It is the month of Ramadan, and accordingly, Muslim schoolchildren in Germany (and elsewhere) are fasting from dawn to sunset. That means those who are observant are forgoing school lunches and snacks. That is fine since it is one of the tenets of their religion. What is not fine is when others (non-Muslims) are asked or told to follow the same rules. Such is apparently the case in a school in Kleve, Germany (North Rhine-Westfalen), where parents of non-Muslim students have complained to the school that some Muslim students are, let us say, pressuring* non-Muslim students not to eat during school breaks.
The article below from Welt (Germany) is translated by Fousesquawk.
*Translator's note: I suspect that the article below may be trying to tread carefully when it comes to the language used. Specifically, the verb used "aufgefordert" has considerable variation as to whether it means "demanded", "asked", "urged", "invited" (to do something), or even "Challenged".
"This definitely goes too far"
Controversy around Ramadan- Muslim students ask classmates to eat privately during lunch break
Posted at 16:35 (today)
At a school in Kleve, an argument reportedly happened between fasting and non-fasting students during Ramadan. Parents report pressure and insults-now the school is involved.
The relations between fasting and non-fasting students are a concern for school authorities in North Rhine-Westfalen. A spokeswoman for the school authority in the Düsseldorf District Government reported to DPA (German Press Agency) that they are in contact with school leadership in Kleve and will clarify the matter.
The trigger was an argument between the youths, according to Bild (news). One mother told the newspaper that Muslim students had asked her daughter and her friends to fast during Ramadan and throw their bread into the trash.
When the girls went to a teacher, they were told simply to turn away while eating. The mother went to the school messaging service and criticized this approach. Bild quoted her as saying: "I have a lot of understanding, but this definitely goes too far."
According to the mother, there are 21 students in her daughter's class between the ages of 10-12. The report states that many of them are from a migration background, several of whom fast during Ramadan. Parents report tensions in the class. For example, some students have made derogatory noises when others were eating during the breaks, and one schoolgirl was insulted because of her German heritage.
"It is clear, for example, that nobody in the school can be forced to practice their religion in a certain way. Cases in which students attempt to impose religious rules on their schoolmates will be investigated by the schools," the district government further reports.
"Mutual respect is the foundation of school life in North Rhine-Westfalen. The school ministry takes the described allegations seriously," said the school ministry in Düsseldorf. The matter must be cleared up.
During Ramadan, observant Muslims forgo eating and drinking every day from dawn to sunset. In the evening, people traditionally come together to break the fast. The fast is one of the 5 pillars of Islam-the basic duties of the religion. After the month of fasting, which ends this year on March 19, there are several days of the breaking of the fast.
