The way the public schools celebrate Christmas has become increasingly controversial given their preference for censorship. As a backdrop, consider how some public schools just got finished celebrating Ramadan, the Muslim holy season that began October 15 and ended November 13.

• During Ramadan, Muslim students at Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord, California, were allowed to use an available room to pray or to avoid sitting in the cafeteria (Contra Costa Times, 10-15-04).
• During Ramadan, Tahali Community School in St. Cloud, Florida, provided “a quiet space for students who want to pray in the afternoon” (St. Cloud Times, 10-15-04). Muslim students were also permitted to spend lunch time in the library.
• After protests, Muslim students at Brooklyn International High School were allowed to miss class for four Fridays during Ramadan to attend mosque services (New York Times, 10-15-04).
• After protests, Muslim students with notes from their parents at Bancroft Intermediate School in Wilmington, Delaware were excused from sitting in the cafeteria at lunchtime during Ramadan (Associated Press, 10-23-04).
• In Herndon, Virginia, “multicultural trainer” Afeeda Syeed brought children from a Muslim school to public schools to teach the students about Ramadan (Kansas City Star, 10-9-04 and FrontPageMagazine.com, “Muslim Re-Education” by Alexis Amory, 10-20-04).
• At Salem High School in New Hampshire, the Muslim Students Association held a Ramadan “Fast-A-Thon” on 10-05-04. They received contributions from classmates and teachers (proceeds went to a local soup kitchen). In a show of support, the teachers skipped lunch as well. In addition, the group held a fast-breaking feast at the public school that day at 4:30 pm (Associated Press, 10-09-04).
• At Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy (a charter school that is publicly funded) all of the students followed the traditional fast during Ramadan, even though not all the students were Muslim (Saint Paul Pioneer Press, 10-07-04).
• Sharifa Alkhateeb, president of the Muslim Education Council, stated that more schoolteachers expressed an interest in understanding and teaching about Ramadan this year than ever before (Kansas City Star, 10-9-04).
• Last year, as a result of a lawsuit, a federal judge ruled that the Byron Union School District in California “could continue a three-week curriculum that emphasized role-playing exercises” in which seventh grade students recited Muslim prayers. However, school administrators suspended the program due to public outcry (Kansas City Star, 10-9-04). Nonetheless, FrontPageMagazine.com reported that role-playing techniques were used anyway (“Muslim Re-Education” by Alexis Armory).
• Gwinnett County Schools (Georgia) Chief of Staff Bobby Crowson met with local Muslim leaders, a local Muslim parent and Yusof Burke, director of CAIR’s North Georgia office, to discuss options that would allow Muslim students to leave school early on Friday afternoons to attend prayer services. Note: This was for all Fridays, not just Fridays during Ramadan. School officials extended the options of substituting missed lessons with classes in the early evening, on-line classes, and enrolling in additional classes to make up lost credits. Local Muslim leaders said they would consider the options and present their favorite to the school board (Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Muslims, schools draw up prayer deal,” 10-27-04).

We know of no complaints issued by the ADL, the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, American Atheists or People for the American Way. They’re too busy making plans to ban Christmas.

The lead story in last month’s Catalyst concerned the attempt by the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Pacific Southwest regional office to censor a remark by Theodore Roosevelt that was posted inside the Riverside County courthouse in Riverside, California. The ADL objected to a quote that read, “The true Christian is the true citizen.” It wanted the court to put a cover over the words during hours when the court was in session.

When we read that the ADL did not object to the entire 84-word passage from which the quote was taken, we offered to pay for the engraving of the whole quote. We wrote to the ADL, the presiding judge (a local lawyer sued to have the quote restored) and courthouse officials.

A courthouse official called us to say he was sympathetic with our position but that nothing could be done until the case was adjudicated. The judge wrote to us saying he could not entertain our proposal at this juncture. Not surprisingly, the ADL was the only party not to answer us. That’s because we called their bluff.

• William Donohue’s appearance just cost my parish $200 for the refurbishment of its stained glass windows. I’m sick of an out-of-touch church pushing its weight around in politics. Especially one that has failed so miserably keeping its own house in order.

• Bill is bitter man and should be removed as president of the Catholic League and then the Catholic League should provide for infants, the poor, the homeless, and stop all this political crap that only comes out of Bill’s month.

• I am a 54 year old Roman Catholic who for years has been been wrestling with my church being out of touch. After watching your bigoted, out of touch leader, Mr.Donohue on Hardball, my mind is made up … I am leaving the Catholic Church

• After suffering through your “representative’s” (Willian Donohue or whatever• he was so appalling that I refuse to remember his name)insulting, unintelligent performance on Hard Ball, I HEREBY RESIGN MY AFFILIATION WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. You might be better served to deal with the pedophiliac priests, etc.

• F— the Catholic church, the Pope, William Donohue and all your perverted priests & cardinals!

• You people scare me far more than the Islamic extremists.

• I was so offended it almost made me want to renounce my religion.

• I was a lapsed Catholic, thinking of going back to Church. I have heard your spokesperson, William Donohue and now I can tell you with ABSOLUTE certainty that I will NEVER enter a Catholic Church again. In fact, I have written in my will that I am to be cremated.

• I have been a Catholic all my life and your organization discusts me. You have nothing to do with God and work for the forces of Evil…

• It is because of self aggrandizing ego-driven fools like him that people stay away from religion therefore he is preventing God’s children from being saved by hearing the Good news of Jesus Christ!

• Mr. Donahue—You are a real idiot. I’ve never once heard you speak about all the molesting priests that are in the priesthood. I guess you like to cover that stuff up like all the Bishops do. I’m a Catholic but I can assure you that most of the priests I’ve met and dealt with are total losers. They couldn’t survive in the real wold and thats why they are priests.

• Mr. Donohue, are you just incompetent or are you lying? Hopefully, you’ll figure it out during your next confession.

• I also believe that the Iraq war is wrong, the death penalty is wrong, and that Christian peoples having killed 15,000,000 Native Americans for their land, under the bull Inter Caetera of May 3, 1493 is wrong. That stain still remains on the soul of the Catholic Church.

• Please keep the Church out of this election. This election is too important for our Nation.

• Do you really expect people to take seriously the idea of the bishops exhorting for laws to curb child abuse after the pedophile priest scandals that have been plastered all over the press?

• [Donohue] is no more “pro-life” that Osama bin Laden is.

• Go Kerry. WE will reclaim the church from boot licking extremists like William Donohue and the demented Bishops who are trying to steal the Catholic Church from real catholics.

• The next time you receive the sacrament of communion take a close look at the hand offering you the host because they were probably on the genitals of a 12 year old the night before.

They said it couldn’t be done. While making his movie about one of the most popular saints of modern times, Thérèse of the Child Jesus, all actor and director Leonardo Defilippis of Luke Films heard for the past five years from Hollywood studios and industry executives was “No.” Entirely funded by private donations, the movie was made for a fraction of what Hollywood would even consider “low-budget.” Defilippis set out to make a Catholic movie in a culture not interested in explicitly “Catholic” subjects (or “Christian” or “moral” for that matter). Despite the opposition, the filmmakers found locations and supplies suddenly donated to the film. And they managed to complete it in 19 days.

Making a film is one thing, marketing it is another. Defilippis found that a film about a Catholic saint was not welcome in Hollywood. While filming it he was completely written off and after it was finished he was met with comments like, “No one would be interested in this.” He could not find a distributor for the film in time for an Autumn 2004 release. Then, at the last minute, Regal Cinemas offered to directly screen the movie with the provision that if it sold tickets, they would release it in more cities. It did just that. After an opening in New York, sales were good and the movie opened around the country with two additional theater chains offering to show it as well.

“Thérèse” is an anomaly in today’s movie theaters—a family friendly movie about a great saint, made from the heart and with the devotion and help of thousands. Contrary to the negative reaction the filmmakers received, the movie has done well in theaters and soon will be available on DVD for home viewing. And they said it couldn’t be done!