It’s not easy being a Muslim in Britain. Distrust, fear and even hatred of anything Islamic is not uncommon, even among rational people who don’t read the red tops. This is not unlike the Catholic-Protestant divide that is more familiar in most Scottish schools, says David Gray, an East Ayrshire teacher.
It’s a subject the principal teacher of values and citizenship at Grange Academy in Kilmarnock knows well. An entire course on anti-sectarianism that he devised has become Learning and Teaching Scotland’s key resource on the subject for secondary schools. “I am very interested in Islam and, after 9/11, I could see similarities between sectarianism and Islamophobia,” says Mr Gray. “So I began to bring bits and pieces of anti-Islamophobia into my teaching.”
The impetus to develop these into a complete course on Islamophobia, along similar lines to the existing anti-sectarian materials, came from the same source that had helped make the latter available nationally – Rowena Arshad, director of the Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland.
There are clear parallels in the prejudices, stereotypes and misconceptions of Islamophobia and sectarianism, says Mr Gray. But there are also important differences. The physical and cultural threat from Islamists is perhaps the most significant. “One thing I try to get across to young people is that terrorists are not truly Islamic,” he says. “The word ‘Islam’ means ‘peace’, and if you read the Qur’an it has a message of peace on almost every page. The idea of murder is utterly against its teachings.
“Any text is open to interpretation, but the fundamental truth of the Qur’an is submission to the will of God, who demands that Muslims are seen to be peaceful people.”
This distinction between Muslims and Islamists is one that pupils on the course it is designed for (S1-2) are able to appreciate, he says. “In my experience, young people are sympathetic to Islam and are not as naïve as some adults think. They can listen to stories on the news, for instance, and say, ‘Hold on, I’ve studied Islam at school and I know that’s not true’.”
Besides imparting knowledge and developing understanding, a key aim of the course is to foster this kind of questioning among young people. “We have to challenge ideas and guide pupils to becoming independent learners and critical thinkers. That’s very important,” says Mr Gray.
"They can respect the views of adults, but at the same time realise that their own might sometimes be better informed and closer to the truth. It is an uncomfortable idea, but young people can challenge their parents’ view of the world.”
The Islamophobia course could run from six to 10 weeks, he says, or selected activities might be used in standalone lessons. While providing detailed guidance on activities such as role-play, storyboarding, mind-mapping and the use of ICT, the materials also give teachers scope to adapt them to their own purposes and the varying levels of knowledge and awareness among their pupils.
Read the full story in this week's TES Scotland, out Friday September 14
(if you can stomach it)
>
http://www.geertwilders.nl/
"Bounty set over Prophet cartoon
Nerikes Allehanda newspaper defended publishing the cartoon
The purported head of al-Qaeda in Iraq has offered a reward for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist over his drawing depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
The $100,000 (£49,310) reward would be raised by 50% if Lars Vilks was "slaughtered like a lamb" said the audio message aired on the internet.
The speaker, said to be Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, threatened a new offensive during the holy month of Ramadan."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6996553.stm
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Muslims--even the perpetual victims.
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sitting in the sunshine outside a pub yesterday, met a guy who had a six year old daughter. unbelievably she's being taught about islam/judaism/hindus/sikhs at school, he was not happy!
it's insane that children in this country are being taught religion at that age!
(i don't actually have a problem with judaism/hindus or sikhs but still don't think they should be taught to children of that age).....
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Actually, I see this in a positive light, in a perverse way. For given the Lefts penchant for fantasy and misdirection, and given the Islamists proclivity to indulge in violence in the cause of Allah; then at some stage in the future, and not too far down the road either, the fantasy will clash with reality. The Lefts soppy narrative will end up covered in blood. Given that our greatest enemy now is not the howling hoards of Allah's most devout practitioners, but the craven and deceitful snakes, who by claiming a superior compassion, have managed to con large segments of our overly self-indulgent fellow citizens, this clash of fantasy and reality is inevitable and is not too far off in the future either.
Given the simple unavoidable fact that Muslims will NOT co-operate with Mr. David Gray's fairy tale, indeed, they may utilize it temporarily, it is a given that the moment a slight advantage is exposed, they will be off and running to take the maximum that that advantage will gain them,- "the force is too strong in them Luke". The one thing history teaches us about Islamic expansion is its consistency, nothing, but nothing will divert them from their path. When that reality hits home to the people of the West, then the stranglehold of the Left, upon the daily narrative of our lives will be shattered. The Left have painted themselves into a corner here; though of course, we will see an endless display of obfuscation, misdirection and finger pointing as they seek to squirm out from under their culpability.
Yes this view does open the door for untold violence to be inflicted upon the unsuspecting citizens of the West, but unfortunately since most are asleep and do not wish to be disturbed, it is most likely the only wake up call that will get their attention. Sad but true I'm afraid.
We should however, keep track of those who have willfully betrayed us, for future reference.
Also, do not forget that after 40 years of Marxist indoctrination, the majority of the citizens of Eastern Europe readily embraced freedom the moment communism fell. So whilst the damage being sown right now may have some devastating consequences, it need not be terminal. The curse which has befallen all of us is that we failed to recognize that the party faithful had taken up residence in the halls of academia within the West, and had been busily poisoning the minds of future generations of Western leaders, and other assorted fools, such as this Mr. Gray; all under the guise of a superior compassion and a greater understanding of the human condition...what a load of old cobblers...malignant narcissists, one and all!
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Great post - Richard - THANKS! Often my research leads me to see no "light at the end of the tunnel" --
TheOPINIONATOR
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Marxism's bloody hands, in all its many guises, are not about to be washed clean in its latest manifestation, indeed, it is just a repeat of its every other attempt at control and domination. Please note: it is always the innocent who are sacrificed upon the alters of Marxist pieties, never the faithful, well rarely, the odd power struggles at the top being the exceptions.
While they are all part of the same camp, our difficulty is in recognizing the party faithful from the useful idiots, who incidentally, make up the largest section of the extreme left. The real tragedy is that we do need a viable opposition within a pluralistic democratic society; it's all about checks and balances; alas, the left has been hijacked by the radicals, and if the left wishes to have any future, then those moderates blessed with sanity and common sense, need to take back their institutions right quick, before the radicals bury them under a mountain of bloody rubble.
Someone recently pointed out that it was because the middle classes were immuned to the consequences of Islam's nasty side, that they could afford to live in a state of denial; that they could ignore the warnings and calls from those who were directly affected by the onslaught of Islamic aspirations, that complacency could spell great pain for all as that immunity will evaporate very soon, then matters will be forced upon the unsuspecting rubes. Never forget that the craven appeasement of our elected and un-elected elite is an encouragement and an incitement to Muslim radicals. As to the so called "vast majority" of moderate Muslims, who knows? At this stage, does it really matter, their position is forfeit by default..."if your not part of the solution then you must be part of the problem", so to speak.
We keep hearing of the dreaded 1.3 billion Muslim juggernaut, well what about the 400 million Europeans, 300 million Americans, and 50 or 60 million or so Canadians, Australians and others, not to mention the 1 billion Hindus, and I don't suppose the Chinese are going to sleepwalk into sharia either, though of course they are likely to play the field to their own advantage, but only to a point: Islam does not play well with others, we've noticed. All of these societies are among some of the most technically advanced people to have ever inhabited the planet. Other than shear bloody mindedness, just what does Islam have to offer humanity, not much I'd say, no matter what that big eared fool who talks to plants prattles on about. The Muslims have no idea just what dragons they are awakening, the Marxists do however, and they hope to ride the chaos and confusion to power once more.
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Richard
" We should however, keep track of those who have willfully betrayed us, for future reference. "
Oh yes indeedy.
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" We should however, keep track of those who have willfully betrayed us, for future reference. "
I need to find my knitting needles.
DP111
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Madame Defarge I presume. So nice to make your acquaintance.
Patience my dear, though I do wander how much longer before the British people will have had enough?
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Quoted: " “One thing I try to get across to young people is that terrorists are not truly Islamic,” he says. “The word ‘Islam’ means ‘peace’ ...the Qur’an...has a message of peace on almost every page. The idea of murder is utterly against its teachings.
“...the fundamental truth of the Qur’an is submission to the will of God, who demands that Muslims are seen to be peaceful people.”
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#1 "Islam" does NOT, of course, mean "peace" it means "submission".
#2 "Murder is against its teachings" as regards OTHER MUSLIMS; not so for infidels, pagans and apostates.
#3 "...God...demands that Muslims are seen to be peaceful people" Is it really God who "demands" how Muslims are seen? Is that why you have Muslims demonstrating with signs "death to those who criticize Islam" and "behead those who insult Islam". I suppose this teacher thinks that peace means never noticing that the later chapters of the Quran do indeed advocate violence against "unbelievers".
Does anybody doubt that "by its fruit shall you know the tree?" What do you see in Muslim nations? Repression, corruption, subjugation, poverty ... what does this tell you, Mr. Teacher? What conclusions can you draw? People who practice Islam have had a run of really bad luck in the past 1400 years? Or is it something to do with the system under which warlords maintain power, aided and abetted by mullahs preaching doom for those who stray? How has Islam historically been spread? (Hint: ask the Hindus of India). Despite billions of petrodollars why are there so few jobs in the Middle East? Why are so many illiterate Muslims swarming into Europe, willing to work at the low-paying menial jobs that "Westerners just won't do"? Do you think the Islamic teaching that a woman's testimony is worth half a man's should be respected in modern Europe? How about the one that the stick used for beating your wives shouldn't be larger than the diameter of your thumb? What about stoning to death? Honor killing? Is that all OK in your morally relativistic world vision? Is this culture really what you want to import to Scotland?
If Mr. Teacher is going to teach, he needs to open his eyes and ask some critical questions first.
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"Everything is Beautiful In its Own Way"
http://www.superseventies.com/sl_everythingisbeautiful.html
was a saccharine song in the first place; it's not the basis for teaching history or economics or civics. "Each of us, every one, is a wonderful and special person; we all want the same things out of life; if we just give peace a chance everybody will live in brotherhood" -- ah, the mantra of liberals! If we can make everything good and right and fair "out there" in the physical world, every single individual will undergo a transformation "on the inside" erasing pride, envy, greed, fear, revenge, and the lust for power and domination. Then will follow cooperation, understanding, peace, and love, everywhere, tra-la!
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Oh dear...
During the entire 70s, everyone kept telling me I was a Leftie: a real Pinko.
I didn't think I was.
Now, apparently, I've somehow managed to MORPH into a total Right-wing White -Supremecist Islam-O-phobe...
How did that happen, I wonder.
(Why can't simple commonsense and common decency prevail...it can and will!!)
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