Great commotion over videos from a Viennese school: Muslim pupils want to roll out the prayer rug in class and pray. Because a teacher does not tolerate this, he is now the subject of a shitstorm on the internet. The clips have already been viewed 300,000 times.
A teacher in Upper Austria wanted to decorate the class with palm branches for Easter. After massive protests from non-Christians, the teacher was finally forbidden to teach our customs in school. Religion is a private matter, argued the director of the high school. An argument that is currently giving a Viennese teacher a shitstorm – he wants to forbid Muslim pupils to pray in class.
The newspaper “Heute” reported on Thursday about a teacher who unintentionally went viral on the platform TikTok. The clips have already been clicked on 300,000 times. On it, the teacher can be heard explaining to a pupil why he should not roll out his prayer rug in class. “We don’t care what religion. Religion is a private matter. You can do it at home, but not here. I don’t care if you do it in the park, if you don’t disturb anyone,” says the teacher in one of the three videos.
In the second, he continues: “It’s also a bit strange when you come in and someone is praying. Those are just our rules. It’s the same for all religions. It doesn’t matter if it’s Islam, Christianity or Judaism. Is that clear to everyone? And if I tell you to stop doing something, then you should stop doing it.”
In the third video clip he scolds: “You made me wait two minutes and I really don’t like to wait. This is my break and I have to wait two minutes until you finish praying? Surely not. This is about respect and you haven’t understood that yet because you’re still arguing with us.”
The pupil then explains that he cannot stop the prayer. In the comments under the clips, expressions of solidarity for the Muslim pupils are collected – and the call for more tolerance. “Our school has even made a room available during the breaks. Just like my workplace. Respect and tolerance is something so important.” Pedagogue Ali Dönmez is also quoted in “Heute”: “The teacher’s statements are humanly & factually wrong. If religion were a private matter, there would be no religious education at school, no Christmas parties & Christmas holidays, Christmas trees, Advent calendars and religious songs being sung, no school masses, no crosses.” An argument that did not apply to the teacher from Upper Austria who wanted to teach our Christian customs.
https://exxpress.at/konflikt-in-wien-muslimische-schueler-wollen-in-klassen-beten/