UK Muslims Want Islam History in Syllabus
A British campaign is gaining support to include Islamic history in school curriculum to educate non-Muslims about Muslim contributions to science and philosophy.
"This is not just about educating Muslims," Mohammed Amin, from campaign group Curriculum for Cohesion, told Huffington Post UK.
"This is about those young pupils who hear nothing about Islam at school and grow up thinking Muslims have contributed nothing to the world about from terrorism.
Backed by the umbrella Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the campaign came in response to a draft specification of a new history syllabus published by the Department of Education in February.
But the draft curriculum invited criticism for excluding "all reference to Muslims and Islam."
Faith campaigners have urged teachers and members of the public to appeal to the government to amend the curriculum before consultations end next week.
The campaign was championed by Matthew Wilkinson, a former Eton head boy who converted to Islam, and supported by high-profile patrons, including MP Sadiq Khan and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger.
The campaign group said a broader curriculum would engage Muslim pupils, 10% of the school population, who may feel excluded from British historical identity.
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.7 million.
There are 400,000 Muslim students in British schools, according to the MCB.
About 7,000 state schools in Britain are faith schools – roughly one in three of the total – educating 1.7 million pupils.
Of the 590 faith-based secondary schools five are Jewish, two Muslim and one Sikh - the rest are Church of England, Roman Catholic and other Christian faiths.
Supporters say the campaign also advocates for the inclusion of the history for all faiths, not just Muslim history.
"We have asked, for example, for the curriculum to include the persecution of Jews in the Middle Ages, and their eventual expulsion from Britain,” Amin said.
It also calls for the inclusion of the contribution of Indian Muslim, Hindu and Sikh soldiers to the military effort in both world wars.
It also calls for the preservation and enhancement of ancient Greek and Roman learning by classical Muslim civilization and Britain's long history of trade, diplomatic and other relations with Muslim-majority regions.
"These inclusions are required to paint a true picture of the past," the group said in a statement.
"In their absence, British Muslim children will see no place for themselves in their country's history, creating the risk of alienation.
"At the same time non-Muslim children will grow up believing that Muslims have contributed nothing of value to Britain or indeed human civilization, creating the risk of their acquiring anti-Muslim attitudes.
"Neither of these outcomes is good for Britain, or for the ability of Britons to do business in a world economy which is increasingly integrated."
Source: On Islam
"This is about those young pupils who hear nothing about Islam at school and grow up thinking Muslims have contributed nothing to the world about from terrorism.
Backed by the umbrella Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), the campaign came in response to a draft specification of a new history syllabus published by the Department of Education in February.
But the draft curriculum invited criticism for excluding "all reference to Muslims and Islam."
Faith campaigners have urged teachers and members of the public to appeal to the government to amend the curriculum before consultations end next week.
The campaign was championed by Matthew Wilkinson, a former Eton head boy who converted to Islam, and supported by high-profile patrons, including MP Sadiq Khan and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger.
The campaign group said a broader curriculum would engage Muslim pupils, 10% of the school population, who may feel excluded from British historical identity.
Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.7 million.
There are 400,000 Muslim students in British schools, according to the MCB.
About 7,000 state schools in Britain are faith schools – roughly one in three of the total – educating 1.7 million pupils.
Of the 590 faith-based secondary schools five are Jewish, two Muslim and one Sikh - the rest are Church of England, Roman Catholic and other Christian faiths.
Supporters say the campaign also advocates for the inclusion of the history for all faiths, not just Muslim history.
"We have asked, for example, for the curriculum to include the persecution of Jews in the Middle Ages, and their eventual expulsion from Britain,” Amin said.
It also calls for the inclusion of the contribution of Indian Muslim, Hindu and Sikh soldiers to the military effort in both world wars.
It also calls for the preservation and enhancement of ancient Greek and Roman learning by classical Muslim civilization and Britain's long history of trade, diplomatic and other relations with Muslim-majority regions.
"These inclusions are required to paint a true picture of the past," the group said in a statement.
"In their absence, British Muslim children will see no place for themselves in their country's history, creating the risk of alienation.
"At the same time non-Muslim children will grow up believing that Muslims have contributed nothing of value to Britain or indeed human civilization, creating the risk of their acquiring anti-Muslim attitudes.
"Neither of these outcomes is good for Britain, or for the ability of Britons to do business in a world economy which is increasingly integrated."
Source: On Islam
