A UK school at the heart of an alleged take over by Islamist extremists allowed students to express “positive views” of terrorist atrocities, and set a homework task to covert non-Muslim staff, it has been claimed. One employee also allegedly spoke of wanting an Islamic state in Britain, while other staff were advised against bringing soldiers in to visit the school, according to the British Humanist Association (BHA).
The Association says that several whistle blowers from the school have made various allegations to them about unfair treatment, extremist views and gender discrimination.
In one class, it is alleged that students were given a list of non-Muslim members of staff and set homework to try to convert them, while another class were encouraged to pray by putting up posters in the school corridor, some reading “If you do not pray you are worse than a Kafir [non-Muslim].”
Teachers are also alleged to have failed to challenge students who expressed positive views of the 9/11 attacks in America and the 7/7 attacks in London, using the excuse of ‘cultural sensitivity’.
Other allegations include:
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Girls were not allowed to take part in PE (gym class) with boys, nor be taught by male coaches, as it ‘made male Muslims feel uncomfortable’.
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Some teachers have encouraged anti-gay views, with one teacher asking a boy wearing a bracelet: “Are you one of those gays?”. Other teachers were prevented from challenging anti-gay opinions.
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Some male teachers expect boys to be at the front of the class and girls at the back, and ignore girls when they try to answer a question. One teacher allegedly agreed with a student who said that women should not be allowed to drive, and another told students that women belong in the kitchen.
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Members of staff have shown prejudice towards girls who do not wear headscarves.
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Parents are called when a boy and girl are seen together more than once.
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The school holds Islamic rather than Christian worship, with students segregated by gender.
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A sex education lesson contained the message that wives are not allowed to say no.
The BHA also claim that some of the questions asked by the school’s Religious Studies syllabus include:
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‘Discuss Allah as Creator of the universe. Muslims could never accept that the universe came by chance. Big bang, evolution.‘
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‘What is a just war? When can Muslims take up arms? Conditions of jihad. Media stereotyping’
- ‘How has the legal status of homosexuals changed in the UK? Understand Islamic teaching on same gender relationships.’
The BHA’s Head of Public Affairs, Pavan Dhaliwal, commented: “These deeply serious allegations have been made to us by a number of former staff; they corroborate each other and with other reports we have seen. They are seriously alarming and we hope that the inspections and investigations under way will comprehensively explore every single one of them.”