In his post Tuesday, and in part 2 on Wednesday, Adam Baldwin explains the experience of a group of children from Wellesley, Massachusetts Public School who were taken on a field trip to the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center.
The Mosque in question has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and is in the business of winning converts to the Nation of Islam.
The article investigated all that happened on that field trip, the reactions of parent escorts, teachers, administrators, and children involved in the trip. It also asks important questions in the interest of law, policy, and equity. Finally, it examined the gender discrimination of the little girls being asked to leave the mosque so that the men could pray, and the religious discrimination of the children being asked to pray to Allah (including one little Jewish boy who felt pressured to do so).
I want to speak to the psychological effects of such insensitivities on these children, and the trauma they may have endured. Additionally, I think it is important to consider the policological (the nexus of politics and psychology) components of this indoctrination of American school children.
Obviously, a school is obligated to protect children from harm, both physical and psychological trauma. There are two issues at hand regarding the instigator’s disregard of proper educational policy for these children. The first is that of appropriate policy, and the second is that of protecting school children.
Most children have an innate desire to please (and impress) the authorities in their lives. That is why, for example, when all of the little girls were asked to leave, they did so without question. They were likely wondering what they were going to get to go learn in another room–native costumes, Islamic women in history photos, or stories about little girls and their daily lives in Islamic countries? No, they were simply being sent away to be excluded, because in Islam, they are not equal.
“Gender equality furthers the cause of child survival and development for all of society, so the importance of women’s rights and gender equality should not be underestimated.” (From globalissues.org)
There is no question that such discrimination is at best, confusing to a little American girl who might see an ACLU lawsuit filed daily in defense of a woman who merely perceives some slight. At worst, little girls in the Wellesley school were left wondering what they had done wrong. Why were they being punished? Some likely were fearful for other sorts of uncomfortable, unfamiliar, discriminatory behaviors that might come next. The fallout from such traumatic experiences can be lasting, especially in children.
The children who have been raised by their parents and families in other faiths must have been left wondering how “Allah is the one true god and the only god worthy of worship” if their own parents have taught them otherwise. Children think concretely, and if they are told by those in authority that all they were ever taught in their church or home is wrong, they are less likely to question the adult authorities telling them that, or even the adults who told them otherwise. Children are much more likely to look inward, destructively (See this regarding bullying; or this book, page 332). Subjecting children to this level of psychological risk is beyond insensitive, it is reprehensible [a hostile act]. For some children, such trauma could lead to post traumatic reaction, depression, detachment, loss of concentration, and other serious psychological ramifications. Additionally, Islamic children were likely put at risk for “bully backlash” that could potentially lead to non-clinical paranoia, for any offenses perceived by the non-Islamic children. (See Part 2 tomorrow.)
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.