Non-Muslims Are Dogs

So were told some ten-year-old children on a field trip to a mosque in Amsterdam — a field trip to promote understanding and to emphasize freedom of religious choice.

Via this posting over at THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and discussed a bit at Infidel Bloggers Alliance:

THE HAGUE, 09/04/08 - A primary school in Amsterdam wished to provide its pupils with an understanding for other cultures. But during a visit to a mosque, the children were told they were dogs.

With a view to developing understanding and respect for other cultures among children, primary school De Horizon regularly organises outings to various religious organisations. The chairman of the El Mouchidine mosque told the children from group 7 (aged 10) and their chaperones however that non-Muslims are dogs....

As expected, the children's parents were outraged, the school officials not so much:

..."We will resolve the matter amongst ourselves and I have no inclination whatsoever to discuss the matter with the media", as newspaper De Telegraaf quoted the school's spokesperson Mariet ten Berge. "We have been to the mosque before and it always went well".

Angry parents had sent the letter on to De Telegraaf but were reportedly rapped on the knuckles by the school's management. "The school wishes to play this down. That is precisely the problem", as one mother commented.

Media coverage and public discussion of the matter would be Islamophobic, right? Mustn't show any Islamophobia, no matter what!

According to the article, the school regrets the incident and has declared the mosque chairman's words "unacceptable." The mosque's regret is of the it's-not-my-fault type (hat-tip to WC of The Gathering Storm, citing this source):

According to a press release by Mohamed Guennoun, chairman of the El Mouhahidine mosque, the report above is based on erroneous information. He had never called unbelievers dogs and he rejects such statements.

[...]

There were several tours in March. Since he doesn't speak Dutch well he was assisted by a volunteer during the first three tours. For the fourth group, who had come on March 26th, he had to do without translation.

[...]

Guennoun stresses that he was speaking of the extremists. He doesn't belong to that group and he rejects their way of thinking....

Let's see if we can get this straight. Mosque Chairman Guennoun claims never to have called the children dogs, but now offers the excuse that he had to do without a translator. In other words, he didn't call the children dogs — except that he did by accident — and, in any case, was speaking of others who hold the view that non-Muslim children are dogs.

Whatever.

Guennoun also wants the story corrected. No word yet as to if he's going to the school to apologize personally to the children.