Muslim Youths

[Iftikhar]

Muslim Youths

Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist because they have been mis-educated and de-educated by the British schooling. Muslim children are confused because they are being educated in a wrong place at a wrong time in state schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers. They face lots of problems of growing up in two distinctive cultural traditions and value systems, which may come into conflict over issues such as the role of women in the society, and adherence to religious and cultural traditions. The conflicting demands made by home and schools on behaviour, loyalties and obligations can be a source of psychological conflict and tension in Muslim youngsters. There are also the issues of racial prejudice and discrimination to deal with, in education and employment. They have been victim of racism and bullying in all walks of life. According to DCSF, 56% of Pakistanis and 54% of Bangladeshi children has been victims of bullies. The first wave of Muslim migrants were happy to send their children to state schools, thinking their children would get a much better education. Than little by little, the overt and covert discrimination in the system turned them off. There are fifteen areas where Muslim parents find themselves offended by state schools.

The right to education in one’s own comfort zone is a fundamental and inalienable human right that should be available to all people irrespective of their ethnicity or religious background. Schools do not belong to state, they belong to parents. It is the parents’ choice to have faith schools for their children. 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 teacher or a child in a Muslim school. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools. An ICM Poll of British Muslims showed that nearly half wanted their children to attend Muslim schools. There are only 143 Muslim schools. A state funded Muslim school in Birmingham has 220 pupils and more than 1000 applicants chasing just 60.

Majority of anti-Muslim stories are not about terrorism but about Muslim
culture--the hijab, Muslim schools, family life and religiosity. Muslims in the west ought to be recognised as a western community, not as an alien culture.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

[fish5133]

Thats the problem of trying to have an integrated multicultural society. How do you try and satisfy all the needs of all the different cultural groups? You can only bend over backwards so far. Why single out the Muslims for special treatment, what about the Poles, Siekhs Hindus Christians etc.

[Iftikhar]

London School of Islamics is an educational Trust. Its aim is to make
British public, institutions and media aware of the needs and demands of the Muslim community in the field of education and possible solutions.

The demand for state funded Muslim schools is in accordance with the law of the land.

I do not blame the parents, Imams and Masajid for the plight of the Muslim youths. All Muslim youths suffer from identity crises because they find themselves cut off from their cultural roots, literature and poetry. All of them lack self-confidence and self-esteem. British education has made them stupid. They have become economic slaves of the British society. They do not know where they belong. They are unable to enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. A man is a product of his culture, language and faith. They go hand in hand.

The solution of all the problems is state funded Muslim schools with
bilingual Muslim teachers as role models right from nursery classes. The
Charter of Islam teaches true tolerance and equality and indeed is more
acceptable to all people of the world than the United Nation Human Rights
Charter. Islam does not just mean a beard, a cap and a bunch of
self-interpreted fatwas.

Accoding to a research by Goldsmiths, university of London, bilingual
learning can provide substantial benefits for second and third generation
children whose families speak a language other than English. Even when
children have grown up in the UK with English as their stronger
language,using both languages aids cognitive development and strengthens
their identity as learners. It is crucial that schools support c hildren's
mother tongue through bilingual learning activities connected with the
mainstream curriculum. Now Primary National Strategy recognises the value of bilingualism and promotes early language learning. Policy makers need to encourage good practice in schools, otherwise, the potential benefits of bilingual leaning will be lost to future generations.

The research also discovered that many second and third generation children are in danger of losing these skills if they do not have opportunities to develop their mother tongue through academic work at school. Bilingual children who learn in their family's language as well asEnglish do better at school. It is very important that parents continue to talk to their children in their first language.

It is absurd to say that Muslim schools threaten the social cohesion of the
nation. Diversity is a blessing and we should feel proud of diversity. The
real threat to social cohesiondoes nt come from Muslim parents but from
government that seeks to force these parents to conform with the state's
ideas about how and what their children should be taught. There is no
evidence that Muslim schools are undermining social cohesion.

[fish5133]

Hi Iftikhar

[Caz]

This is happening in a lot of places. It really is rulers of the darkness of this world at work.

The America 2000 document describes the 'schools to work' programme, which is what we are seeing in the UK too.

The BBC are also complicit in this with their 'Slink' website. Amongst a lot of others.

And the rulers of darkness would like to see us divided.

All our kids are being sadly let down, with 'business studies' and little literature and poetry, but hey! I hear that Zeitgeist is doing the rounds amongst the kids in some London schools.

[fish5133]

[Caz]

Aborigines and Irish who know about the fairy faith 'lead people astray' ... they won't be ridiclued for their knowledge.

My (vague at the moment) recollection of Zeitgiest was that it presented valuable information.

Here's the aborigines on the 'Coming of Death':

http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/Other%20student%20web%20sites/A lex%20N%20Smith/aborigines/death.htm

So the suggestion in Zeitgeist that the story of Jesus is a retelling of an old story reminds me of the 'Coming of Death', another earlier version of a familiar story, retold in the Bible.

[Caz]