'Fury over plan to teach Koran in schools'

Here's a classic example of how it's not just irresponsible reporting about Muslims in sections of the press, but there's an industry out there looking for ways in which to deliberately pedal hatred.

The NUT called for the abolition of faith schools at their conference this week. I've lifted the following from 5CC:

A quote from the NUT General Secretary about the subject (from this Press Association article):

"I believe that there will be real benefits to all our communities and youngsters if we could find space for pupils who are Roman Catholics, Anglican, Methodist, Jewish, Sikh and Muslim to have more religious instruction in schools.

You could have imams coming in, you could have the local rabbi coming in and the local Roman Catholic priest. If there were opportunities where they all talked together to the youngsters, what a fantastic example that would be."

You can probably guess the Express headline.  Ready?

'FURY OVER PLAN TO TEACH KORAN IN SCHOOLS'.  Marvellous!

As you should be able to see if you click on that Daily Express article though is that they have deleted it from their website. It's still up at its bedfellow the Daily Mail though, as well as the Evening Standard.

UPDATE: I hear that the BBC's headline on this was originally "New plans to teach Koran in classrooms', but was changed later in the day to "Call to offer faith class choice". I would have hoped that the BBC's antennae for non-stories would be better than that.

Comments

[Yusuf Smith]

As-Salaamu 'alaikum,

Are you sure they actually called for the abolition of faith schools? What I heard was that they called for religious education in mainstream schools instead of opening more faith schools, not for the closure of existing faith schools.

[Eugene]

The deleted Express article can be found here:
http://tinyurl.com/32zuaw

[Osama]

You're quite right Yusuf, the NUT debated a motion on abolishing faith schools, which was rejected. Unfortunately the largest teaching union in Scotland already has such an entrenched position against Catholic schools.