Child custody is already a very sensitive issue that divorcing parents in Knoxville have to deal with. When similarly sensitive matters like the religious upbringing of children is thrown into the mix (particularly when parents have conflicting views on faith), relations between them can become hostile. State law requires that parents work together to decide upon important matters such as religious, athletic and scholastic pursuits, yet successfully making such decisions together may be difficult. As religious beliefs can have a profound effect on one’s emotional and mental well-being, many may view one parent trying to aggressively indoctrinate a child as being potentially harmful.
Such is the claim being made by a mother in New York in her petition to modify her custody arrangement. Her current agreement calls for her son to spend every other weekend with his father (and to have dinner with him one night every week). She claims, however, that in their time together, the boy’s father has attempted to push his extremist Islamic views on her son. As proof, she cites statements that her son has made to her which echo those her ex-husband once made, criticizing her for her lifestyle choices and implying a strong anti-American sentiment. She goes on to say that her ex-husband’s influence may be harmful to the boy as his views have led to altercations with classmates in school.
While one’s religious views should be respected, people may still be concerned about the message behind them. If it is felt that one is using his or her position as a parent to exercise unsafe influence over a child, then his or her other parent (or other interested parties) may feel justified in trying to limit their interactions. Those wanting to do this may want to seek the services of an experienced attorney.
Source: CNN “Muslim father accused in custody battle of radicalizing son, court docs say” Jones, Athena, Nov. 29, 2017