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Madrassas 'should teach how to deal with jibes'



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Published Date: 02 December 2008
By SHÂN ROSS
MUSLIM teenagers in Scotland want their Islamic lessons to include tips on how to deal with jibes about 9/11, jihad and terrorists.
They say the current madrassa system, in which the majority of male teenagers spend two or three hours daily studying the Koran with a traditional imam, is outdated.

The Scottish-Islamic Foundation (SIF) has launched a campaign for madrassas at Sc
otland's 36 mosques to include classes on subjects such as citizenship leading to qualifications.

Noman Tahir, director of media and marketing at the SIF, said: "Racism these days is less about skin colour and more about creed.

"At the moment we are seeing thousands of kids going through the system and coming out no better than when they went in. We want to educate young people and make them fit to face society."

But some members of the Muslim community warned that the call for change could face resistance from imams from the subcontinent.

Suhail Ashfaque, an imam who already incorporates a number of innovative ideas in the religious schools where he teaches, said it could take up to a decade for mosques to change.

"Change depends on the ethos of the mosque itself but the majority find it hard to change. It's not that everything they are teaching is outdated it's more that the world is moving so fast and they don't have the skill levels the young people need," Imam Suhail said.









The full article contains 245 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 01 December 2008 10:37 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Kate,

Zurich 02/12/2008 07:48:31
"But some members of the Muslim community warned that the call for change could face resistance from imams from the subcontinent"...

This is about British Muslim school children learning how to deal with life in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; what does the opinion of imams on the so-called subcontinent have to do with this?
2

Donnie Murdo,

Western Isles 02/12/2008 08:04:11
"Noman Tahir, director of media and marketing at the SIF, said: "Racism these days is less about skin colour and more about creed."

Interesting statement. Since when has beeing a Muslim meant being a different race?

Being a Muslim is being part of a religion, end of.

I don't think it's about creed but more to do with being very very thick.
3

Mcsnagpile,

02/12/2008 09:41:38
How do you differentiate between religion and race? Islam is Arabic, the name of God is Arabic, the holy country is Arabic, the chosen language is Arabic, and the culture is Arabic.
On the other hand Pakistan, Iran etc are not Arabic.

If the Palestinians became Jews would they have the same problems??
Would Arabia have the same interest??
Race and religion wind and weave. Down the road to who knows where??
4

Calum Crubag,

02/12/2008 12:47:11
#3 - and Christiantiy is... Arabic too. Jesus was an Arab. St. George was an Arab. Islam, Judaism and Christianity are all Abrahamic religions - and all equally ridiculous in the 21st C. They're also, all foreign to Scotland, if that matters.

Stop religious teaching to kids - let them decide as adults.
5

Few Against Many,

02/12/2008 14:01:50
If the planet is still turning 1000 years from now we shall all be the colour mocha anyway then perhaps race and religion shall take a back seat to something else that we squabble about perhaps, people with small noses shall hate those with large hooters or people who like cats will bomb people who like dogs. Who knows after spending the last three days immersed in fallout 3 I feel that whatever coarse of action the world takes we are all doomed anyway.
6

Bele's bane,

Scotland 02/12/2008 14:35:17
Post #4 Calum Crubag

Let us also remember that Tolerant, Pagan Europe gave the world the gift of democracy, a man called Perilcles of Ancient Athens circa 400 BC developed the idea!

The adoption of the worship of the Asian God on the cross almost destroyed European cultural as well as scoentific development. Almost all the basics for the sciences were laid down by our European Pagan ancestors, Christianity brought the dark ages.

All Gods were welcome in Ancient Rome, even Mithras a Persian deity popular with the troops. The Pagan Romans even tolerated the early Christians until they started displaying their intolerance saying only their God was good, all others were poofy!

That is when they came into conflict with the Roman Authorities.
7

Observer. 1,

Glasgow 02/12/2008 16:51:09
''tips on how to deal with jibes about 9/11, jihad, and terrorists''.

Given that every story with a muslim connection brings posters crawling out of the woodwork to make jibes about 9/11, jihad, and terrorists, this seems like a good idea to me.
8

,

03/12/2008 15:02:42
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