A 600-year-old school in Germany has ditched Christmas celebrations during class time after a Muslim pupil said that carols were incompatible with Islam. After a stir in local media over reports that the Johanneum Gymnasium in Lüneburg had “canceled” Christmas following a Muslim girl’s complaint that the songs conflicted with her religion, the school’s headmaster said that the school was taking “a sensitive approach” to the festive season. Headmaster Friedrich Suhr confirmed that the complaint had
taken place, but denied it was behind the decision of management at the school — one of the oldest in northern Germany — to postpone and make voluntary its annual Christmas party. The headmaster also explained that that music lessons at the school would no longer include songs with religiously-themed lyrics, pointing to regional education board rules which require teachers show consideration to pupils from minority faiths. READ MORE
