Moslems Begin Making Demands on Catholic Universities

The following story appeared in The Tower, the news department of the Catholic University of America on
October 20, 2011. Excerpts are below:

"New charges have recently been filed against the University on counts of illegal discrimination against its Muslim and female students. The allegations are being reviewed by the District of Colombia Office of Human Rights (OHR), which has the strictest discrimination laws in the country. President John H. Garvey and the University is being urged to respond to the charges.
John F. Banzhaf III, the George Washington University Professor of Public Interest Law who initiated the legal controversy surrounding same-sex residence halls, is also the one behind these new charges.
The official allegations claim that CUA, “does not provide space – as other universities do – for the many daily prayers Muslim students must make, forcing them instead to find temporarily empty classrooms where they are often surrounded by Catholic symbols which are incongruous to their religion,” according to a press release on PRLOG.com.
This formal complaint also maintains that the new same-sex residence halls are particularly discriminating against female students, which is a new position on the same-sex lawsuit that began last month.
Banzhaf claims that the University is denying Muslim students the same benefits that students of other religions are able to enjoy since there is no formal Muslim association sponsored by Catholic University but the Columbus School of Law has an association for Jewish students
“Denying Muslim students the opportunity for form a student group on campus could hardly be based upon any fundamental Catholic doctrine since Georgetown University not only has such a Muslim student group, but also provides its Muslim students with a separate prayer room and even a Muslim chaplain,” said Banzhaf in that press release.
“The ideal mission of this student organization shall be bridging two cultures by developing a community that understands the Arabic culture, discusses cultural issues, eliminates stereotypes, and establishes a student association that will carry on in the future within CUA,” said Al Salmi.
With the number of Arab students increasing at CUA, the number of Muslim students has also grown. According to the Planning, Institutional Research, Student Learning Outcomes Assessment of CUA, in the fall of 2007, there were a total of 56 Muslim undergraduate, graduate and law students on campus. That number has more than doubled as of fall 2011, as 122 Muslim students are currently members of the CUA community.
“Even though it’s a Catholic school, a lot of its teachings are very similar to Islam,” said Al Salmi. “It teaches respect, community service, love, worship etc. which are things that Islam also teaches.”
The discrimination charge asserts that although OHR has been investigating alleged discrimination on campus since Banzhaf’s lawsuit began, “neither the President nor anyone else speaking for the University has sought to explain to the public, or even to CUA’s own students, why it believes that its discrimination does not violate the Human Rights Act.”
As these charges are being considered by the Office of Human Rights, the University administration said they will continue to work towards the betterment of its students.
“Catholic University is committed to the religious freedom and dignity of all members of its community,” said Nakas. “This includes the dozens of Muslims who come to the University for its academic excellence as well as its demonstrated history of outreach and dialogue to people of all faiths.' "

Note the particular complaint about having no room in which to say their Muslim prayers where a cross or crucifix in not hanging on the wall. I suppose that it had never occurred to these students that a Catholic school may possibly have religious symbols of their faith displayed in most if not all rooms. I am sure that I would be allowed to request a room with a cross had I attended a Muslim school.

An important note on Islam and the Crucifixion about which many in the West are not aware is that, according to the Koran, Jesus was never crucified. He got away and someone else was put up there in his place. The teachings of Jesus as well as his acts are terribly reduced in the Koran to getting his disciples to say "We believe in Allah", as if first-century Jews needed to know that Elohim actually existed. The part about his not being crucified must really provide for some smug snickering against Christians. I mean, think about it - Christianity bases so much of their teachings on Jesus' redemptive sacrifice but they dont' even know that he was never actually crucified in the first place. - What's this you say?, "What about man's fall from grace in the garden of Eden?" No need for that either. You see, in the Koran we are told that Allah just forgave Adam, Eve, and all their progeny when he banished them from the garden, so no redemptive act was even needed. If you Christians would just put all of that cross and redemption silliness aside it would be easier for you to convert to Islam.