- ‘If Islamic schools have no built-in capacity for integration, it’s fairly obvious what we’ll get,’ says former Anglican Bishop Dr. Gavin Ashenden during and LBC broadcast.
- Predictably, presenter Ali Miraj neglected to challenge the Bishop’s remarks.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan announced last week that the government plans to lift the 50% admissions cap on new faith schools in England. This change means that these schools would no longer be required to reserve a portion of their spots for children from families without any religious affiliation. Instead, they would be allowed to apply religious criteria to all of their admissions.
During a live call-in on the topic, Ali Miraj engaged in conversation with former Anglican Bishop Dr. Gavin Ashenden.
”Do you think if this so is removed, as the Government is intending, which would allow a school to have exclusively all its kids from one faith that that would be anything other than divisive in, as you have put, in an increasingly secular society.”
Bishop Ashenden began his Islamophobic rhetoric with, “We have to be brave and talk about how religions differ from each other.”
His comments, however, were far from courageous; it was a deplorable attempt to vilify Muslims in the most reprehensible manner. He went onto say how this would cause no issues for Anglicans and for Catholics it might be rather useful. “I would have to leave it to your listeners to imagine what would happen if we had an exclusively Islamic school.” Bishop Ashenden interestingly did not acknowledge the Jewish Yeshiva’s in the United Kingdom. He then referred to the case of Michaela School as the “Islamic take over.”
”Islam is a very successful, very muscular, very determined, very focused religion…but it doesn’t easily take prisoners, it doesn’t easily compromise and if you’re going to put Islamic schools in a situation where there is no built-in capacity for integration well then I think it’s fairly obvious what we are going to get.” Bishop Ashenden’s insinuation reverberated with a clear sense of disdain towards Islam and Muslims.
Ali Miraj did not confront this comment, which would have been appropriate in the spirit of broadcasting integrity. Following the appearance of figures like Majed Nawaz on LBC, whose portrayal of Islam and Muslims left many UK Muslims with a sour impression, it appears that Miraj, also employs a similar rhetoric.
Isn’t it time for mainstream media outlets and radio channels such as LBC to engage individuals who accurately represent the sentiments of the majority of Muslims in the UK? If not, perhaps it’s time to discontinue the use of such stooges with Muslim names, as they only further exacerbate social division.
The concern for Muslims in the UK lies in the recent targeting of Muslim children’s ability to pray in schools, and now, Islamic schools are under scrutiny. If this fear-mongering narrative persists, what will become of innocent Muslim children in the UK who simply wish to attend school, receive an education, exercise their religious rights and live harmoniously with those around them?
