Muslim student allowed to mention God in US classroom
Regional-USA, Religion, 1/6/2000

The council on American-Islamic relations (CAIR) announced on Wednesday that a Muslim student at a community college in Michigan would be allowed to mention God in the classroom.

The student at Washtenaw college in Ann Arbor, Michigan, had been prevented from uttering the common Islamic religious phrase "In the Name of God, Most Merciful, Most Gracious" at the beginning of one of her class presentations.

Before the student could give her presentation, the instructor handed her a letter stating that the phrase was "inappropriate and unacceptable in an American classroom" and that the student must adapt to the "cultural expectations of the United States and to the American classroom."

The letter also said that the instructor would interrupt the student and ask her to sit down if she attempted to use the phrase.

CAIR challenged the ban as an infringement of the student's constitutionally-protected freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression. The group asked for an investigation, a normal reprimand for the instructor and an apology to the student.

In an article published in Detroit News on Wednesday, Washtenaw College President Larry Whitworth was quoted as saying, "We are apologizing to her. The student who made this invocation did it orally but it was brief and there is no reason why she shouldn't be able to say that. It appears that the instructor misunderstood the meaning of the separation of church and state."

Whitworth also told the newspaper, "The student was correct. She has the right to offer her prayer." He said he had received more than 300 e-mails from concerned Muslims.

The student will be allowed to complete two assignments to get credit for the course. An announcement on this issue will also be distributed to faculty and staff. college officials would not say that disciplinary action, if any, would be taken against the instructor.

"We hope this unfortunate episode will help sensitize Washtenaw administrators to the need for religious diversity in the classroom," CAIR said.

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