Staffordshire School Lifts Muslim Morale
Muslims in Staffordshire are optimistic about their application to build the first Islamic school in England’s West Midlands region, a move seen as helping to break down religious barriers in the country.
“I'm hopeful it will be successful,” Asif Mehmood, chairman of the Iqra Welfare Trust, told The Sentinel newspaper.
"There has been overwhelming support from the community and from volunteers and local businesses.”
Muslims have submitted a request to the government this week to build an Islamic school, to be named Iqra Academy.
The news about the Muslim application has won support from residents seeking to enroll their children in a Muslim religious school.
Following the application, almost 500 people have responded to a questionnaire and parents from across the city have expressed an interest in sending their children there.
If approved, the Iqra Academy would open in September 2014 and would eventually cater for around 600 pupils, aged 11 to 16.
Leading the bid, the Iqra Welfare Trust hopes to take over the former Edensor Technology College site, in Longton, once it is vacated by The Discovery Academy.
The new school is expected to attract students from Muslim families in Normacot, Longton, Shelton and Tunstall.
Now community leaders behind the proposals will have to wait until March to find out if they have got through to the crucial next stage of the application process.
If the plans get through to the next stage, the team will be invited to an interview and could find out by the summer if they have won Government approval.
"Everybody has done a lot of hard work,” Mehmood said.
“We were working on Christmas Eve and New Year's Day to get the bid done in time for the deadline."
onislam.net
"There has been overwhelming support from the community and from volunteers and local businesses.”
Muslims have submitted a request to the government this week to build an Islamic school, to be named Iqra Academy.
The news about the Muslim application has won support from residents seeking to enroll their children in a Muslim religious school.
Following the application, almost 500 people have responded to a questionnaire and parents from across the city have expressed an interest in sending their children there.
If approved, the Iqra Academy would open in September 2014 and would eventually cater for around 600 pupils, aged 11 to 16.
Leading the bid, the Iqra Welfare Trust hopes to take over the former Edensor Technology College site, in Longton, once it is vacated by The Discovery Academy.
The new school is expected to attract students from Muslim families in Normacot, Longton, Shelton and Tunstall.
Now community leaders behind the proposals will have to wait until March to find out if they have got through to the crucial next stage of the application process.
If the plans get through to the next stage, the team will be invited to an interview and could find out by the summer if they have won Government approval.
"Everybody has done a lot of hard work,” Mehmood said.
“We were working on Christmas Eve and New Year's Day to get the bid done in time for the deadline."
onislam.net
