Recently, the Supreme Court received a case titled Galloway v. Town of Greece, which has sparked an issue concerning freedom of religion in America due to the prayers that happen during town meetings. Students at CHS, such as Muslim and sophomore Atif Niyaz, are among those who strongly encourage freedom of religion.

“I feel like there should be a freedom of religion. People should all have those freedoms; it’s in the Bill of Rights,” Niyaz said.

Niyaz said he had never heard of the court case before, but he is a supporter of freedom of religion.

“People have different views, and honestly, (people who speak out against my religion) don’t bother me,” Niyaz said.

Although Niyaz is a believer in the Islamic faith, he said that all religions should exist.

If Greece wins the case,  then the mainly Christian prayers would continue. However, if Galloway wins the case, then the prayers will become more varied, or even eliminated because as of now, the prayers are more sectarian, meaning that they focus on God.

Rabbi Hal Schevitz, who works at Beth-El Zedeck, said, “Freedom of religion gives us the ability to practice our religious traditions in an open environment and in a community like Indianapolis, where we can share our traditions with others.”

He said he believes America has always been accepting of religion because religious tolerance is the foundation and cornerstone of American society.

Although a verdict is yet to be decided, it has already made its mark on history by challenging the true freedom of religion in this country.

Schevitz said, “I don’t see a time when people can treat (freedom of religion) as trivial, even people who don’t believe in something.”