UK schools get guide to Islam

Published December 10, 2006

LONDON, Dec.9: A guide to Islam is being given to primary schools across Britain containing a headscarf, a prayer mat, a prayer cap, sacred Ihram clothing worn during the pilgrimage to Makkah, a poster of the Muslim prophets and a compass to locate the direction of Makkah.

According to Daily Express the teaching resource, provided by the Muslim Council of Britain, is intended to provide children aged seven and 11 with information about true Islamic beliefs.

The pack, described on Friday by one head teacher as a "three-foot by three-foot plastic box", also contains CDs, videos, children's books and pamphlets and model kits of a mosque and Islam's holiest site, the Ka'bah.

Sir Iqbal Sacranie, of the MCB, said: "We believe education is the key to creating a vibrant and understanding society.

"We want to ensure that every schoolchild has access to high quality Islamic resources in their schools." Colin Manning, head teacher of North Reddish Junior School in Stockport, which has only four Muslim pupils, said: "The future is in the hands of young people.

The better they understand each other, the more secure that future will be." Tahir Alam, education spokesman for the MCB, added: "We found that schools were using books that were not accurate about Muslim traditions and beliefs so we put this pack together.

"We now have over 800 schools using them."

Opinion

Editorial

More stabilisation
23 May, 2026

More stabilisation

A BROAD outline of the next budget has emerged after recent talks between the government and the IMF. And there is...
Appalling tactics
23 May, 2026

Appalling tactics

IN Punjab, an encounter with the law can quickly turn deadly. Encouraged by a culture of ‘shoot first, ask...
Failed experiment
23 May, 2026

Failed experiment

IT is going from bad to worse for Shan Masood and Pakistan. It is now seven successive Test defeats away from home;...
Hardening lines
Updated 22 May, 2026

Hardening lines

Iranian suspicions about Pakistan’s close ties with Washington and Gulf states persist, while Pakistan remains uneasy over Tehran’s growing engagement with India.
Unliveable city
22 May, 2026

Unliveable city

IN Karachi, when it comes to water, it is every man and woman for themselves. A persistent shortage in available...
Glof alert
22 May, 2026

Glof alert

FOR many communities in northern Pakistan, the sound of heavy rain now carries a different meaning. It is no longer...