skygiants

Very interesting. I have read about the bans of the veil and basically thought "bzuh?" since it is a pretty strange concept for me to get my head around. Especially since Europe is supposed to be the cool, liberal place! Although a friend who lives in the Netherlands (and is married to a citizen of Muslim descent) assures me that Europe is way more complex than one would assume.

Having grown up in the Bible Belt, I am adamant in my position to have a separation of church and state, but I am also adamant about people having freedom of religion. Those two positions can sometimes conflict, but on the whole, if it's on your person or on your property, go for it.

Working at my former Head Start, which is federally funded and has some pretty strict guidelines to ensure inclusiveness, we didn't celebrate holidays. Except Valentine's Day, but it was called Friendship Day. This worked very well, since we had Muslim and Hindu families. The use of pork in meals was not an issue; it was eliminated as easily as you eliminate peanut butter from centers where kids have severe allergies. It doesn't take a lot to be inclusive or respectful.

Okay, this was rambly, too. Please forgive! It's a very interesting topic, and I am glad you chose this book to talk about.