”Our Father in Heaven, your name is blessed…… ” and over to you now.

It has been circulated like a student joke but the story is true.

Early each morning in a Lyceum school in Athens a student is called up to recite the Morning Prayer.

He takes the microphone, says a few words, stops and mimicking a diva star he calls the audience to continue “The Smash Hit’.

Though the above  mentioned event is probably exaggerated  nevertheless in hundreds of  Primary , High and Lyceum  Schools in Greece thousands of pupils begin each ‘working day ‘ with  The Lord’s Prayer.

This individual act of worship and communication with God has been transformed to an obligatory act , dictated by  laws and  is being  contacted  by assembling the  pupils to a line up, making announcements, and giving instructions to the young audience.

It has become a duty that is met by the teachers and pupils with a heavy heart. 

Exercise of Self Concentration 

“One feels very bad ….It is ridiculous” says Mr Alexander Kariotoglou,  a Professor of Theology  currently teaching in Thessalia University and a close contact of Archbishop Ieronymos.

” I have experienced for years this duty as a teacher in secondary education” says Mr Kariotoglou.

“As the head teachers face difficulties with the application of this institution , they often charge the Theology teachers with the duty.

I was happy to accept the duty and in the beginning of each school year I would explain to the students the significance of the duty prior to any event and especially spiritual events.

We ought to spend a few minutes to concentrate.

I used to say to the pupils that whoever believes, can ask for God’s help.

But if they did not believe, and they have every right to do so, they could simply be silent and this is very therapeutic.”

When we asked him regarding the Immigrants’ children he said without hesitation.

“If in a school there was a sufficient number of Muslim pupils I would not hesitate  to ask a pupil to recite the First Surah of the Qur’an.” 

Personal Affair 

“Prayer is clearly an individual affair.

It is difficult for me to feel an up lift if I try along with others like “a little soldier” as it happens in schools and even churches where one often drifts absent minded to the right or to the left with total lack of self concentration” says Costas Bey, peer professor of law and a person with deep religious beliefs.

He also brings two bright examples for the personal element of communication with the transcendental.

” We know that Socrates while he was in participation in the expedition of Potidea, remained for the whole night sunk deep  in his reflections before prostrating to the sun and commencing service.

Jesus himself also does not appear in any of the Holy Scriptures to be praying with others.

At all times he preferred to isolate himself for this purpose. 

Spirit and Order 

However what is to become when a person clashes with the human laws?

The implementation of prayer in the school is outlined with clarity by a series of legal texts, presidential decree 210 -1998 and annual circulars from the Ministry of Education (and Religions of course).

In websites of national and religious content you often come across reports such as ” The teachers or the head teacher of X school are indifferent to prayer.”

“There is often an outcry, people become targets and this is a very serious matter” says Vasiliki Georgiadou locum teacher of Political Science in Panteios.

“The school does not exist in order to make the child of a faithful doctrine neither in order to stimulate religious belief.

It is not the obligatory prayer that will make me a Christian. This is compulsive belief. Are we in Iran?” wonders Mrs Georgiadou. 

From God we Originate 

“The rules and regulations that exist  are not  something that has  been forcefully imposed upon the Greek Schools.

It is the tradition of the Greeks, The Christian Orthodox Faith which drives us to start our work by remembering God first” says Helias Frangopoulos Vice President of the Panthellenic Union of Theologians: There is no pressure  put by the presence of the laws for those who do not wish to pray .

You have to wonder though what happens to those who refuse to participate while the others are actively involved in the prayer.

What about the thousands of immigrant children with different religious backgrounds and other Christian sects?

The Greek Orthodox never showed any particular animosity towards others”, stresses Mr Frangopoulos . ” I have to remind you what happened to the Greek Jews during the Blitz. I feel that I have completed my duty when the children are around me and they know that I love them. 

The Back Row for the Muslim Children 

“The morning assemblies are not just for prayer”, continues Mr Frangopulos, “it is an opportunity to make announcements, give instructions, hear words that shape the every day school life.

I think that Muslim children should stay at the back rows of the assembly……”

“But is this not a dangerous discrimination” we ask.

“It is but always within the spirit of cooperation and a non hostile reaction to the other (!!!).

The issues can be resolved in a climate of love, and partnership and it must be encouraged to grow in the children.

We must not renounce ourselves or our identity just to please others….” continues the Vice President of the Pan Hellenic Union of Theologians. 

Violations of consciousness  

“It is impossible for the issue of religious conscience to be subject to any coercion and collective response” stresses Professor Bey . ” The Constitution possibly refers that the Education System should also merit the Religious Education but Article 2 stresses that the respect and protection of the human rights is a primary obligation of the state.”

« The freedom of religious conscience is provided for by the European Convention of Human Rights and this freedom according to the Article belongs to all including small children” says Mr Bey. 

« Question of the violation of the right of freedom of conscience is not just for the foreign or other faith children” says Evi Zambeta, Associate Professor of Education Policy, Athens University and Author of the Book ‘Schools and Religion’:

« Those who research know that the children are present in prayer, Christian or not as nobody wishes to be different.

An exemption is possible at the request of the parents but is lacks as it requires a state identity, leading to marginalisation and creates conditions of social exclusion.

If you do not attend each morning where the other children attend, you remain alone in a corner and you are being pointed out at.

It is as the school declares whom it belongs to”.

« The identity is not relinquished if it respects itself and others. Anyway , it is dominant” insists Mrs Zambeta. 

A Job to Do 

“We go to the Greek Orthodox Church because we want to and without any strict obligation as it happens with the Catholics and The Protestants” says A Kariotoglou:

« We are a Church of Freedom and from the Theological Freedom’s point of view I find inconsistent to consider forcing the children to such prayer.”

Why should they then in school pray all together in such a restrictive framework?

« I see no limits” maintains his position the Vice President of Theologians:

“What should it be? One praying, one carrying the flag and the other talking about football?

If we say we work together then we should work together.

One can gain self discipline by obedience and order.

« Is there any order in the evangelical orders? Their religious conscience is not disciplined is unregulated.

Some withdraw to pray, others play football, others have fun and why not?

The prayer should not be classed as work.

Who wants discipline should join the army” says Mr Bey angrily. 

People of Prayer 

“The group prayer borders religious fundamentalism and is outside our religious culture,” says Vasiliki Georgiadou.

“When you insist, especially when you deal with children of other faiths, you ignore the sensitivities which yourself promote via the act of Prayer.

You give them the possibility of self exclusion but in reality you exclude them yourself.

You ignore the multicultural features of society”.

Mrs Georgiadou under the European Social Survey 2007 dealt with the topic ” Mass, Religiousness and Prayer” and she still remembers the impressive result emerging, that the Greeks appear to be by massive difference , the most  praying people as only a minority of 4% answered that they never pray when in catholic countries the average number of people not praying was 32%.

In that research, the Greeks excelled in the matter of “xenophobia” but fortunately another research in the schools of Greece showed that the overwhelming majority of Greek students accept and befriend immigrant children. 

Who makes the Laws? 
 

She grew up in a family without prejudice, is dynamic and beautiful and next Monday, she will serve overseers in the armed forces.

She is 25 years, beautiful, modern, dynamic, drives cars and tractors, and next Monday will be the first Muslim to serve as business manager in the Greek Armed Forces.

«As I was the first in my village who went to Greek school, so now I am the authority to classify me as a professional in the Army Private», says 25 year old Seivtzan Santoula from Xylagani Rodopi, which watches more girls who will follow from minority.

Seivtzan Santoula from Xylagani Rodopi, differs from many other minority girls. Growing up in a progressive family without taboos and prejudices, she was the first in the village who attended high school in English, speaks fluent Greek, dresses fashionably without the headscarf.

Read more…