Foreigners in their own country: Austrians are becoming more and more so due to unchecked mass immigration and the asylum chaos. In two Styrian primary schools, it is now even going so far that Christmas is to be celebrated without reference to Christianity because of pupils of other faiths.
It is another sign of misunderstood tolerance and also a retreat from one’s own traditions. As Servus-TV reports in a feature, two primary schools in Leoben, Styria, are celebrating Christmas this year without reference to Christianity. The reason: they do not want to hurt the feelings of pupils of other faiths.
For example, Servus-TV quotes from a letter from the headmasters to the parents: “We will try to keep the reference to the Roman Catholic religion to a minimum and make it an ethical ritual. However, certain terms such as ‘Advent’, ‘Christkind’, ‘Nikolaus’ and ‘Christmas’, for example, cannot be avoided.”
This is causing heated debate. Many wonder how integration, including the teaching of local values and traditions, is supposed to work. Advent celebrations, every Monday lasting 20 minutes with stories and singing, without, however, taking into account the roots that have been handed down in this country for centuries – apart from former pre-Christian customs. Equally embarrassing is the fact that they almost apologise for having to mention certain terms after all.
The Islam researcher and psychologist Ahmad Mansour also finds clear words and warns against sweeping Christian customs under the carpet out of misunderstood tolerance. In the article, he explains: “That is anticipatory obedience, which shows that we are actually dealing with our identity in a completely insecure way. But if we want to integrate people, then we need this security, this self-confidence, to invite people to join in. But if we start to give away our culture, our tradition, and deal with it in an insecure way, then polarisation arises here.”
Claus Kastner, the head of the Upper Styria-East Board of Education, defended the heads of the two primary schools to Servus TV, saying that the proportion of non-Christian children at the two schools was around 80 per cent: “We have a relatively high percentage of pupils at these schools who belong to other religious communities – and now the intentions of the two colleagues were that the topic of ‘Advent’ should nevertheless be dealt with together.”
Parents, even Muslim ones, who also have their say in the article, do not find the procedure in schools okay. They think it is part of tradition and culture and should be accepted. After all, we are in Austria. At least until Father Christmas comes with the Coca-Cola truck.