Families clarify
‘misconceptions’ in Webber Academy Muslim prayer decision, by Erika Tucker, 4/20/15
CALGARY – The families of two students
who won damages after a
private Calgary school didn’t allow them to pray on campus grounds, and
wouldn’t let them re-enroll are speaking out about “misconceptions” related to
the case.
Calgary’s prestigious Webber Academy
is appealing a decision
by the Alberta Human Rights Commission to fine the
private school $26,000 for not allowing two Muslim students to pray on campus
grounds.
In 2011, the two Grade 9 and 10
students were told their praying—which requires bowing and kneeling—was “too
obvious” in a non-denominational school. The teens continued to hold their prayers
in secret in the school or outside, but were refused enrollment for the
following school year.
The families of the two students—who
now live in Vancouver where their children attend post-secondary school—issued
a joint statement on Monday. They said when they first enrolled their children
they “expressly asked” if they could pray for about five minutes when required,
and were given permission to do so for two and a half weeks.
“The school administration later
reversed their decision, which is what prompted the impasse between our
families and the Webber Academy administration,” said the statement.
“We were never pointed to any specific
policy prohibiting religious activity and indeed, no such putative policy was
ever admitted into evidence before the tribunal. We were simply told that
the school was non-denominational.”
The decision from the Human Rights
Commission quotes academy president and founder Neil Webber as saying: “Since
the policies and procedures of Webber Academy are being ignored by you I wish
to formally inform you that your sons – Sarmad Amir and Naman Siddiqui – will
not be accepted for enrollment at Webber Academy Foundation for the 2012-2013
school year.”
The statement from the families also
said the human rights complaint was a “last resort” and that they attempted to
resolve the matter, “going so far as to offer to pay for any expense that the
school would incur in accommodating us, despite the fact that the law requires
the school to accommodate religious practice to the point of undue hardship.”
“Finally, we hope to donate the
damages that we were awarded to the Calgary Humane Society, as well as towards
the promotion and defense of human rights in Canada.”
In a statement Thursday, Webber
said his response to the tribunal’s decision to fine the school was
“disappointment” and said he would be appealing the decision.
“A key pillar of our founding
principles is that the school be a non-denominational environment in which
children can thrive and focus on their academic success.”
Amira Elghawaby, a human rights
coordinator from the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said there’s a
difference between running a non-denominational school and discriminating
individual citizens on the basis of religious beliefs.
“We’re not asking—and it wasn’t being
asked—for the school to adopt any kind of religious practice themselves,” she
said.
“All the school is being requested
here is to make a very reasonable accommodation to allow members of their
student population to practice a fundamental part of what they see as a
sincerely-held religious belief.”
© Shaw
Media, 2015
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