The Subtle Indoctrination and Islamisation of National Schools: Bandar Sri Damansara Primary School as Case Example

Read here a parent's letter to Malaysiakini

Excerpts:

".... Allow me to give you a first-hand insight.

We had enrolled our daughter at a national school in Bandar Sri Damansara for Primary 1 We had, of course, heard of the instances of the growing Islamic influence in national schools....perhaps we underestimated the level of abuse that was occurring.

Orientation was conducted on Jan 2 and ...ALL children were required to attend ARAB LANGUAGE classes.

We insisted that our children be exempt from the class.

When we inquired, the response was that there were NO teachers for other languages, namely Mandarin or Tamil.

Prior to starting the lesson, the teacher made all the students rise and lift their hands to recite the ‘Bismillah’ prayer and other chants. There was NO attempt to inform the non-Muslim students that they did not need to do so.

Just imagine, these were impressionable seven-year-olds who have just come out of kindergarten.

The fact that there was NO regard for the rights of the non- Muslim kids by these teachers was just unbelievable!

One would easily be tempted to think that this was part of a bigger plan to influence non-Muslim children into embracing Islamic way of life.

....Not only was it necessary for the children (Muslims) to start off the assembly with a prayer (Islamic, of course), the teachers also made it a point to enforce this before and after recess. The students would be ushered out of the classrooms and be made to line up prior to visiting the canteen.But just before that, the ‘Bismillah’ prayer is recited (there were attempts to inform the non-Muslims that they were not required to do so) and once recess is over, the Muslim students are again required to recite another prayer.

The religious needs are already met by the Agama/Moral studies, so why the need for Arab classes?

Why is there NO proper alternative for those who do NOT practice Islam?

What scares me the most is that this is being practiced or implemented at the national level. If this is the case, then why talk of national integration and a new education blueprint?

How can you achieve this with so many divisive policies?

The school later did accede to our request to have the children segregated during Arab classes, but after having one too many encounters with the lackadaisical attitude of the teachers, we are NOT convinced.