Here’s an issue near and dear to my heart as an alum of CUA:
The Washington, D.C. Office of Human Rights confirmed that it is investigating allegations that Catholic University violated the human rights of Muslim students by not allowing them to form a Muslim student group and by not providing them rooms without Christian symbols for their daily prayers.
The investigation alleges that Muslim students “must perform their prayers surrounded by symbols of Catholicism – e.g., a wooden crucifix, paintings of Jesus, pictures of priests and theologians which many Muslim students find inappropriate.”
As one of the commenters at the news source said, isn’t this like going to a strip club and being offended by the nudity? These students didn’t enroll at a Catholic university, they enrolled at The Catholic University of America. Pretty hard to miss that in the title of the institution, don’t you think? Fr. Z puts it this way:
Lemme get this straight. They enroll in a Catholic University… and it isn’t a surprise that it is “Catholic” given that it is called “Catholic University of America”. Then they complain that there are Catholic symbols everywhere!
When I was a grad student there I knew a good number of law students. This was during the time when Doug Kmiec was Dean of the law school and still cared about his faith. He had instituted a mandatory course requirement that, if I recall correctly, was called Catholic Legal Ethics. It may had a slightly different name, but it was something along those lines. My non-Catholic friends complained about the course and being forced to take it. My response: you’re attending the Catholic University of America law school. Did you miss that name when you applied?
Not allowing the Muslims to form a student group, if true, is disappointing. As for the other issue, there are probably plenty of rooms at CUA that could fulfill the requirements of Muslims wanting to pray, so I’m surprised this is an issue at all.
And this is a surprise? Unexpected?
I don’t see why they should allow muslims groups at all on rational…not legal grounds. The Koran explicitly condemns the idea of a Trinity and the idea that God has a Son. So you are providing facilities for a group that explicitly opposes your theology. Of course it doesn’t help their legal case that they’ve had three “lavender graduations” for the campus gay/bi/transgendered group there….despite Romans chapter one. So a judge might rule that the University opposes itself….so why not have other opposers of yourself on campus opposing you.
There just aren’t enough bullets.
All of this is typical Muslim behavior. There is no rationale not because they are not trying to be reasonable, they are trying to intimidate. Are they really offended? Maybe, but maybe not. “Allah’s Apostle said, ‘War is deceit.'” Qur’an 4:142. If *one* symbol is removed in the name of Christian charity, that is seen as victory by them. Then they will battle on a new front.
This behavior which is typical of Muslims must be exposed whether or not they are allowed to form some kind of group.
I must apologize. CUA does not have Lavender graduations….that is Georgetown that has them. Sorry….it just hit me minutes ago. Sorry CUA alums.
Here’s an article about this on The Christian Post:
http://www.christianpost.com/news/muslim-students-not-behind-complaint-against-catholic-university-59796/
“Banzhaf sent a letter to the editor of the school’s newspaper soliciting complainants on September 22, yet readily admits that none have signed on to his case against the school.”
So in answer to Pauli’s question, it appears that the Muslim students are NOT really offended at all. This is just one sue-happy attorney peddling a “solution” in search of a problem.
Pauli owes someone an apology.