Seven children removed by Child Protective Services from their home because their father allegedly molested an unrelated child, have been returned to their mother, Asha Gobana, according to the Assciated Press. One hundred East African Muslims staged an all day protest when they heard that the children were to be placed in non-Muslim homes. How much effect the protest had on the judge's decision is not known.
The case does raise the issue as to whether or not the state should place children who have been removed from their parents' homes into foster homes that do not share the same religious or cultural values. While it makes sense that they should be placed in homes with similar cultural and religious values, the United States has a long history of doing otherwise, beginning with the placement of Native American children in non-Native homes.
In an ongoing high profile case in Arkansas, 36 children that were taken from their parents a year ago in have been placed in homes and in schools that do not follow, and even despise, their religious and cultural values. Furthermore, the parents have been required to chose between their children and their religion.
The case in Seattle raises other issues as well. Why were the children taken from the home in the first place? The mother was not accused of anything. The father was arrested and is in jail waiting bail. An order of protection against the father should have sufficed. The children should not have been traumatized by being removed from their mother. Furthermore, the father's alleged crime was not against any of his own children.
While I am happy that these children have been returned to their home, the Muslim community in Seattle should not stop protesting yet. They need to go back to Child Protective Services and demand to know what right they had to remove the children in the first place.
And it shouldn't just be the Muslims who protest. They should be supported by all parents who want to see the reform of Child Protective Services and a restoration of parental rights.
For more info: Read more articles and commentary by Dan Weaver on Child Protective Services, Family Court and related topics.
Comments
But of course, we need to be concerned about the emotional well being of the muslims. To hell with the Christians... in this country, they are uselss, and according to one FEMA document I saw, christians are more an enemy of the state then any muslim could ever be.
Mike, Muslims should not be given deferential treatment, however, they should also not receive prejudicial treatment. Parents must stick together and defend our rights regardless of our religion or race. That's why I support these Muslim parents and that's why I also support the parents from Tony Alamo Ministries who had their children taken. I have serious religious disagreements with both groups. In both cases, the parents are innocent of any crime and should not have had their children taken away.
Too bad people fall for all the evil propaganda that this world fills their heads with.
TV, news, movies have stolen the minds of the American people.
They have NO critical thinking skills left.
This world needs a whole lot of prayers.
Unfortunately, other nationalities do NOT have a refugee organization which supports THEM.
Of course, the logical placement would be AT HOME WITH THEIR MOM.
However, Washington state routinely disallows EVEN GRANDPARENTS TO SHELTER THEIR KIN during a DSHS investigation.
Can't the local Washington media smell a good story here? Does WA Senator Pam Roach have to carry the ball for the press?
This is corruption, featherbedding, and absolute and total abuse of children to the aggrandizement of the local Court agencies.
Despicable.
Well, Mike I don't know what FEMA document you are talking about, but whatever it said about Christians isn't true. This country was founded on Christianity. The first people that came over were Christians and they came so they could have religious freedom and worship God how they wanted to. Now those freedoms are being taken away from us. And they are taking Christian children away from their Christian parents. PUT A STOP TO THIS MADNESS AND INSANITY!!! RISE UP AMERICA AND TAKE BACK AMERICA FOR GOD!!!
CPS deliberately goes after Christians, it must have been a slow week, no leads on children to kidnap, for them to kidnap Muslim children.
CPS will use any excuse that they feel like to steal a child. And if 100 Christians had protested the kidnapping of their children, I'm pretty certain nothing would have been done, so it's interesting that the children were returned to Muslim family. Children should never be taken from their parents like this, regardless of what religion they are.
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