From the Zenit News Agency, with thanks to Nicolei:
MADRID, Spain, NOV. 11, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The National Catholic Confederation of Parents of Families and Students (CONCAPA) criticized the government’s decision to impart Islamic religion classes in public schools next year.
The organization considers that the right to religious freedom “is recognized to Muslims but hindered in the case of Catholics.”
The Islamic religion classes will begin next year, at least in areas where there is a large presence of Muslim faithful, such as Barcelona, Madrid and some capitals of Andalucia and Levante….
Catholic associations of parents of students say they do not understand why the government of Jose Zapatero has reduced a similar class on the Catholic religion to a non-credit course, and yet upgraded the class in Islam….
“The generosity in meeting the needs of parents and children who profess Islam is not matched with a consequent enthusiasm for insisting on reciprocity for Catholics living in their countries,” the statement added.
The Spanish Federation for Religion in Education (FERE) described as “irrational” the executive’s attempt “to push aside the Catholic religion of the majority while facilitating the teaching of the Islamic religion of the minority.”