“But this noble goal could have the opposite effect to that desired: marking a clear boundary between Spanish Christians and Spanish Muslims, leaving the door wide open to dangerous forms of communitarianism.”
Oh, and there’s one other little potential problem as well: the Qur’an contains verses that favor, rather than prevent, “radicalism.” A sampling:
2:191-193: “And kill them wherever you come upon them, and expel them from where they expelled you; persecution is more grievous than killing. But fight them not by the Holy Mosque until they should fight you there; then, if they fight you, kill them — such is the recompense of unbelievers, but if they give over, surely Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate. Fight them, till there is no persecution and the religion is Allah’s; then if they give over, there shall be no enmity save for evildoers.”
4:89: “They wish that you should disbelieve as they disbelieve, and then you would be equal; therefore take not to yourselves friends of them, until they emigrate in the way of Allah; then, if they turn their backs, take them, and kill them wherever you find them; take not to yourselves any one of them as friend or helper.”
5:33: “This is the recompense of those who fight against Allah and His Messenger, and hasten about the earth, to do corruption there: they shall be slaughtered, or crucified, or their hands and feet shall alternately be struck off; or they shall be banished from the land. That is a degradation for them in this world; and in the world to come awaits them a mighty chastisement.”
8:12: “When thy Lord was revealing to the angels, ‘I am with you; so confirm the believers. I shall cast into the unbelievers’ hearts terror; so smite above the necks, and smite every finger of them!”
8:39: “Fight them, till there is no persecution and the religion is Allah’s entirely; then if they give over, surely Allah sees the things they do.”
8:60: “Make ready for them whatever force and strings of horses you can, to strike terror thereby into the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others besides them that you know not; Allah knows them. And whatsoever you expend in the way of Allah shall be repaid you in full; you will not be wronged.”
9:5: “Then, when the sacred months are over, kill the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they repent, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms, then let them go their way; Allah is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.”
9:29: “Fight those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, and do not practice the religion of truth, even if they are of the People of the Book — until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.”
9:111: “Allah has bought from the believers their selves and their possessions against the gift of Paradise; they fight in the way of Allah; they kill, and are killed; that is a promise binding upon Allah in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Koran; and who fulfils his covenant truer than Allah? So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Him; that is the mighty triumph.”
9:123: “O believers, fight the unbelievers who are near to you; and let them find in you a harshness; and know that Allah is with the godfearing.”
47:4: “When you meet the unbelievers, smite their necks, then, when you have made wide slaughter among them, tie fast the bonds; then set them free, either by grace or ransom, till the war lays down its loads. So it shall be; and if Allah had willed, He would have avenged Himself upon them; but that He may try some of you by means of others. And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He will not send their works astray.”
As long as these classes don’t read those and other passages of the Qur’an, and don’t imbibe the furious hatred for unbelievers that is on virtually every page, this plan will work like a charm.
“Using the Koran to prevent Islamic radicalism in the classroom,” by Ivano Abbadessa, West.info.eu, April 1, 2016:
The Spanish government is introducing anti-jihadism lessons for Muslims who study in Spanish high schools in order to prevent youths from succumbing to the lure of terrorism. Specifically, the initiative changes the expected curriculum for those who opt for an hour of Islamic religion. The main change is that, in addition to traditional history of Islam, teachers will be asked to teach strategies to raise awareness, detect and prevent any ideological-religious violence. In other words, the opposite of a madrasa, which, instead of training Islamic extremists, educates good lay citizens. But this noble goal could have the opposite effect to that desired: marking a clear boundary between Spanish Christians and Spanish Muslims, leaving the door wide open to dangerous forms of communitarianism.