Muslim parents in the East London borough of Redbridge have vowed to remove their kids from school unless their LGBT concerns are addressed.
Parents made their request in a December report by Parents United, a group formed in 2020 in response to concerns about Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) teaching in schools, 5 Pillars UK reported.
“We believe schools should respect the diversity of opinions on sexuality and relationships among the families in our community,” Parents United said in the report.
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“This includes opinions grounded in faith and the opinions of those who do not ascribe to an organized faith, who are equally appalled by the sexualized content in schools.”
Parents United held a conference in November last year, when complaints were raised from Muslim parents about schools ignoring faith-sensitivity whilst teaching topics under RSE which, in some cases, went beyond RSE requirements.
The group urged the schools to show and agree on all resources with parents before introduction into classrooms. Also to be transparent about when/how RSE is taught and the weighting of attention to LGBT and other protected characteristics.
“The teaching of these sensitive topics should not present any view of personal morality as correct. As of yet, all evidence we have seen, suggests a one-sided narrative is being promoted in schools, and requests for clarification have not been adequately responded to,” the report said.
“While schools have a statutory duty to promote diversity and good relationships between communities, this can only be achieved by encouraging genuine diversity of perspectives rather than imposing one.”
Rising Concern
In response to the Parents United report, the Department for Education said pupils should “be taught about the society in which they are growing up” and subjects taught are “designed to foster respect for others and for difference and educate pupils about healthy relationships.”
“Ultimately, it is for schools to decide how they teach the RSHE curriculum, but they are accountable for what they teach. It is for schools to decide what resources they use, but schools should make sure what they use is factual, age-appropriate and in line with their legal duties.”
Same-sex relationship and marriage are totally prohibited in Islam, Christianity, and all divine religions.
Islam teaches that believers should neither do the obscene acts nor in any way indulge in their propagation.
The Catholic Church teaches that homosexuality is not a sin, but considers homosexual intercourse as sinful.
The issue of bringing LGBT materials to schools has been a cause of concern to many Muslim parents.
At a recent school board meeting in Wilmer, Minnesota, nearly a dozen Somali American parents showed up alongside conservative activists to protest reports of LGBTQ pride flags being flown at K-12 educational institutions.
Muslim Americans, from Dearborn’s large Middle Eastern population, also turned out in high numbers to protest the school district’s decision to include LGBTQ books in school libraries.