Oslo: Kindergartens celebrate Eid with songs

Oslo: Kindergartens celebrate Eid with songs

Parliament member Per-Willy Amundsen (Progress Party, Frp) told Norwegian news agency ANB that this is 'sneak-Islamization'. "We can't accept that such preaching songs sneak into the kindergartens."

Kristin Tveter was an assistant at the Etterstadsletta kindergarten in Oslo , when they sung two Muslim songs two years ago.

She says she tried to protest against these songs, but didn't get anywhere. The committee which decided on this around the Muslim festival of Eid weren't about to change their minds, and this was one of the reasons why she quit. She tells that there are both ethnic Norwegian and immigrant children at the kindergarten.

One song is called "Ten small Muslims" and is about frightening off the Muslim devil by calling on Allah as the great God. The other song is called "Little Muslims" and urges to pray five times a day.

Amundsen says that he's shocked such songs are being sung. It's rather strange that Muslim preaching becomes part of the norm in kindergartens. He says this can't be deliberate and he doubts it's legal.

He points out that the former Minister of Education Øystein Djupedal responded to having a Norwegian song of grace sung in kindergartens.

The Frp's immigration policy spokesperson says that we must be careful with bringing in religion into kindergarten and schools, as it involves the delicate mind of children.

"We must be more capable in integrating children of immigrant background in our Norwegian culture. these Muslim songs are rather a sign of the opposite, that's to say that it's Norwegian children who are trying to integrated in non-Western and Islamic culture. We can't have such things."

Kerstin Berglund of the Oslo Municipality defends the songs and denies it's preaching.

She told ANB that the songs have religious contents, just like Christian songs.

Berglund, who represents the district of Gamle Oslo says that songs of many different cultures and religions are sung in the district. The kindergartens say in their curriculum that they want to cerebrate the festivals of the children who go to kindergarten. She says there are 50 languages and cultures represented in the district.

She says that the songs are one of many means for multicultural educational support. They illustrate the children and family's culture and background identity by marking festivals and national days which are represented in the kindergarten, and illustrate pluralism and encourage multicultural understanding.

Berglund confirms that these songs are still sung in Etterstadsletta kindergarten to celebrate Eid. The kindergarten has just under 30% of children with non-Western background.

Per-Willy Amundsen asks for a more deliberate political attitude towards what happens in immigrant cultures. He says that debate should be handled in such a way that doesn't cause new problems.

"We can't allow Islam to be dominating." He says it is dangerous to let ourselves think that dialog will solve everything, and that we must have a conscious attitude towards these Islamic forces.

Amundsen says that we can't have different rules for Islam and Christianity. In these songs the children are asked to praise Allah and pray to him five times a day. If there would have been something similar with Christianity, he's certain there would have been reactions to it.

-----------------

Little Muslim, Little Muslim,
Do you pray? Do you pray?
That I do, that I do, that I do five times a day.
One at Fajr, one at Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha'a
One at Fajr, one at Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha'a


Ten Little Muslims

One and two and three little Muslims,
Four, five and six little Muslims,
Seven and eight and nine little Muslims,
Ten little Muslims.

But hush, there was something whispering
Hush, there was something whispering
See, it was the deceiving Shaytan
Come, let us frighten him away

All children cry: Allahu Akbar!
All children cry: Allahu Akbar!
All children cry: Allahu Akbar!

See, there he's sneaking off.

And there was one and two and three little Muslims,
Four, five and six little Muslims,
Seven and eight and nine little Muslims,
Ten little Muslims.


Source: Siste (Norwegian)