Wearing religious attire in school is a choice that should be allowed. However, SOLICITING new “members” to a religion is not something that should be allowed in an educational institution.
In school, students arrive with the mentality that whatever they are told is the truth (especially at the elementary level). To seduce young girls into accepting religious attire, which has HEAVY political and submissive gender-related connotations, is WRONG!
Advertizing for a religion with pictures is also inappropriate in grade school. Plus, religious organizations already have this type of service though their churches/synagogues/temples. For example, when I was in elementary school in the US, many of my friends went to catechism (religious education) classes on Wednesday nights. I know this because they would all get off the bus at their church. Although I felt left out, my parents explained that it was related to our religious choices. If this had been offered in school, it would have been 100 times worse for me!
***I would have begged my parents to allow me to attend even though it had nothing to do with believing in the religion***
Since religions are perpetuated by “believers”, allowing them to “teach” students, in a public school, about one religion (while ignoring all others) significantly influences children’s’ future religious choices. This right belongs to parents and children (when they’re old enough to understand what they are *really* getting themselves into), NOT to public schools.
I believe women and men should be treated as equals and even Catholicism does not encourage this. This is the 21st century, not the middle ages. Women deserve equal rights and freedoms, which include choosing to dress in ways which do not place them in a subordinate position. For some women this means wearing hijab, for others it means not wearing it —it should be their choice, not something they’re led to believe is the only way to look pretty or be accepted.
Also, for anyone who would assume I am religion “bashing”, I am Christian. My mother is Methodist and my father is Catholic; I attended church with each of them on alternate Sundays until I was in high school. Only then was I old enough to fully understand what my choices were and choose the religion that best fit my beliefs.
