TENNESSEE: No consequences for Muslim student who gave out toy guns to boys in his class in celebration of an Islamic holiday

Parents are angry that he was not punished or reprimanded and believe he was given a pass because he is Muslim. Last December in the same school district, a student was punished for chewing a pizza slice into the shape of a gun, then pointing it at other students at the table.

FOX News  The school is in Murfreesboro which has been a hotbed of protests over construction of a monster mosque which residents fought against for two years, but ultimately lost. 

The controversy started at the end of October when the parents of a Muslim student sent gift bags that were given to the child’s classmates at Barfield Elementary School in Murfreesboro, to celebrate the religious Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha

“There was nothing religious in the bags,” School Board spokesman James Evans told Fox News. “The bags were gender-specific. The girls received necklaces and Barbie dolls.” But each of the boys received a realistic toy gun. The parents of a child who received one of the toy guns became alarmed and notified the school.

The Muslim student wasn’t punished for bringing the toy guns to school. Instead, the school contacted the child’s parents and told them that bringing the guns to school wasn’t allowed.

The Muslim child was not punished because Tennessee’s zero-tolerance statute does not address toy weapons. School officials are in the process of amending their local policy to give principals more discretion. But some parents and community residents are more concerned about why students were allowed to celebrate Eid al-Adha in the classroom.

The incident caught the attention of Cathy Hinners, a retired police officer who blogs at dailyrollcall.com, and other critics of local Muslims. Hinners claims that other students have been punished for less serious incidents and believes the Muslim student got special treatment. “It was a celebration in a public school of an Islamic holiday,” Hinners told Fox News. “What it comes down to is the proselytizing of Islam.” Hinners, who is critical of local Muslims and their infiltration into the schools, asked her readers to come to the school board meeting to complain.

“There’s a lot of passion down in this community right now – especially because of the Muslim debate that’s been going on for a few years,” Evans said. “We think this is probably fueling some of this. We’re not saying anyone is right or wrong – we’re just trying to educate students.”

Murfreesboro Monster Mosque under construction now

But Hinners believes Muslims are being given special access to the county’s public schools. “It’s not anti-Muslim,” she said. ‘It’s not anti-Islam. This is not the premise here. It is the Sharia-law problem – how the accommodations are being sought just for the Islamic community.”

Hinners also wondered about the toy guns. She said 10 students received guns. The school system said only two people received the toy weapons. “What was the message of sending in a toy gun,” she wondered.