I would like to ask Iqbal Sacranie secretary general of the Muslim Council would he and all of the Islamic children in this country be prepared to learn about Christianity in all forms as much as he is prepared to teach all of us Islam.
Because it seems to me this goes BOTH ways.
If he wants us to be tolerant of his faith then he sould be tolerant of ours.
I agree there is ignorance on BOTH sides as shown on our televisions each night which causes friction between our two culture's.
The resource packs that the Muslim Council as put together and distributed to all should have coincided with a similar packs to Islamic children explaining our belief's.
I would also like to ask if a parent of a child who does not want there child to learn Islam can that child be excussed those lesson's?

Will you also be teaching about Jewish, Hindu, Christian and Buddhist beliefs? Or is Islam supreme in this regard?
Or is it a matter of getting propaganda about Islam into the children's heads while they are young and before they can form an independent opinion, and are forced to submit to their teacher's authority?

I would like to thank the borough and MCB for this oppotunity given to the schoolkids. Islam is the most misunderstood religion. The kids are already aware of Christianity beliefs since they live in the country. Other faiths aren't as misunderstood as Islam, therefore there is a need for this kind of event.

I was amazed to read that english primary schools are going to teach Islam to the students. Will Muslims now teach Christianity to all their students and let it be from a Christian prospective? will all English schools now teach the children about Judism,Buddistism,Sikism,Hindism and all the other religions.Why Islam is it because of the current unrest in the world I dont see any moves by the others to have there religion taught.England is still a Christian nation and if you lived in Pakistan they are Muslims and every thing is under their way of life.They would never allow Christianity to be taught in their Public schools they have Madrasses which teach anti to other religions.Let Muslims teach their own in their own schools. Thank you.

When my son was younger his school took his class (from Marple) for a day out to a predominately Muslim school in Longsight,this included a trip to a Mosque & a lecture on how wonderful Islam is.
For the return visit the Muslim children came to Marple & were taken to the local park for a 'Teddy bears picnic',it was made clear that it was not acceptable for them to visit a church.
Shouldn't this religious exchange work both ways?

When the Muslim Council of Great Britain is involved, you know there is something horribly wrong with this whole exercise. As Stockport Council seems to be unaware of the facts, let me remind them of some of the things the Muslim Council has contributed towards peace and understanding between religions and communities in this country:


*Its Secretary-General whips up anti-Israel hatred by branding it as a Nazi state and accusing it of 'murderous leadership', 'Zionist brutality' and the 'ethnic cleansing of Palestine'.

*It boycotted the ceremony commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz because it claimed it was not b~racially inclusive b~and did not commemorate the 'victims of the Palestinian conflict'.

*It was one of the organisers of a recent demonstration in London at which demonstators chanted: 'Kill, kill USA', 'Kill, kill George Bush', 'Bomb, bomb New York'and 'Your so-called democracy will fall under the sword of Allah. The day of judgment is coming.'


Nice, huh?

Oh, great.

You have a flock of culturally deracinated youngsters who don't know diddly squat about the Millennium of Catholic England or even the few recent centuries of Protestant England --who don't know an Epistle from an Apostle ---who don't know God from Godzilla --- and then you set out to intentionally dhimmitize them with Islamic indoctrination?

And there's no Christian there with spinal vertebrae intact who'll get up and say, "Abso-bloody-lutely NO"?!

Jesus, Mary and Joseph

This is utterly perplexing. Why aren't the Muslim students being provided with information packets on understanding UK culture? It seems ludicrous to indoctrinate non-Muslim students about the medieval beliefs of Islam, when the intolerance and backwardness of Islam is the problem! PC run amok -- the UK is in grave danger!!!

I would also point out that the MCB's book "The Quest for Sanity", which came out post-911, contains at least one chapter strongly suggesting that the 911 attacks were carried out by the Jews and the CIA. This kind of makes you ask questions about the overall integrity of the organisation ...

Ibn Tahhara
http://geocities.com/ibntahhara/

Does this mean all muslim children will be getting christian education ????

What an absolute joke. To think we are paying 'diversity managers' to help convert Britain into an islamic state.

I cannot really see any real benefits that this will achieve. Perharps the time and money should be better spent on educating muslim youths on the positives of their religion as against brain washing them with stuff about radicalism and Islamic fundamentalism

Whatever happened to the separation of church and state in this country????
I will most certainly be educating my children at home, away from all of this brainwashing nonsence.
Children should go to school to learn reading, writng and arithmetic. That's all.
Leave all other 'education' to the parents, especially religion.

I wonder which Islam these resource will show? the one they want no doubt! They wont show the one which says it's ok to beat your wife or the one that says if you die on jihad you will gain a place in paradise with virgin males and females at your disposal...

Is it not absolutely clear from these submitters that we are sick to death of pandering to foreigners. We give them nationality (by what right I don't know), we give them the vote (same), we give them money, houses, education (same). What do they give us? Threats, TB, agitation, complaints, ghettos. And we should welcome them? I think not.

Thank God (not Allah) that I no longer live in Stockport and that my six year old attends a school in a state where the seperation of church and state is in force. I am a Christian and my children attend church where they learn Christian Values - not in school. I am in total disagreement to these teachings and sympathise with parents who have to keep their children in schools where this is being taught. I would absolutely refuse to have my child taught Islam!

WHAT IS THE STOCKPORT SCHOOL SYSTEM TRYING TO DO? BREED ANOTHER GENERATION OF TERRORISTS. MAKING THEM BELIEVE THAT THE WEST IS BAD. THAT THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND ALLAH. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MUSLIM'S HAVE THERE BELIEF'S, BUT WHAT WOULD A SEVEN YR OLD ENGLISH CHILD GAIN FROM SPEAKING THERE LANGUAGE OR LEARNING THERE RELIGION IF IN LATER YEARS HIS/HER JOB DID NOT REQUIRE IT. I AM ORIGINALLY FROM STOCKPORT AND IF I WAS A PARENT THERE NOW WOULD STRONGLY BE AGAINST THIS HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.

I think it is important that our children learn from an un biased source i.e. teachers about all religions in order to make their own choices rather than the one sided views of parents or grandparents who already have their own beliefs. I don't follow religion myself but if I my children want to I would rather they were able to make an educated choice. Having looked on the Stockport Council website, this initiative is to support religious education already in place at school and is just providing more resources. Would everyone kick up such a storm if Microsoft came in and handed out resource packs to support IT training - different topic but same principle. What our kids need to learn is tolerance and understanding -maybe then we can get rid of things like the BNP.

The education secretary angers secular groups by pledging B#500m to rebuild faith-based schools, including only two Muslim schools. There are over half a million Muslim children in British schools where bilingualism and Islamic Identity is totally neglected. In history lessons, Muslim contributions to European learning and culture are never mentioned. Only three percent of Muslim children are in Muslim schools.

Islam does not believe in integration but encourages participation and feel responsibility in the British society. There is no question of either integration or assimilation. Muslim community must participate and fight for the rights granted by the state. It is not asking for any favour. Muslim community does not hate British values, they hate British policies. British needs to recognize and acknowledge that Muslim values do not pose a threat to the strategic values of Western society. We all need dialogue at all levels. It is possible to find common ground on the basis of respect for difference and a toleration of others. Muslim schools can play a vibrant part in British society. There is a huge desire for Muslim schools within the community. Studies show that 84% agree that there should be a choice for the Muslims. Muslim community should compel the state to provide the same educational provision as it does for other religions. There is a proposal under which parents would be able to demand the creation of a whole new institution, run by a private company. Money would follow the pupil, so that unpopular schools would be close down

A Muslim school is an institution which is established to mold a child into an Islamic personality and provide the educational needs of our children. One of the primary aims of Muslim school is to make a person a good citizen, some one who respects others, values other peoplebTMs views and lives as a peaceful and legal citizen of the country. Tolerance and harmony are Islamic virtues and Muslim schools put more emphasis to appreciate and respect other cultures. In a Muslim school, the pupils are coming from home to home. Muslim schools are the solution to racial tensions, not part of the problem. Research shows that children perform better when they are in a familiar social setting. Muslim schools certainly give Muslim children an atmosphere in which they can grow and excel. Muslim schools provide a vital bridge in allowing children from the Muslim community to succeed in adult life. The success of a Muslim school is the notion that no child is ever regarded as a failure.

There are hundreds of state as well as Church schools where Muslim pupils are in majority and all such schools should be converted to Muslim community schools.
Iftikhar Ahmad

Iftikhar Ahmad misses the whole point of the Express article and the thrust of the majority of submitters to this debate. The subject is English children being educated in the religion of Islam whilst teaching the Christian faith is neglected. He recites his bilious diatribe rather like his Muslim brothers recite their hatred whilst standing over hostages as they are beheaded. Quote - "Bilingualism and Islamic Identity neglected" Do English children in Muslim countries get Arab language lessons and is their Christian Identity protected? Quote -"There is no question of either integration or assimilation" Don't tell Cllr Pantall. He believes that the project is going to encourage community cohesion! Quote - "84% agree there should be a choice for Muslims". 84% of who Iftikhar? Muslims? Quote - "Muslim community should compel state to provide same educational provision.." Well Iftikhar, this is not a Muslim country, yet! This country is democratically governed. Outsiders prescribing compulsion should leave - NOW! Quote - "Tolerance and harmony are Islamic virtues" Really!? When are you going to start to practice Islamic virtues Iftikhar? Quote - "...where Muslim pupils are in majority should be converted to Muslim community schools" HOW DARE HE! Watch out indigenous English Christians - a tolerant, virtuous Allah is on the way!

Judging from the pretty xenophobic remarks on this message board, I am surprised the MAB hasn't brought out such a pack sooner. Unfortuntely, its narrow minded conceptions like this which is what many children growing up in the West are taught. I mean how many times do you hear anything on the news which is positive about Islam. Quite frankly, I think Stockport schoolchildren are lucky to be learning about Islam for what it is rather than the warped views of the American and British press, that all Muslims are terrorists and want to destroy the West. Moreover, seeing how many on the message board seem to be Americans, maybe if you told your awful successive governments to stop interfering with affairs in the Middle East, you wouldn't have to deal with Islamic "terror". Funny you don't hear about Christian terrorists in Iraq or Jewish terrorists in the West Bank and Gaza, when innocents die there as a consequence of US and Israeli troops.

Honestly, I am not sure what the consequence of this will be but hope that it will start making the future generations to come realise that Islam isn't backward, terrorist or the Daily Telegraphs conception of it. Thats got to be a good thing and its sad how many of you seem so hostile about Islam being presented for what it is, rather than your twisted conceptions of it being a violent religion.

What is happening to the UK and presently to Stockport schooling is dissheartening. I am from Stockport and would certainly not be having my children taught Islam if I was still there. Keep your Islam religion to yourself. Our beliefs and way of life are certainly not tolerated in their countries - get real and wake up England before we loose our identity completely.

JC, Sussex asks 'how many times do you hear anything on the news which is positive about Islam'. Not very often JC, but then what is positive about Islam except the ill treatment and repression of women, believers avowed intent (see previous comment) not to integrate but to grab what they can, killing innocent hostages including those who have worked to help Muslims for years. I suppose we should feel quite positive about those things! You refer to contributors being xenophobic and then lambast the Americans and Israeli's. What is that if not xenophobia? Out of 22 contributors, including you JC, 5 are American. Of the remaining 17, three are in favour of what Stockport Education Department are doing. That JC, should illustrate what our indigenous population think of it. 3% of primary school children in Stockport are Asian. Does that indicate a need to inculcate Islamic beliefs into the other 97%?

In response BigK's post, I would like to point out that all the things you listed abotu Islam just show your bigotry and, it seems your desire to continue thinking the negative things that organizations such as the BNP pander to. I suggest you go ask Muslim women if they feel repressed or ill-treated and you will find that the majority will reply in the negative. I am not saying that Muslim women aren't repressed; but that is more to do with culture than religion (which forbids it). The same could be said about alcoholic wife-beaters, but doesn't mean that its a majority consensus. If you had a true understanding of Islam, you would actually understand that the woman has a very important role in Islam and repression and ill-treatment are stictly forbidden. Moreover, I deplore the innocent killing of hostages, but when will someone like you deplore the thousands of innocent Iraqis who have been killed by Western forces. Or is it that a Western life is considered much more valuable than that of a Palestinian, an Iraqi or an Afghani; its sickening your hypocrisy on that count and how you can equivicate "Muslims" as terrorists but fail to see soldiers as being equally complicit in murder. How about equivilating them as "Christian barbarians" - no I didn't think you liked it and I don't either.

And as for my comments concerning xenophobia, once again you are reading very thinnly between the lines. To clarify, I am pointing out that what is the difference between an israeli soldier and a "Islamic" suicide bomber; many of the beliefs of the Israeli settlers for instance are to do with their supposed religious beliefs and the Western media has blocked out all mention of how these settlers also carry out terrorist actions; such as shooting at Palestinian farmers and attempting to bomb Palestinian kindergardens. As for the mention of Americans; I should point out that many of the comments made by them on the postings were pretty ignorant about Islam and I would simply state that "Islam" would be perfectly happy to leave them alone if American governments left Islam alone (the same of course could be said for respective British governments). And lastly, if the 97% of the children at Stockport schools growing up thinking about Islam what you do (i.e that it represses women and is a religion of terror etc), then yes I think that maybe something does need to be done about it, because unlike you this xenophobia will continue to escalate until something terrible will happen. I mean talk about double standards; the West has talked about civilising the Middle East and Islam - well maybe you should be aware that people like you in the West also need to be civilised and educated about Islam; maybe if you were at a Stockport primary school you would be!

In response BigK's post, I would like to point out that all the things you listed abotu Islam just show your bigotry and, it seems your desire to continue thinking the negative things that organizations such as the BNP pander to. I suggest you go ask Muslim women if they feel repressed or ill-treated and you will find that the majority will reply in the negative. I am not saying that Muslim women aren't repressed; but that is more to do with culture than religion (which forbids it). The same could be said about alcoholic wife-beaters, but doesn't mean that its a majority consensus. If you had a true understanding of Islam, you would actually understand that the woman has a very important role in Islam and repression and ill-treatment are stictly forbidden. Moreover, I deplore the innocent killing of hostages, but when will someone like you deplore the thousands of innocent Iraqis who have been killed by Western forces. Or is it that a Western life is considered much more valuable than that of a Palestinian, an Iraqi or an Afghani; its sickening your hypocrisy on that count and how you can equivicate "Muslims" as terrorists but fail to see soldiers as being equally complicit in murder. How about equivilating them as "Christian barbarians" - no I didn't think you liked it and I don't either.

And as for my comments concerning xenophobia, once again you are reading very thinnly between the lines. To clarify, I am pointing out that what is the difference between an israeli soldier and a "Islamic" suicide bomber; many of the beliefs of the Israeli settlers for instance are to do with their supposed religious beliefs and the Western media has blocked out all mention of how these settlers also carry out terrorist actions; such as shooting at Palestinian farmers and attempting to bomb Palestinian kindergardens. As for the mention of Americans; I should point out that many of the comments made by them on the postings were pretty ignorant about Islam and I would simply state that "Islam" would be perfectly happy to leave them alone if American governments left Islam alone (the same of course could be said for respective British governments). And lastly, if the 97% of the children at Stockport schools growing up thinking about Islam what you do (i.e that it represses women and is a religion of terror etc), then yes I think that maybe something does need to be done about it, because unlike you this xenophobia will continue to escalate until something terrible will happen. I mean talk about double standards; the West has talked about civilising the Middle East and Islam - well maybe you should be aware that people like you in the West also need to be civilised and educated about Islam; maybe if you were at a Stockport primary school you would be!