Britain: Muslim Youths

By Iftikhar Ahmad

(Adapted)

Muslim children face lots of problems of growing up in two distinctive cultural traditions and value systems, which may come into conflict over issues such as the adherence to religious and cultural traditions and the role of women in the society. They are confused because they are being educated in a wrong place at a wrong time in state schools by monolingual teachers. Muslim youths become angry, frustrated and extremist because they could be mis-educated and de-educated by the British schooling. The conflicting demands made by home and schools on behaviour, loyalties and obligations can be a source of psychological conflict and tension in Muslim youngsters.

There are also the issues of racial prejudice and discrimination to deal with, in education and employment. They have been victim of racism and bullying in all walks of life. According to DCSF, 56% of Pakistanis and 54% of Bangladeshi children has been victims of bullies. The first wave of Muslim migrants were happy to send their children to state schools, thinking their children would get a much better education. Then little by little, the overt and covert discrimination in the system turned them off. There are fifteen areas where Muslim parents find themselves offended by state schools.

The right to education in one’s own comfort zone is a fundamental and inalienable human right that should be available to all people irrespective of their ethnicity or religious background. Schools do not only belong to state, but also belong to parents. It is the parents’ choice to have faith schools for their children. Bilingual Muslim children would need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. There would be no signifant benefit of having a non-Muslim teacher or child in such a Muslim school. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools could be designated as Muslim community schools. An ICM Poll of British Muslims showed that nearly half wanted their children to attend Muslim schools. There are only 143 Muslim schools. A state funded Muslim school in Birmingham has 220 pupils and more than 1000 applicants chasing just 60.

The majority of anti-Muslim stories are not about terrorism but about Muslim culture - the hijab, Muslim schools, family life and religiosity. Muslims in the west ought to be recognised as part of the western community - not as an alien culture.