Schools should take pupils on trips to mosques in an attempt to tackle Islamophobia among their parents, the faith minister has said.
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth also said that all churches, mosques, synagogues and temples should be twinned with places of worship from other faiths and should work together to serve as community hubs for all residents rather than only as prayer spaces for their own congregations.
Many non-Muslims were afraid to enter a mosque, he said. “Occasionally you find that parents are saying, ‘We’re not sure we want our kids to go to the local mosque.’ They are then persuaded by the school that it’s a good idea and the kids come back and tell them about it and the parents then say, ‘Oh, that’s interesting, perhaps we’ll visit ourselves.’ ”
[TOP RATED COMMENT 41 votes] As this country has a Christian heritage and culture, the correct move would be to ensure every Muslim child visits a Christian Church. Muslims like other migrants have to integrate into the host country’s culture not the other way round.
[2ND 38] Now I have seen the light! Islamaphobia in the general population is all about our ignorance of Islam! It has nothing whatsoever to do with the insular ghettoisation of many of our towns and cities ( and associated problems such as Rotherham, Rochdale and countless others), it has nothing to do with the preponderance of wars and terrorism in certain countries across the world of that persuasion, it has nothing to do with the extremist clerics and their followers etc etc.....it is all down to our own dumbness!
Thank you Lord Bourne, I am grateful for your insightful input. Are you intent upon arranging for our kids to visit Synagogues, Hindu and Sikh temples etc? ... No! I wonder why? [The Times (£)] Read more
