KUALA LUMPUR: The Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) has launched an online petition urging the government to keep international conflicts, middle east conflicts and war away from schools and educational institutions.
This follows a number of controversial activities associated with the week of solidarity in support of the Palestinian cause.
It said that schools and education institutions were neutral ground where emphasis was given to quality education premised on human rights and respected for diversity.
It said that recent activities at schools in Selangor and Kedah that went viral demonstrated the misalignment of sentiments, condemnation, hatred, and prejudices promoted by zealous teachers who were led to believe this was a religious conflict.
Such activities, according to the GHRF, subject young minds to becoming entangled in the Middle East crisis or international conflicts and war, rather than bringing them into the global, mature world of protests.
"We cannot poison our young children's minds into hatred towards a certain race or religion and indulging them into politics.
"Parents send their children to national type schools, not only for academic progress but also for mental and social balance, development, learning, and interaction with pupils of different races and religions.
"School is a place for the instilling of moral ethics and values that enrich a multiracial, multicultural and multireligious Malaysian society
"We urge all peace loving Malaysians to support this petition as schools and educational institutions should be free from international and religious conflicts, racial and politics so as not to mislead the young minds which would cause a long term impact to the future generations of Malaysia," it said on the petition.
The petition titled "SAVE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM" which was launched on Oct 27 garnered over 9,000 signatures as of 5pm today.
The signers left comments strongly opposing such activities held at schools.
"Are we churning out jihadists? We will be the next Pakistan, a failed bankrupt state," said Shahrina Kumari Abdullah.
Yong Lisa said that children should be omitted from the war crisis and not be part of the propaganda.
Another signer, Jason Thiruchelvam said that glorifying perpetrators of hatred, brutality and violence should not be celebrated in the name of religion.
"Firing your rifles whilst referencing God is the wrong message to espouse in the schools," he said.
The act of a school teacher setting an Israeli flag on fire in a recent viral video has ignited concerns about the extent to which certain schools are willing to push boundaries during the Education Ministry-sanctioned "Palestine Solidarity Week".
The video depicts a man, believed to be a teacher from the Islamic religious school in Padang Terap, Kedah, resorting to a violent act as a means of expressing solidarity with the Palestinians amidst the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict.
The teacher could be seen launching a flaming arrow at the Israeli flag on the school ground, all the while being surrounded by schoolchildren, with chants of "Allahuakbar" and "takbir" resonating in the background.
The Education Ministry has been urged to review its decision to organise the Palestine Solidarity Week at schools and public education institutions.