Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri participated in a very positive Inter Belief Dialogue Conference in Mary Immaculate College Limerick last week. There were representatives from the NCCA, which is currently preparing a State course for primary schools about religion, beliefs and ethics, as well as speakers from various religious and nonreligious perspectives.

Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri also addressed the conference. He said that, as a Muslim theologian, he has not sent his children to the local Muslim national school. Instead he has sent them to the local Community National School. His reason: in a plural society like Ireland, we have to live and interact with each other after school, so what is the point of having children interact only with Muslim children in school. Integration starts from a young age.

He also said that he opposed children being taken out of class to be taught about their own religion only. He believes that all children should be in the same class and should be taught about all religions. He said while some schools have LGBT weeks to promote respect, tolerance and acceptance of the other, schools should also have Muslim, Christian, Jewish and atheist weeks for the same purpose.