- In the contemporary landscape, Muslim teachers in the UK encounter unprecedented challenges
- When contemplating homeschooling as a solution, it becomes vital to explore comprehensive measures tailored for all British Muslims.
I’m about to open up Pandora’s box, I know. However, this article might assist those who, like me, are working on the front lines as orthodox Muslims, trying to grapple with educating the youth of Great Britain while ensuring our own beliefs are not being compromised. In addition, this article seeks to explore the prescription of home-schooling given to Muslim parents by many duat.
Teaching is a performance, and it’s no wonder comedians such as Guz Khan, Romesh Ranganathan, and Dawn French were once teachers. Yet, in our current Orwellian reality, Muslim teachers and those with orthodox Abrahamic beliefs are expected to continue with their matinee performance outside of the classroom- in the corridors, during departmental meetings, and around the kettle in the staff room. But perhaps I’ve got this catastrophically wrong; perhaps the expectation from Downing Street isn’t to stifle our voices but rather to eventually purge teachers in mainstream schools with any orthodox beliefs or anyone who is not complicit in the political doctrines of our so very moral and upright parliament.
In a recent staff meeting, we were briefed on how to ‘navigate around what is happening in the Middle East’:
‘The School’s stance is that it is best to avoid the topic altogether. We would strongly encourage Teachers not to engage in any discussions with students about what is happening in the Middle East. It’s a highly sensitive and complex issue and there are so many awful things happening on both sides,” said a member of our Senior Management Team.
Great! Add that to the list of a million and one other topics not to talk about: Andrew Tate, Feminism, Red Pill, LGBTQ….as if none of these discussions are really taking place. The bloodshed of Palestinians, a Gazan child being killed every ten minutes, these events are destined to be etched into the annals of history, yet, amidst their unfolding, the resounding clarity of the message from the top prevails.
LGBTQ Training for Teachers
A representative from the alphabet (no offence intended; I can’t recall the specific letter), recently graced our school with a mandatory invitation to provide crucial training for us teachers.
She/he-she/they engaged in some role play with her/his/they colleague (am I saying this right? Perhaps I need more training?)….and pretended to be a student:
“I feel like I’m attracted to someone from the same sex but I don’t think I should act upon this as it goes against my religion and culture”.
Her accomplice replied, (demonstrating to us how to be a model teacher in this hypothetical scenario):
“It’s important to be your true self by acting upon your feelings and not ignoring them. You will only hurt yourself in the long term if you suppress your emotions. The most important thing is that you act according to who you really are inside.”
…..Cue the grand spectacle of jaw-drops of every Muslim and Christian teacher in the room that day. Of course, Orthodox Jews hold the very same beliefs as us. However, Orthodox Jewish Teachers generally work in Yeshivas in North London, not in mainstream schools where, in my experience of working in both public and state school sectors, I’ve only worked with liberal/secular Jews. Anyhow, a spirited roar resonated through the room as our tiny voices attempted a defiant protest.
Allow me to clarify. Uttering the words in the demonstration or endorsing a Muslim student’s gay inclinations, as suggested by the trainer, contravenes two of Allah’s laws for a Muslim Teacher:
• Intimate physical relations outside marriage are haram (impermissible) in Islam.
• Same sex physical relations are haram in Islam
Moreover, among the 9 protective characteristics outlined in the 2010 Equality Act, religion stands as an element.
Furthermore, in a recent legislative development, it is notable that teachers are not obligated to communicate with parents if a student is contemplating a need for gender transition.
It is essential to acknowledge that Islam holds a principle of non-compulsion. Consequently, individuals with differing ideologies are welcome to pursue their paths, mirroring how I, or any Muslim for that matter, navigate our own. However, imparting training to teachers on how to impose liberal secular beliefs upon children from religious households, constitutes a violation of their religious rights.
Envision me, a Muslim, suggesting to Melissa in Year 9 that she should adopt Islamic attire solely because I do. Don’t get me wrong, my protective instincts to nurture and protect children would want nothing more. However, I refrain from imposing my beliefs on others and certainly wouldn’t take offence if fellow teachers chose not to do the same.
The indoctrination of liberal secular beliefs on children in the U.K. is widely known about. The autonomy of allowing teenagers to think for themselves and allowing religious parents to raise children according to the rules of Islam and orthodox Christianity are being lost. Furthermore, dare I say, if adults don’t know what a woman is anymore, what’s going to happen to the kids?
In recent months, Christian teachers have lost their jobs for standing by their beliefs, while Muslim parents in Canada and the UK have been fervently advocating for their rights.
Simultaneously, a concerning surge in pro-Palestinian children being referred to Prevent has emerged in recent weeks. Furthermore, in various educational institutions throughout the United Kingdom, the attempted suppression of pro-Palestinian voices has become increasingly prevalent. Shockingly, instances of aggression against Muslim children by pro-Israeli parents in schools have transpired without any accountability. Despite these challenges, Muslim students have valiantly confronted figures in authority, asserting their rights to practise their faith freely.
These incidents highlight the imperative for religious freedoms within educational institutions, fostering an inclusive environment that genuinely respects and affords individuals the latitude to practice their religious beliefs, transcending mere superficial gestures.
So what should Muslim Teachers do amidst all of this chaos?
This week, a recent Ofsted report unveils a disconcerting reality within certain schools in the United Kingdom. However, as underscored, the challenges confronting Muslim teachers in the UK are notably discernible.
Many Muslim Brits with a PGCE and 3 years’ experience of teaching in the U.K. will plough through the TES (Times Education Supplement) website at some point during their career, looking for a shiny teaching package in UAE or Qatar with sunshine and accommodation included for them and their families. Working for an Islamic school? Perhaps that’s the solution? I’m not so sure.
Last weekend I attended a live event where brother Dilly Hussain from 5 Pillars delivered a speech to an enthusiastic audience in East London. He said something profound that shook my very core:
“What’s holding you back from speaking up for your brothers and sisters in Palestine?……I receive emails from Muslim bankers in Canary Wharf asking me how to deal with the Palestine issue at work. The children in schools are doing a better job than them!…..What’s wrong? Are you worried about receiving an email from Jane in HR?”
The relentless intellectual Jihad, waged with the pen and the power of speech
It pains me to say this, but many of us have been anxious about receiving that email from Jane in HR. It is shameful, given the fearlessness we witness in the eyes of the Palestinian child. It is indeed time to be like Malcolm; revolution cannot take place without drastic change. It is time for intellectual bravery, for Allah will ask us all whether we did our very best for our brothers and sisters in Falisteen. Furthermore, if I leave these Muslim and Christian kids, or the Sikh boy in 6th form proudly donning a keffiyeh around his neck daily while wearing his turban, who do they have for support when their rights are being violated? However, it is important to remember that our courage should not be motivated by a desire to be heroes in our own stories or to witness immediate results. Rather, our courage should be dedicated solely to pleasing Allah and Allah alone. Consider the exemplary courage of our mother Asiyah (RA), who fearlessly stood against Pharaoh; she remains our enduring inspiration and role model.
“Miss, this is bare long!”
“Miss, why do we have to learn about Shakespeare? he’s dead!”
“Miss, Why are you always telling us to read the news?, we’re not in our 80s!”
These were some of the comments made by my Year 11s this morning. What I’ve always enjoyed about working with children and teenagers, as opposed to adults, is their authenticity. Despite the teenage tantrums, the ungratefulness, and the pointless interjections, there is something so heartening about children that must never be tampered with: their honesty. Constraining children from expressing their perspectives robs them of their most valuable trait. Consequently, Muslim children should persist in voicing their rights without fear. Furthermore, as Muslims, we must pursue honour through Islam, for what is life without courage?.
Is home-schooling the only solution?
There is unparalleled beauty, love and wholesomeness in a mother personally imparting education to her child through home-schooling. Be this secular or Islamic knowledge or even training her child to be a hafiz.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, wrote a book titled “Tuhfat al-Mawdud” (The Gifted One’s Treasure) for his son. His book imparts valuable advice on various aspects of life and Islam. Similarly, scholars throughout history have often shared their wisdom with their progeny through written works.
I’ve heard of lots of duat and sheikhs in the higher echelons encouraging Muslim parents to home-school their children in the West. However, who thought about the single Muslim mum who has five kids and lives in a high-rise flat in Ladbroke Grove? She does her weekly shop at Iceland, lives off JSA, and wouldn’t be able to contemplate financing tutors to teach her children. Furthermore, she’s exhausted from doing everything all by herself.
The truth is, this isn’t feasible advice for many Muslim families who can’t accommodate home schooling. Nonetheless, it’s an aspiration worth collectively striving for.
Concurrently, as a community, we ought to actively contribute to the establishment of more Islamic schools, whether Independent or state-funded. The establishment of well-funded Islamic schools, distinguished by excellence is of great importance. In the UK, Christian schools outshine their Muslim counterparts in league tables, academic achievements, and facilities. To stand a chance, all we need now, is for Islamic schools to encounter the autonomy enjoyed by Jewish schools in Stamford Hill, where children are essentially taught very similar practices to ours.
