Dhimmi bishops strike again

Rod: I don't think you understand the UK education system. Most religious schools are in fact state schools ("public schools" to you), although some are private. There have long been numerous state Catholic and Anglican schools, and a few Jewish and Nonconformist ones, with a few Muslim, Sikh and Hindu ones having opened over the last few years. These schools have a religious ethos in some sense, but they cannot exclude children of no religion or none.

Therefore, as for "Are Muslim schools proposing to open chapels for putative Christian schoolchildren to worship the Christian God?", the answer is that Muslim schools are not allowed to exclude non-Muslim children, and would be expected to make reasonable accommodation for Catholics, atheists, etc. I expect, however, that Muslim schools are so academically atrocious that few non-Muslim parents would send their children there.

I don't wish to defend the UK's ludicrous system - I think the USA has got it about right in saying that if you want your child to have a religious education, you pay for him/her to go to private school.

I also don't think your use of the word "dhimmi" is helpful. "Dhimmi" refers to Christians and Jews (and, in the interpretation of one of the four schools of fiqh, other religions that have sacred scriptures) who are subject to a Muslim ruler. The situation in England is not one of dhimmitude, for two reasons:

1. The government is not currently Muslim

2. Most UK people are neither Christians nor Jews. While the condition of Christian dhimmis was not universally harsh by contemporary standards (it was often better than that of Muslims under Christian rulers), most schools of fiqh teach that everyone else must be exterminated, and all schools teach that at least people with no sacred scripture have to be. Therefore, your use of the term "dhimmi" actually lets Islam off the hook as far as its application in modern Europe would work out.

Look, I'm all in favour of derogatory terms relating to Muslims - I just think that "dhimmi" is inaccurate.

Daniel: But in the UK, [Catholic schools] are the government dole, have acquired a quasi-public status, and have largely given up their role of training the faithful.

That's a "breath of fresh air" remark - thank you.

The problem with these alarmist stories from the British conservative press is that they don't translate well to our own experience in the U.S.

Even when Catholic schools in US urban areas take voucher money, IIRC they are not required to admit "unqualified" students (those whose academic level, disability status, or behavioral problems make them incapable of attending that school.) Nor are they required to admit students of other religions, although most Catholic schools in American urban areas wouldn't even be *open* if it were not for non-Catholic children.