The parents of a German teenager may have to go on trial for stopping their son from attending a school field trip to a mosque.
The 13-year-old boy was absent from his geography class field trip to a mosque in the town of Rendsburg in June. The parents received a $328 fine from the local education authority for the truancy — a common practice in some German regions.
The parents refused to pay the fine and the local prosecutor is now considering whether or not the couple should stand trial.
The father recently published a letter where he cites “ideological reasons” and “safety concerns” behind the decision to stop the boy from visiting the mosque. The parents were scared that their son would get “indoctrinated” during trip, saying no one should be forced to visit a place of worship against their will.
“For years we have been hearing reports about religiously-motivated violence connected with Islamic people,” the father wrote in the letter, according to Deutsche Welle.
Renate Fritzsche, the school’s principal, responded that no exceptions can be made to mandatory school law.
“We also have Muslim children with us and Muslim parents also know that there are no exceptions,” Fritzsche told public broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
Fritzsche added Muslim parents who don’t want their children to take part in swimming classes face the same fines if they refuse to comply.
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