In the Feb. 16 Religion & Values section (Page C8), there was a story about students given a five-day lesson on Islam.

The students were required to complete a worksheet on the growth of Islam, its beliefs and practices and links between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Students then had to fill in the blanks of this statement: “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” This statement is in the shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith. A Christian student took issue with the lesson. She took it to court. She lost.

Studying connections between faiths is time well spent. But being required to learn the Islamic declaration of faith concerns me, unless students are also required to learn a Christian declaration: “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.’ ” And, as well, in reference to the Jews: “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his own possession, out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.” There should be no problem filling in the blanks of these declarations as well.

Beliefs and practices of Islam cannot be taught at the exclusion of other faiths.

For people of faith, the goal, the destination is one and the same: eternal life with one’s God, or one’s Allah. How fortunate we are to live in a country where each of us has the freedom to choose which path we will take to reach our destination.

Pamela Brant

Westbrook

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