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March 22, 2006

UK: Thousands Of Children Risk Abuse In Islamic Schools

We reported earlier on the cases of sexual abuse being carried out in Pakistan's madrassas, or Islamic schools/seminaries. In Britain, several of these madrassas have been set up, mostly by clerics of Pakistani origin. And sadly, it appears that the practice of madrassa sexual abuse has been imported to Britain too.

Today's Independent newspaper carries a story on a report which has been compiled by the so-called Muslim Parliament of Great Britain. This claims that in the 700 Islamic schools in Britain, about 100,000 are taught. About half of these madrassas use illegal corporal punishment against pupils. At least a dozen children every year at these schools are sexually abused by teachers and imams, and few cases ever get to receive public attention.

The report claims that following years of unregulated practice, tens of thousands of Muslim children face a "significant risk of harm" by attending school. The report states that the current fear among parents of this potential abuse is leading many children to be educated at home.

Today, the Muslim Parliament's leader, Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, will petition the government to urge a national registration of madrassas, involving monitoring by local authorities, under guidelines laid down by the Children Act 1989.

His statement will read:

Sweeping the issue of child abuse in UK madrassas under the carpet is not a solution. If nothing is done now we may face an avalanche of child sex-abuse scandals, decades afterwards, similar to those that had rocked the Roman Catholic Church in the 1990s. To protect the integrity of these valued institutions it is important that all madrassas put in place transparent and accountable policies and procedures for all.

The report has been praised by Anne Cryer, Labour MP for Keightley (pictured), who stated: "Failing to protect the children in madrassas because of "cultural sensitivities" is nonsense. Are we saying that British Asian children are not entitled to the protection of the law? It is racist to differentiate between children and to fail to offer that protection."

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at March 22, 2006 10:13 AM

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Posted by: Deborah Hamilton at March 23, 2006 3:02 PM

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