British Muslim leaders have written a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, sharing their concerns about the ‘teaching of sexual identity politics’ in Church of England schools.
The letter, by the Association of British Muslims (BAM), referred to “the lack of open and inclusive discussions regarding the traditional understanding of marriage within faith communities”, The Telegraph reported.
It came after the Church of England bishops rejected calls to allow same-sex marriages in churches at a meeting in January, following six years of debate and consultation. Instead, they agreed to offer blessings after a civil partnership or marriage.
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The decision has stirred backlash from both Muslim leaders as well as equality campaigners.
The ABM letter, written by Paul Salahuddin Armstrong, its managing director, warned the Archbishop: “If the current proposal by the bishops is implemented, every Church of England primary school will teach that both heterosexual and homosexual marriages have equal validity, starting from this summer.
“While it is acknowledged that the law of the United Kingdom recognizes the validity of both types of marriages, it is important to note that many faith communities, both locally and globally, still hold to the traditional definition of marriage as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘the formal union of a man and a woman, as recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife’.
“As people of faith, it is important to ensure that we have a voice in matters that pertain to our beliefs and practices. This includes the traditional family structure, which many consider to be a fundamental aspect of our faiths.”
Muslim Students
The Rev Paul Eddy, the convener of Anglican Orthodox – a grassroots campaign group of clergy and churchgoers opposed to the bishops’ proposals – also warned that a vote in favor could lead to Muslim children leaving Church of England schools.
“There is now the worrying potential of Muslim parents starting to withdraw children from CofE schools to protect them from sexual ethics contrary to their beliefs, and that can obviously lead to segregation of children of different faiths in some Muslim-majority cities if the CofE proceeds,” he said.
Islam, Christianity, and all divine religions prohibit same-sex relationship and marriage.
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.
Earlier this month, Muslim parents in the East London borough of Redbridge vowed to remove their kids from school over LGBT concerns.