; audience members were asked to stand and join in with the song, offering praises and thanks to Allah, the god of the Muslim religion.

"All of a sudden I found us singing the words 'Allahu Akbar' and I wondered about that and looked around and no one I saw looked alarmed," wrote one woman on the Facebook page of WCCO 4 News about a performance she claims to have attended last year at the school.

"I've thought a lot about that since...one thing I realized is this is precisely how a student would feel in a class that could conceivably sing or pray a Christian song/prayer that was foreign to their religion. This is why we do not have led prayers and such in school ... and I get that."

Sources for this article include:

Minnesota.CBSLocal.com

Breitbart.com