Barbara Kay: Huron College should open up its Islam course, or shut it down | National Post

2014/02/13 Leave a comment

More on the Huron College Islamic preaching course (Ontario university defends decision to kick non-Muslim out of course that teaches Islamic preaching | National Post).

If seminaries have an exemption from a faith test, does an individual course fall into that category? And if some of the courses on Christian preaching at Huron are open to students of other or no faith, why shouldn’t the one on Islamic preaching. And how do other universities with seminaries or theological colleges handle this?

Nobody, including Watson, has a problem with a course in public speaking about Islam being offered at a college if it is inclusive. He also has no problem with it being exclusive, but offered in a venue such as a mosque or a community centre or a seminary that is not tax-funded. It’s really quite a simple issue. Open up the course or shut it down.

On the other hand, it may be better to have training for Islamic preachers in Canada, rather than relying on imported Imams, less familiar and open to an openly diverse and multi faith society.

Barbara Kay: Huron College should open up its Islam course, or shut it down | National Post.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with , , ,

Ontario university defends decision to kick non-Muslim out of course that teaches Islamic preaching | National Post

2014/02/11 Leave a comment

Interesting story about an accountant who wished to sign up for an Islamic preaching course to test whether a non-Muslim could apply but who is opposed to public universities providing such training:

James Turk, the executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, said his group opposes faith tests. The exception, however, is seminaries. It’s reasonable, Mr. Turk said, to require students who are training to be leaders within their religious communities to adhere to those beliefs.

Mr. Watson believes a course on how to preach is better suited for a mosque or community centre than it is for a publicly funded university. The student believes he should have the right to see what Ms. Mattson is teaching, particularly in light of what he believes is a growing strain of Islamic extremism in the community.

Ms. Mattson encouraged Mr. Watson to take one of her alternative courses on Islam and politics instead.

“I don’t know to what extent he has a genuine interest or to what extent he has an ideological commitment to a certain world view of Muslims,” she said. “There are people who have genuine concerns and there are ways for them to engage in discussions with Muslims, or with me, about these issues. I would think the Islam and politics class would have been much more suited to his interests.”

Ontario university defends decision to kick non-Muslim out of course that teaches Islamic preaching | National Post.

Filed under Multiculturalism, Religion Tagged with , ,