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Allah Loves Me, This I know.......

Enola

Enola

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A Colorado high school student says he quit the school choir after an Islamic song containing the lyric "there is no truth except Allah" made it into the repertoire.James Harper, a senior at Grand Junction High School in Grand Junction, put his objection to singing "Zikr," a song written by Indian composer A.R. Rahman, in an email to Mesa County School District 51 officials. When the school stood by choir director Marcia Wieland's selection, Harper said, he quit."I don’t want to come across as a bigot or a racist, but I really don’t feel it is appropriate for students in a public high school to be singing an Islamic worship song,” Harper told KREX-TV. "This is worshipping another God, and even worshipping another prophet ... I think there would be a lot of outrage if we made a Muslim choir say Jesus Christ is the only truth."

Colorado Student Quits High School Choir Over Islamic Song Praising 'Allah' | Fox News​
Colorado Student Quits High School Choir Over Islamic Song Praising 'Allah' | Fox News
 
This student needs to learn a bit more...it's the same God..just different prophet.
With that said....the highlight in Red is what I agree with. Also, religion should be kept out of schools. This includes songs.
 
I don't really have an opinion on his decision to quit the choir. I do think that the school should not be choosing any type of religious songs, though. No matter what the religion. Given that they do include religious songs, they should give students the option to sit out the songs that conflict with their religion. No need to quit the choir completely.
 
He quit the choir to take a stand, I'm presuming. I probably would have done the same.
 
Even Fox news reports that it's an after-school activity, there was no compulsion, and students were able to opt out of any song if they chose. It's either a petty stunt, or a manufactured talking point.

" ... "Students are not required to participate, and receive no academic credit for doing so," he said.

At an upcoming concert, the choir is scheduled to sing an Irish folk song and an Christian song titled "Prayer of the Children," in addition to the song by Rahman.
"The teacher consulted with students and asked each of them to review an online performance of the selection with their parents before making the decision to perform the piece," Kirtland said, and members who object to the religious content of musical selections aren't required to sing them.

Rahman, who has sold hundreds of millions of records and is well-known in his homeland, has said the song is not intended for a worship ceremony. He told FoxNews.com in a written statement that the song, composed for the move "Bose, the Forgotten Hero," is about "self-healing and spirituality."
"It is unfortunate that the student in Colorado misinterpreted the intention of the song," Rahman said. "I have long celebrated the commonalities of humanity and try to share and receive things in this way. While I respect his decision for opting out, this incident is an example of why we need further cultural education through music.” ... "


Read more: Colorado Student Quits High School Choir Over Islamic Song Praising 'Allah' | Fox News
 
Arcana XV said:
I don't really have an opinion on his decision to quit the choir. I do think that the school should not be choosing any type of religious songs, though. No matter what the religion. Given that they do include religious songs, they should give students the option to sit out the songs that conflict with their religion. No need to quit the choir completely.
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This

.........
 
Despite the b.s. protestations that try to claim otherwise, I would bet my bottom dollar that his song was included BECAUSE it is Islamic. As such, it is serving a political purpose rather than musical.

My attitude is that if a classroom or choir is comprised of a mixture of students of varying religious beliefs, then including songs of these religions to be sung by all should be no problem, but the kids should be able to opt out. If an Islamic praise to Allah is being slipped into a curriculum where no students are Islamic, however, this is just a political statement and nothing more.
 
Gardener said:
Despite the b.s. protestations that try to claim otherwise, I would bet my bottom dollar that his song was included BECAUSE it is Islamic. As such, it is serving a political purpose rather than musical.

My attitude is that if a classroom or choir is comprised of a mixture of students of varying religious beliefs, then including songs of these religions to be sung by all should be no problem, but the kids should be able to opt out. If an Islamic praise to Allah is being slipped into a curriculum where no students are Islamic, however, this is just a political statement and nothing more.
Click to expand...

And what exactly would this political statement be?
 
Manc Skipper said:
Rahman, who has sold hundreds of millions of records and is well-known in his homeland, has said the song is not intended for a worship ceremony. He told FoxNews.com in a written statement that the song, composed for the move "Bose, the Forgotten Hero," is about "self-healing and spirituality."
"It is unfortunate that the student in Colorado misinterpreted the intention of the song," Rahman said. "I have long celebrated the commonalities of humanity and try to share and receive things in this way. While I respect his decision for opting out, this incident is an example of why we need further cultural education through music.” ... "
Click to expand...

So? What is Rahman advocating? The "intent" of the song doesn't matter, the words do. Besides notions "self-healing" and "self-spirituality" can also violate religious beliefs.
 
Paschendale said:
And what exactly would this political statement be?
Click to expand...

That obvious morons massively skew the Constitution with their interpretations of the First Amendment.

This is akin to Howard Stern, who draws attention by trying to buck the system and get in people's faces while fighting the moral majority.
 
Enola said:
This student needs to learn a bit more...it's the same God..just different prophet.
Click to expand...
The distinctions are not minor at all though. I don't know the religious beliefs of the student (I could guess), but to Christians, Christ is not just a "different prophet" (which, I think, is the Muslim belief), He's the Son of God.
 
Kudos to the boy, that's all I'm saying.
 
I would quit a choir that had me sing:

"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on."
 
Thunder said:
I would quit a choir that had me sing:

"In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on."
Click to expand...

I'm sure they'd miss you terribly.

(love that song btw)
 
This is a school-sponsored activity. Of course it's after school...when are any extracuricular activities held? Religion of any kind has no place in any public school, PERIOD.

The choir director, school administrators and school board all need a refresher course in civics.
 
The Battle Hymn of the Republic, includes strong references to Christ and his sacrifice.

If a song that refers to Allah is bad, than so is the Battle Hymn.
 
Enola said:
A Colorado high school student says he quit the school choir after an Islamic song containing the lyric "there is no truth except Allah" made it into the repertoire.James Harper, a senior at Grand Junction High School in Grand Junction, put his objection to singing "Zikr," a song written by Indian composer A.R. Rahman, in an email to Mesa County School District 51 officials. When the school stood by choir director Marcia Wieland's selection, Harper said, he quit."I don’t want to come across as a bigot or a racist, but I really don’t feel it is appropriate for students in a public high school to be singing an Islamic worship song,” Harper told KREX-TV. "This is worshipping another God, and even worshipping another prophet ... I think there would be a lot of outrage if we made a Muslim choir say Jesus Christ is the only truth."

Colorado Student Quits High School Choir Over Islamic Song Praising 'Allah' | Fox News​
Colorado Student Quits High School Choir Over Islamic Song Praising 'Allah' | Fox News
Click to expand...

I sang Jewish/Hebrew/Yiddish songs, Christian songs, Christmas carols, all kinds of stuff when I was in high school choir. Don't see how this should be any different. Also, what is "Zikr" and what is wrong with it?
 
StillBallin75 said:
I sang Jewish/Hebrew/Yiddish songs, Christian songs, Christmas carols, all kinds of stuff when I was in high school choir. Don't see how this should be any different. Also, what is "Zikr" and what is wrong with it?
Click to expand...

Lots of things we "used" to do we don't do any more because they were WRONG.

I like religious music as much as the next person. But if I want to hear it, I attend a concert , temple, mosque, church, etc. Not my local public school.
 
Thunder said:
The Battle Hymn of the Republic, includes strong references to Christ and his sacrifice.

If a song that refers to Allah is bad, than so is the Battle Hymn.
Click to expand...

Patriotic songs are a harder question, I admit.
 
Pinkie said:
Lots of things we "used" to do we don't do any more because they were WRONG.

I like religious music as much as the next person. But if I want to hear it, I attend a concert , temple, mosque, church, etc. Not my local public school.
Click to expand...

Some of the best choir music is religious. In fact, the choir as an institution began in the Church and in religious communities. I remember that in choir we sang because the songs had musical value (IOW they were beautiful songs). It wasn't that we were preaching to the audience or anything like that.

In fact, this was one of my favorite songs in choir; it contains the word God and Him at least a bazillion times.

 
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Thunder said:
The Battle Hymn of the Republic, includes strong references to Christ and his sacrifice.

If a song that refers to Allah is bad, than so is the Battle Hymn.
Click to expand...

As far as I've read, nobody is disagreeing on whether or not religion has a place in school choirs. So what's your point?
 
StillBallin75 said:
Some of the best choir music is religious. In fact, the choir as an institution began in the Church and in religious communities. I remember that in choir we sang because the songs had musical value (IOW they were beautiful songs). It wasn't that we were preaching to the audience or anything like that.
Click to expand...

I'm not arguing that, StillBallin. Who would? It still is religious material that does not belong in a public school.

There are plenty of other songs to choose from.
 
Enola said:
He quit the choir to take a stand, I'm presuming. I probably would have done the same.
Click to expand...

A stand on what exactly? He wouldn't have quit if they were singing all Christian songs. So what baloney stand is this? It's not a stand that makes any sense. He was free to sit out the song, apparently, so what the heck was his problem? His issue is not that religious songs are being used. His issue is that they're songs from a religion other than his own.
 
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