MP's row over Muslim school

• iftikhar
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  Feb 27 09 12:22
  
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  The demand for Muslim schools comes from parents who want their children a safe environment with an Islamic ethos.Parents see Muslim schools where children can develop their Islamic Identity where they won't feel stigmatised for being Muslims and they can feel confident about their faith. Muslim schools are working to try to create a bridge between communities. There is a belief among ethnic minority parens that the British schooling
  
  does not adequatly address their cultural needs. Failing to meet this need could result in feeling resentment among a group who already feel excluded. Setting up Muslim school is a defensive response.
  
  
  
  State schools with monolingual teachers are not capable to teach English to bilingual Muslim children. Bilingual teachers are needed to teach English to such children along with their mother tongue. According to a number of studies, a child will not learn a second language if his first language is ignored.
  
  
  
  Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. Muslims
  
  have the right to educate their children in an environment that suits their culture. This notion of "integration", actually means "assimilation", by
  
  which people generally really mean "be more like me". That is not multiculturalism. In Sydney, Muslims were refused to build a Muslim school, because of a protest by the residents. Yet a year later, permission was
  
  given for the building of a Catholic school and no protests from the residents. This clrearly shows the blatant hypocrisy, double standards and racism. Christians oppose Muslim schools in western countries yet build their own religious schools.
  
  
  
  British schooling and the British society is the home of institutional racism. The result is that Muslim children are unable to develop self-confidence and self-esteem, therefore, majority of them leave schools with low grades. Racism is deeply rooted in British society. Every native child is born with a gene or virus of racism, therefore, no law could change the attitudes of racism towards those who are different. It is not only the common man, even member of the royal family is involved in racism. The father of a Pakistani office cadet who was called a "Paki" by Prince Harry has profoundly condemned his actions. He had felt proud when he met the
  
  Queen and the Prince of Wales at his son's passing out parade at Sandhurst in 2006 but now felt upset after learning about the Prince's comments. Queen Victoria invited an Imam from India to teach her Urdu language. He was highly respected by the Queen but other members of the royal family had no respect for him. He was forced to go back to India. His protrait is still in
  
  one of the royal places.
  
  
  
  There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools with bilingual Muslim teachers. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school.
  
  Iftikhar Ahmad
  
  www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

• Jeff
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  Feb 27 09 18:50
  
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  Wow, another double standard moaning muslim.
  
  Firstly complains that the muslim school is not good enough then that it is not state funded.
  
  Secondly that good schooling may (heaven forbid) create assimilation.
  
  Thirdly, we jump over to Australia and complain that a neighbourhood did not want a muslim school built there but were willing to have a catholic school. No other explanation just “they are hypocrites” for not complaining about a Christian school in a Christian country.
  
  I would expect the same result from the people of Saudi Arabia or Turkey or any predominately muslim country if I wanted to build a Christian school in their area.
  
  
  
  We are then told by this genius that all western children have “a racist gene”! Does he back this up? Of course not, because it only exists in his head.
  
  After this we come back to the UK and complain about the Royal family even going back 100+ years to Queen Victoria! Talk about stretching the point.
  
  Finally he states the obvious, that a minority (muslims) are in a minority in state schools! And that no none muslim should be allowed to attend a muslim school.
  
  What a great comment from an unhappy small minded person.
  
  One thought does spring to mind as they say in Australia but changed to suit the country
  
  “GREAT BRITIAN, LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!”
  
  

• iftikhar
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  Feb 27 09 23:19
  
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  Salaam
  
  
  
  The western "values" suggest equality and freedom for all, that means society must allow religious freedom. The Christians and Jews have Church/ Jewish schools as well as kosher meat, yet when Muslims simply ask for the very same treatment,the Islamphobic secular right wing jump up and down screaming that somehow western values have been attacked.
  
  
  
  The Jews throught out the western world have their own religious courts. Christians have been enjoying the right to be married in Church. Muslims should have the same right to get married in Masajid as well as they need Sharia Courts, dealing in marriage, civil matters and divorce.
  
  
  
  It is easy to say" Go back to where you came from",but do not forget that British Muslims are actually born and educated here. They are in the unenviable position of trying to combine two diffent worlds. That is no easy.
  
  
  
  Multiculturalism is not about separation, ghettoisation or balkanisation. It is, instead, a recognition of both diversity and the need for common ground, mutual respect,and cultural engagement.
  
  
  
  Muslims all over the world never opposed English as a language what they did was opposition of the Western culture and their system of education. In Pakistan, the medium of instruction is Urdu and English and the official language is both English and Urdu. Pakistan is going to send English teachers to Korea for the teaching of English language.
  
  
  
  Muslim parents would like their children to be well versed in standard English to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity.
  
  
  
  Majority of Muslim children leave schools with low grades because state schools with monolingual teachers are not capable of teaching English to bilingual children.At the same time, they need to learn and be well versed in Arabic, Urdu and other community languages to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry.
  
  
  
  I am concerned with the education of the Muslim children. It is nothing to do with integration or segregation. Those state as well as Church schools where Muslim children are in majority, in my opinion, may be designated as Muslim community schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models.
  
  
  
  Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school.
  
  
  
  

• aUTRICE
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  Mar 3 09 13:10
  
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  I keep hearing that bi-lingual children need bi-lingual teachers. This is not true.
  
  Many children in middle Europe, the Swiss, the Basque, some Tirolean Italians and many Hungarians, speak one language at school and another at home. Many speak more than two languages.
  
  I fear that the true problem is one of what the non-muslim teachers say, and not the language that they say it in.
  
  Female teachers teaching girls that they are not inferior and do not have to obey they fathers/brothers in absolutely everything could cause minor patriarchies to wobble.

• Peter Smith
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  Mar 4 09 23:25
  
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  Your bitter and paranoid Muslim correspondent Iftikhar claims that the reason that Muslim children do so badly at school and leave with so few qualifications (and this is true) is because they are taught by non-Muslims.
  
  He doesn't mention that Hindu children in the same schools do extremely well. I wonder why.
  
  In fact the ongoing Millenium study of children born in the year 2001 has shown that even by the age of 3 pre-school children from Pakistani and Bangladeshi and showing significantly poorer development, physically and mentally, compared to ethnically similar children from India.
  
  There can be no doubt that the distinguishing difference is Islam which by its very nature warps and distorts mental and emotional development of the fathers and mothers who cannot therefore properly relate to their children.
  
  It's not the British schools which condemn your children to unfulfilling lives, Iftikhar, as the Indian Hindus have proved, it is you and your sort with your ignorance, prejudices, obduracy, and contempt for all non-Muslims.

• rajah
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  Mar 18 09 21:05
  
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  wow, youre a serious bunch of quacks above! Have you got nothing better to do than spread your hateful rubbish?
  
  This story is about a long running feud betwee Fiona Mactaggart and Zafar Ali.
  
  Neither of these people give a monkeys about an Islamic School. All they want is every opportuntiy to look like they give a damn, and every opportunity to stick a knife in each others backs.
  
  Its disgusting that people and resources are wasted to further the bitter dispute between these two selfish politicians.
  
  

• FAIZA
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  Jun 10 09 21:24
  
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  ALL THIS ARGUING ABOUT THE NEW MUSLIM SCHOOL IS GETTING US NOWHERE.AS A PARENT I WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP HERE AND IT NEVER DID ME ANY HARM GOING TO A MIXED RACE NON-MUSLIM SCHOOL. IN FACT I DID BETTER THEN MOST PEOPLE..RELIGION IS TOUGHT AT HOME OR IN CHURCHES OR IN MOSQUES AND YES SOME OF THE SUBJECTS ARE ABOUT OTHER CULTURES AND RELIGIONS KIDS STILL LEARN.. NOT ONE PERSON HAS SAID THAT WHAT IMPACT IS THIS HAVING ON OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE AT THE CENTRE OF ALL THIS. OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE LIKE WE ARE FOR OUR PARENTS..IF YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO DO WELL THEN SEND THEM TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL..... AND I DO AGREE THAT NEITHER OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE MUSLIM SCHOOL GIVES A MONKEY ABOUT THE SCHOOL.MR ZAFAR ALI AND HIS HEAD TEACHER ARE TRYING TO TURN THE SCHOOL IN TO SOME SORT OF BOOT CAMP..WHERE KIDS DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE AND FREEDOM TO DO WHAT THEY WANT....WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON THE NEW BUILDING AND HOW MUCH WILL BE USED TO GET MORE GOOD TEACHERS TO TEACH OUR CHILDRE.

• Tim
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  Jul 1 09 18:55
  
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  The only person speaking any sense above is Faiza.
  
  Let the educators teach. Religion should be left to the churches/mosques/temples.
  
  Our children must be free to make their own choices - free and uncensored education provides them with the tools to make those choices.

• mike
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  Nov 9 09 23:32
  
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  I went to a normal british school where we did religous studies and were taught about all types of religions. The actual religion bit wasn't rammed down your throat. I think the comments above about non muslims not being welcome in a muslim school is fairly appalling but am not surprised. What would happen if we said that non christians were not allowed in christian schools!!
  
  The lack of development of moslem children I am not sure i believe fully. But one thing i will say is that a childs development is greatly increased by good diet. The Pakistani community has a very high incidence of diabetes and other related illness which is linked to diet. what the adults eat the children eat too. Also the marriage practices are not really healthy as families tend to inter-marry amongst themselves leading to a high incidence of genetic abnormalities.
  
  I think faith schools should be done away with because they do not encourage integration at all but preserve the isolation that a lot of the ethnic communities want leaving the natives wondering what happened to their neighbourhoods.

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