High court bans Birmingham school protests against LGBT lessons

Demonstrators protesting against primary school children being taught that people of all genders and sexualities should be treated equally have been served with a high court injunction.

Birmingham city council made the application following several weeks of protests outside Anderton Park primary school in the city.

Citing “increasing fears for the safety and wellbeing of the staff, children and parents”, the council said it pursued legal action after the situation had become “too serious to tolerate”.

The interim injunction covers the streets immediately surrounding the school and prevents protesters printing or distributing leaflets, inviting others to protest and encouraging people to congregate at the entrance. The protesters will have a chance to make their case to a judge on 10 June.

According to the order published on the council’s website, it also prohibits social media being used to make offensive or abusive comments about staff members. [The Guardian] Read more

Bereaved British schoolgirl will be stripped of £500,000 inheritance after Sharia court in Dubai is told that she is a Christian

A British schoolgirl has lost out on a £500,000 inheritance from her father after a Sharia court in Dubai was told she was a Christian, MailOnline can reveal.

It is the latest episode in a vicious spat that saw her mother being held for four weeks in the Arab kingdom last month for branding her love rival a 'horse' on Facebook.

Paris Shahravesh, 14, was in line to inherit money left by her banker father, Pedro Dos Santos, who died of a heart attack in March.

But his second wife, Samah Al Hammadi – who had alerted police when the teenager's mother insulted her on social media – filed papers in the UAE claiming the inheritance.

The court was told that Paris was a Christian. According to the form of Sharia applied in Dubai, non-Muslims are unable to inherit the estate of a Muslim. [Daily Mail] Read more

I still don't feel free in UK, says Christian who fled 'torture' in Pakistan

A Christian threatened with deportation to Pakistan has told of how he still doesn't feel free despite being given leave to remain in the UK.

Azeem Wazir, who now lives in Bristol, came to the UK four years ago after he was accused of dishonouring Islam in his native Pakistan.

The 45-year-old Pakistani Christian fled his home country after he protested against the country's blasphemy laws and a fatwa was issued against him.

His family say if he returns he will be jailed and possibly killed, while he fears he will be murdered for his faith.

His application for asylum in the UK was denied in March, but he has been granted discretionary leave to remain for 30 months, which will be renewable as long as he continues to show good character. [Sky News] Read more

'Cowardly Government' blamed for breakdown of Anderton Park protest peace talks

Lawyer Nazir Afzal has pointed the finger of blame at 'cowardly' Government ministers and outsiders with a 'malicious' agenda after his failed bid to broker peace over LGBTQ equality at Anderton Park School.

In his first press interview since the breakdown of talks, Mr Afzal was not holding back on what, or who, he thinks is responsible for a dispute that is dividing the community.

"The Government has been cowardly," he says.

"They have failed to lead and own this issue (around equality teaching), leaving the burden unfairly on the shoulders of head teachers. It is disgraceful."

And he warned that protests like this could spread to 'dozens' of schools if urgent action is not taken.

He also had a message for the protesters, stating: "Stop this immediately. It is disgraceful.

"You are grown men and a few women standing outside a primary school in a residential street shouting and chanting and screaming. [Birmingham Mail] Read more

Islamic Human Rights Commission: Advocating for the Ayotollahs

A group that Jeremy Corbyn claimed “represents all that’s best in Islam” is permeated “at every level” by “extremism, support for overseas terror groups and extreme anti-Semitism” and should be probed by counter-terror police, according to a think tank report.

A report by the Henry Jackson Society into the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) which was released today, found 10 items of conduct “pertaining to terrorism” that “necessitate criminal investigation” into whether it or those connected to it have committed one of two terrorist offences. The IHRC is the organiser of the infamous annual Al-Quds Day March, due to take place this Sunday.

The conduct highlighted by the report includes allegations that the IHRC has glorified violent resistance, broadcast a video address from a terrorist, invited support for proscribed groups, and that its Chairman has supported terrorism in the Middle East. [The Henry Jackson Society] Read more

Teachers 'in tears' at school gates as row over LGBT classes worsens

Mediation between parents and staff over the issue of relationships education at a Birmingham primary school has stalled.

Nazir Afzal who is in charge of steering talks between the council, parents and teachers, told Sky News that six weeks of discussions have been unsuccessful.

He claimed staff at Anderton Park Primary School are at risk and frequently break down in tears because of hostility at the school gates - with protests taking place against teaching children about same-sex relationships.

Mr Afzal, a former chief prosecutor for North West England, said: "I can't think of any other way to get people round a table again than to speak to you and Sky.

"I've looked at the curriculum, there is nothing in the curriculum that is LGBT specific. There is nothing about gay sex.

"I've seen people walking around outside of that school with stuff that they have downloaded from the internet suggesting this is on the curriculum. [Sky News] Read more

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: School protest is a show of some Muslims’ bigotry

Does anyone ever learn anything from their own struggles and experiences? Britons of colour know what it is to be denied equality, dignity, agency, the right to be, the right to define ­ourselves. We’ve been fighting for these human rights for centuries.

Today it is us Muslims who suffer the most atrocious discrimination and hatred in the UK and the EU. We feel the burn on our skins.

But some, apparently, can inflict the same pain on those they don’t know, yet detest.

Scores of self-righteous Muslim parents and their cheerleaders have gathered for eight weeks outside the school gates at Anderton Park primary school in Birmingham shouting at and intimidating teachers, children and other parents because the head teacher, Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, has decided to include LGBT content in relevant classes.

Under our equality laws, race, disability, ethnicity and ­sexuality are protected categories.

Hewitt-Clarkson believes teachers have a duty to ­eliminate discrimination, tackle prejudice and foster good relations between different people: “You don’t just sit back and wait until a racist or homophobic thing happens to deal with it – you go out of your way to promote good ­relationships.” [Daily Mirror] Read more

Iran hijab protester freed from jail: lawyer

A woman jailed in Iran for one year for removing her hijab in public to protest against the country's Islamic dress code has been released early, her lawyer said Tuesday.

"Vida Movahedi was summoned by prison authorities on Sunday evening and told that her sentence had been commuted, and combined with some accumulated furlough she was free to go," Payam Derafshan told AFP.

Movahedi, who is in her mid-20s, was arrested in October after removing her hijab from her head at Tehran's Enghelab Square.

She was charged with "encouraging corruption and debauchery" and sentenced by a court in Tehran to 12 months in prison on March 2, Derafshan added.

The lawyer said Movahedi had stated her opposition to the "compulsory hijab" and that she wanted to express her opinion in "a civil protest".

Under the Islamic dress code, women can only show their face, hands and feet in public and are supposed to wear only modest colours. [France24] Read more

Muslim Council demands Tory Islamophobia inquiry

The Muslim Council of Britain has formally asked the UK's human rights watchdog to investigate accusations of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.

In a letter to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, the MCB said a problem "runs deep into the party".

The EHRC said in response that it was considering complaints about the party in line with its "usual processes".

In March, party deputy chairman James Cleverly insisted "immediate action" was taken after any racism claims.

The MCB is an umbrella organisation of various UK Muslim bodies, including mosques, schools, and charitable associations. It has called repeatedly for an independent investigation into discrimination claims.

Now, in its letter filing a formal complaint to the EHRC, it accused the Conservatives of not taking action against Islamophobia shown by Tory MPs, and tolerating discrimination towards party members. [BBC] Read more

Education Secretary on Anderton Primary School LGBT protests: 'Tolerance and respect has broken down'

.... The unacceptable protests that have been taking place in Birmingham have been hugely difficult for the teachers involved, who are just trying to do their jobs.

Noisy demonstrations outside the school gates – which in the worst cases have been hijacked by individuals with a vested interest and no links to the schools – have scared children, intimidated hard-working staff and attracted sensationalised media coverage.

We want every young person growing up and going to school in our country to understand the core principles that have helped our country and society to flourish over the centuries.

The values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs – and those without faith.

It is entirely right that schools should prepare children to thrive in our diverse society, a society that is based on tolerance and respect for others who are different.

We brought our curriculum for relationships up to date precisely so that it more accurately reflects the world that children are growing up in now. [Birmingham Mail] Read more

Senior Saudi cleric slams ‘paranoia’ over segregation between men and women

The former Imam of the Holy Mosque in Makkah, Sheikh Adil Al-Kalbani, has called for men and women not to be separated using a partition during prayers.

In a televised interview with Saudi Broadcasting Corp. (SBC), he said that this type of segregation did not happen during the era of Prophet Muhammad. He stressed the current segregation practices have no roots in Islamic tradition and are a result of unjustified “paranoia” of women, even during prayer.

“Sadly today, we are paranoid — in a mosque — a place of worship. They are completely separated from men, they cannot see them and can only hear them through microphones or speakers. And if the voice has been cut off, they wouldn’t know what is going on (during prayer),” he elaborated. [Arab News] Read more

Petition backing doctor who asked Muslim mum to remove veil has topped 74,000 signatures

A petition to save the career of a doctor who asked a Muslim patient to remove her veil so that he could better hear the details of her daughter’s medical condition has reached more than 74,000 signatures.

Dr Keith Wolverson admitted he was ‘rather fearful of the consequences’ after finding out he had been reported to the General Medical Council (GMC) and would be the subject of a racial discrimination inquiry .

But despite being upset at the inquiry, he described being ‘absolutely bowled over’ by the petition.

He said there was no sign the patient was upset during the consultation at the Royal Stoke University Hospital last June. [StokeonTrentLive] Read more

‘We can’t give in’: the Birmingham school on the frontline of anti-LGBT protests

Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson is crying. The headteacher at Anderton Park primary school in Birmingham has suffered eight weeks of protests outside her school gates over her decision to teach LGBT-inclusive content to her young pupils, the vast majority of whom are Muslim.

After repeatedly putting on a brave face when I ask her how she is feeling, she finally admits: “I am in despair”, and then breaks down. She is struggling for control as she continues: “I know one of the phrases that’s associated with domestic abuse is the crushing of the spirit of a woman. And that’s what I feel is happening. We can’t give in.”

Her voice trembles with emotion. She has been having sleepless nights, she says, worrying about the impact of the protests on her staff and pupils, and has received threatening messages telling her to “watch her back”. [The Guardian] Read more

Letters to the Editor: Islam must not be put above criticism

Camilla Long is correct to stand up for the right to speak freely about those aspects of Islam that some find misogynistic (“I’ll always see the veil as a form of misogyny and it’s not Islamophobic to say as much”, Comment, last week).

The adoption of the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims’ vague definition of Islamophobia, under which anyone who criticises “expressions of Muslimness” could be accused of a form of racism, would have a chilling effect on free expression.

Anti-Muslim bigotry must be taken seriously, and British Muslims are as entitled as anyone to live their lives free from harm and abuse. But this definition shields Islamic beliefs and practices from criticism.

Its adoption would drive important debates underground and accelerate the normalisation of blasphemy taboos, harming social cohesion in the process. The government is right to reject it. [The Times (£)] Read more

Take pupils out of classes, urges teacher

A teacher is behind a national campaign to challenge sex education in schools, which he claims can expose children to adultery, The Times can reveal.

Aziz Torofdar, 45, head of IT at Ralph Allen School, an academy in Bath, has launched Islamic relationships and sex education (RSE), which encourages parents to secure a place on the board of governors to influence teaching and to withdraw children from classes.

He has been touring the country giving talks on the issue and has spoken to parents at mosques and schools in Birmingham, Bristol, London and Essex.

Mr Torofdar’s campaign comes amid a growing row in Birmingham, where parents have been protesting outside Anderton Park Primary School which was forced to shut early yesterday. [The Times (£)] Read more

Proposed definition for Islamophobia rejected in Lancashire County Council debate

A proposed definition of Islamophobia has been rejected in a debate at Lancashire County Council.

Labour opposition group leader Azhar Ali had called for the authority to adopt the wording put forward last year by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims, as well as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.

But members of the ruling Conservative group expressed concern over the lack of 'clarity' over the Islamophobia definition, which was also rejected by the government earlier this month after claims that it conflated race and religion.

The APPG drew up its definition after a wide-ranging consultation and concluded that: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” [LancsLive] Read more

Minister accused of failing to back teachers over equality lessons

The education secretary has been accused of “passing the buck” by leaving head teachers to fend for themselves in dealing with protests against lessons on same-sex marriage.

A former Ofsted chief is among experts calling on Damian Hinds to make clear that same-sex relationships are part of society and that opposition should be directed at government and politicians.

There have been regular protests by Muslim parents and others outside Anderton Park Primary School in Birmingham. The school is to shut at noon today amid fears about a big protest.

The demonstrations echo actions by mostly Muslim parents at nearby primaries in the city this year. Those schools paused lessons covering same-sex relationships. From September next year, however, all primaries will be required by law to teach about relationships, including LGBT equality. [The Times (£)] Read more

Iran police arrest 30 at private yoga class

Thirty people taking part in a yoga session have been arrested during a private class in Iran, reports suggest, causing a buzz across the country's social media.

They were detained at a private residence in the northern city of Gorgan, where they were apparently taking part in a mixed class.

Local justice department official Massoud Soleimani said the instructor, who was also arrested, had no licence to run the class and had advertised the event on Instagram.

He also said that those taking part were wearing "inappropriate outfits" and had "behaved inappropriately", the Tasnim news agency reports.

The Islamic establishment in Iran does not allow any mixed-gender sports activities.

Professional-level yoga teaching is also banned in the country. [BBC] Read more

Pakistan Christians beaten by mob after mosque accuses them of blasphemy: report

A small Christian community in Pakistan is living in fear after they were reportedly attacked last week by a mob of enraged radicals because a nearby mosque accused its members of committing blasphemy following an altercation with a Muslim man.

The London-based charity British Pakistani Christian Association reports that two Christian families in the Arif Wala Tehsil district of Punjab province were forced to flee from their homes after the attack last Wednesday by a mob of about 40 Muslim men and children with weapons.

According to BPCA, which is providing financial assistance to the community, the mob was incited by a local mosque that claimed over its loudspeakers that the Christians had insulted Islam.

The mosque allegedly called for Muslim believers to bond together to force the minority Christian community of about seven families out of the village. [Christian Post] Read more

Fight against terror could be undermined by new Islamophobia definition, warns police chief

He said a small minority of “very vocal” Muslims would use the definition to thwart stop and search and Prevent, the Government’s anti-radicalisation programme, by claiming they were Islamophobic and racist.

It could lead to communities turning against police, even stopping officers from promoting Prevent, which he described as “the most important pillar in this country’s counter-terrorism strategy.”

"The people I deal with - extremists or even terrorists - would be able to use that definition to frustrate some of the powers of my officers," said Mr Basu, a senior national co-ordinator for counter-terrorism and Deputy Assistant Commissioner with the Met Police.

.... It states: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

Mr Basu said it conflated race and religion and was so broad that anybody who criticised, insulted, or satirised Islam would be called out for Islamophobia and racism.

Mr Basu, who is of Indian heritage, said: "This is a definition that was designed to protect people like me. I've spent 51 years dealing with racism and the vast amount of racism I've had in my life has been the perception that I might be Muslim - and I'm not...I feel kind-of personally conflicted. [The Telegraph] Read more

Saudi Arabia: Moderate Islamic scholars 'to be executed'

Sheikh Salman al Odah, Sunni preacher Awad al-Qarni, and broadcaster Ali al-Omari, will be killed after Ramadan, reports say.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing to execute three moderate Islamic scholars despite the international outrage that followed the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Sheikh Salman al Odah, a Muslim preacher with a 14 million strong social media following, will be killed after the holy month of Ramadan say reports.

Sunni preacher and academic Awad al-Qarni and broadcaster Ali al-Omari, will also be executed say sources quoted in MiddleEastEye.net.

Amnesty International says more than 100 people have been executed this year, some beheaded and some crucified, including some younger than 18 when they were arrested.

Many of them have been Shia Muslims. The three named as next in line for execution are all Sunni. [Sky News] Read more

NHS watchdog releases statement on investigation into Royal Stoke GP who asked Muslim mum to remove veil

An NHS watchdog has revealed a GP who asked a Muslim mum to remove her veil has no 'restrictions on his record'.

Dr Keith Wolverson is being investigated by the General Medical Council (GMC) after he asked the woman to lift her niqab during a consultation at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

The 52-year-old claims he was struggling to hear the mother explain what was wrong with her young daughter and 'politely' asked her to take off the garment.

Dr Wolverson revealed he was 'deeply' upset at being accused of racial discrimination and has vowed to leave the medical profession after 23 years due to the 'injustice' of the investigation. [StokeonTrentLive] Read more

We need to be able to criticise Islam – any definition of Islamophobia must recognise that

.... For several months now, Muslim parents have been demonstrating outside Parkfield Community School in Birmingham, judged outstanding by Ofsted. These parents demand equality and respect but apparently do not want their kids to have lessons on LGBT equality and respect. Police are now investigating threatening messages sent to Sarah Hewitt Clarkson. the head teacher of Anderton Park primary, where there have also been protests.

Andrew Moffat, MBE, the gay teacher leading the “No Outsiders” programme at Parkfield, was shortlisted for the world’s best teacher prize this year. He says he has been getting serious threats, too. He left his previous teaching post after fundamentalist Christian and Muslim parents objected to his inclusive lessons.

At first, all went well at Parkfield – the “No Outsiders” programme, based on the Equality Act 2010, has been in place for several years and Moffat has met with parents and invited them in to see the educational materials used. It is only in the past few months that obscurantists have taken charge. [inews.co.uk] Read more

1 in 4 Canadians say it’s becoming ‘more acceptable’ to be prejudiced against Muslims: Ipsos poll

More than a quarter of Canadians believe that over the past five years, it’s become “more acceptable” to be prejudiced against Muslims, according to an exclusive poll by Ipsos for Global News.

The polling seems to correlate with an increase in hate crimes targeting Muslims living in the country.

All of the Ipsos poll data is available online.

In 2017, hate crimes targeting Muslims jumped 151 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. The biggest increases were seen in Ontario and Quebec — police-reported hate crimes increased by 207 per cent in Ontario and 185 per cent in Quebec.

So what, exactly, is causing a spark in discrimination towards Muslims? [Global News] Read more

LGBT protest: '600 pupils' taken out of primary

Police have been called out to LGBT protests outside a Birmingham primary school amid claims that 600 children have been taken out of lessons.

Education secretary Damian Hinds has called for more dialogue between schools and parents after protesters took their children out of Anderton Park Primary, as part of a campaign against the way pupils are taught about LGBT.

Birmingham Council leader Ian Ward has today condemned the protests as "intolerant" and said he wanted to use legal powers to stop the demonstrations taking place.

Anderton Park Primary has been the focal point for protests for more than five weeks.

Campaigners opposed to the way children learn about LGBT at the school claimed that around 600 pupils had been kept away from lessons today as part of the ongoing protest.

Anderton Park Primary’s Ofsted report last year said it had 749 pupils on its roll. [Tes] Read more