Forum Topic

An Open Letter to ED Ball

An Open Letter to the Secretary of State for Education Ed BallsThe debate over the trajectory of the western sociopolitical system and its strained relations with Islam is the most pivotal of our time.  Muslims are in one of the most difficult phases of their history when malicious attacks including allegation of terrorism are being made on Islam and Muslims all over the world. The malicious campaign against Muslims is politically motivated. The world is obsessed by Islam. Anti-terror measures are ruining lives of Muslim youths. If you go around arresting young Muslims, you are going to find that you are going to ostracise this community. Young Muslims don’t need to be ostracized, they need to be engaged. According to the Arch Bishop, Rowan Williams, acceptance of some facets of Sharia not only “seems unavoidable”, but could actually improve social cohesion. Muslims should be able to choose to have marital or financial matters dealt with in a Sharia Court. Such courts should therefore be incorporated into the British legal system as a constructive accommodation with Islam.  Schools are being asked to help “win hearts and minds” in the battle against violent extremists on both sides. British born Imams should go into schools to supplement the teaching of RE, PSHE and Citizenship so that all pupils can learn about the Holy Quran and Islam in the context of a multicultural society. OFSTED must make sure that their services should be fully utilised by the schools, otherwise, it will be waste of public money. The British Establishment is wrong to assert that Imams and Masajid have been radicalising Muslim youths.  The roots of extremism are in the British society and schools where institutional racism is at its peak. The racism within schools has got little media coverage. The school attended by 7/7 bombers in a part of Leeds known for its history of racial tension between British Asians and native Brits. Leeds council was so worried about the violence that it had to call in Foundation for Peace, a government funded peacekeepers who were used to keep Catholics and Protestants from killing one another in Northern Ireland. True message of Islam should be promoted because British media and society have always portrayed Islam in a negative way since Crusades and the siege of Vienna in 1683.  School Curriculum should be used to convey a deeper understanding of Islamic faith, history and culture. Prison is not the answer of those who are vulnerable to, or are being drawn into violent extremism unless they have clearly committed an offence. The greatest challenge to humanity is learning to live in a crowded and interconnected world that is creating unprecedented pressures on human society. The rector of Oxford’s largest Anglican Churches has called a Muslim call to prayers from the main Masjid “un-English”. This is a clear case of intolerance. Gibraltar is a British colony. Five Pound currency note has a queen image on one side and on the other side there is an image of the Muslim Conqueror with a sword in his hand. There is more hatred of Muslims seduced by the Western media, education system and church leaders like Bishop Nazir Ali. Catholic nuns have worn veils for centuries, with no public controversies arising. There is no reason why any girl’s school uniform can not now be modified to include a veil. Wearing a veil to school or to work must be a matter of choice for all. Iftikhar Ahmad www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 6129d9 Comments

I am bumping Iftikhar's latest previous post, for the benefit of those who are unaware of his constant harping, about how bad our education system is. With all of our faults, I think he knows where his bread is buttered..don't you Ifty?

Account suspended ● 6099d

Oi iffy, whats with this "muslim community" there is no muslim community, ther is only ENGLAND.....

Pauli Ambrosini ● 6106d

"If it is British society that is causing you such problems I suggest you return to your home."Are you kidding Jean...........No free healthcare, education, benefits, housing, freedom of speech, freedom to follow ones religion. You remember the old saying Jean " Give 'em an inch, and they'll take a mile"! This man knows where his bread is buttered, he is waiting for second helpings of jam........No comment from him though about those evil people in Ealing, who have housed one of his, in a 7 bedroom home at £12,500 a month, the mother is still unhappy, because its too big to clean. Count your bleeding blessings Ifty, a hell of a lot of English (forgive me!) I meant British, will never be treated in this way. We have not closed the door, all you have to do if you don't like it here  is L-E-A-V-E....end of! Your constant moaning is p***ing me off.

Account suspended ● 6127d

If it is British society that is causing you such problems I suggest you return to your home.

Jean Gilmore ● 6127d

Why would you not want your children to be able to speak the national language fluently?You will be condemning them to a lifetime of isolation and unemployment, as well as limiting their ability to participate in and enjoy the beauty of the culture of this country. This does not preclude them keeping in touch with their family's cultural roots - it adds to their experience of life.Training in muslim culture and parental languages is the responsibility of the children's parents and the wider muslim community. It is not the responsibility of the national school system, which has clear educational aims.Muslims should aim to integrate with their fellow citizens rather than to isolate themselves and antagonise others.

Sean Hodges ● 6127d

Salaam It is not Islam and Muslims who are creating problems, actually it is British society creating problems for the Muslim community. The Muslim community has been vicitm of (expletive deleted)-bashing in all walks of life by the British society and Establishment for the last 60 years. Now it is vicitm of terrorism by the British Establishment. Thousands of Muslim youth are being serched in the streets and hundreds of them are behind the bar without any trial. State schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers are not suitable for Muslim children. This is the reason why majority of them leave schools with low grades. Muslim children need to learn and be well versed in standard English to follow the National curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity. 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.God has created diverse human beings to live in this tiny global village as of one family. Creation by its very nature is deverse with different species, different communities, different cultures and languages. These differences represent the beauty and wonder but diversity is sometimes not fully appreciated, resulting in all sorts of clashes. The British society and Establishment must learn to respect and accommodate others, as if in a family. A Muslim is a citizen of this tiny global village. He/she does not want to become notoriously monolingual Brit. He/she is supposed to be well versed in standard English, Arabic, Urdu and other community languages, to be part of the British society, as well as proud of his/her cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of his/her literature and poetry.

Iftikhar Ahmad ● 6127d

Iftikhar,I know you don't read replies, but just scatter your emails and vanish, but I wanted to make one point;Britain has been unusually flexible among western nations in adapting itself to the needs and wishes of other cultures. Our problem is that however far we go, it's never enough for these cultures - clearly nothing short of an islamic state will satisfy you, so equally clearly we have to draw a line at some point and go no further.Any useful discussion has to be around where that point lies. It is possible that we could go a little further, or perhaps that we should roll back some of the concessions (more painful for muslims).I've lived and worked in the middle east and I've seen the degree of accommodation made for westerners in one country (Oman) and they have clear limits to what is permitted. I think we should learn from them and make clear limits of our own.Muslims benefit from freedoms available in the UK that are not available in muslim countries. In return they must accept parts of existing UK culture they may find unpalatable.

Sean Hodges ● 6127d

OPEN LETTER TO IFTYWhere have you been Ifty, still talking a load of old cobblers I see."There is no reason why any girl’s school uniform can not now be modified to include a veil. Wearing a veil to school or to work must be a matter of choice for all. Iftikhar Ahmad!Yes there is one very good reason, which is.......this is England and we make the rules, if you are unhappy my advice to you Ifty is LEAVE!!! We want to see who is wandering around our green and once pleasant land!

Account suspended ● 6129d

Catholic nuns no longer wear the veil they have come into the twenty first century as your women should. You live in England now you should live like an englishman

Jean Gilmore ● 6129d