Friday, 2 May 2014

Tolerance Has Its Limits: Part Two


Two weeks ago, I profiled government investigations into allegations of "creeping Islamic fundamentalism"  in British schools.  Official reports from the Education Minister are expected within 3 weeks, but meanwhile some 300 whistleblowers, both teachers and parents, have come forward with anecdotal evidence.  Many are moderate Muslims who want their children to become effective members of Britain's multicultural society. 

One Muslim whistleblower has a daughter at Oldknow Academy in Birmingham.  When she was enrolled in compulsory Arabic lessons, the father requested the school switch her to French.  He was apparently told:  "We don't want your daughter studying French because if she goes to live in France, she won't be able to wear the hijab".  "I couldn't believe what I was hearing.  I then found out religious education classes taught only about Islam, that Christmas and Easter festivities were banned and that parents had to raise 15,000 pounds to open a Friday prayer club.  All these things taken together made me concerned."

Another anonymous whistleblower, a teacher from Park View School in Birmingham, presented a disturbing picture of discrimination against girls, homophobia, extremist views and bullying.  "Girls and boys are not allowed to do PE together.  Girls are not allowed to take part in any sport if there was a male present, even if it is a male coach, or teacher or male head teacher."  She also said non-Muslin staff, particularly women, had been sidelined by the head teacher and Board of Governors.  "These fundamentalist male Muslims just have no respect for women."

Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP for Birmingham, has been swamped by complaints from parents and teachers.  He believes the danger is real.  "Parents fear the childen might not be radicalized at school but they would be softened up and get a different ethos embedded in them.  Then in their teens they could be moved away from their parents' influence.  We hope we have managed to catch this in tilme.  It has been going on for several years."

                           Stay tuned for part 3

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