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The former president of a network of part-time Muslim schools today defended the teaching of sharia law.
A Panorama investigation found that children at weekend schools run by the Saudi Students' Clubs and Schools are being exposed to anti-Semitic and homophobic lessons and taught about amputating limbs as a punishment.
Ahmed Meliebary, who was president of the group in 2001, said amputations as a punishment for theft was part of the koran's teachings on sharia law.
He said: “Cutting off the hand is the maximum penalty for stealing but there are strict set of conditions that need to be met before it is done. It is a way of telling students not to steal but in a different way and by teaching the maximum punishment it acts as a deterrent. If it used for first-timers they are not meeting the strict condition for this type of punishment to happen.”
The weekend schools are not state funded and are not inspected by Ofsted. Mr Meliebary said the group followed the national curriculum of Saudi Arabia, and imported all its textbooks from the kingdom.
But he said he had never seen a Saudi textbook which taught that sodomy should be punished by death, and denied that the schools inflamed anti-Semitic sentiment.
“Jews are our cousins as they come from the same forefathers,” he said. “The teachers are screened before coming here and requested to fit into the UK ideas of tolerance.”
The Panorama programme found that more than 40 Saudi Students' Schools and Clubs are teaching the Saudi curriculum. A building used for one of the schools in Ealing is allegedly owned by the Saudi government.
Counter extremism think tank Quilliam today warned that Education Secretary Michael Gove's new free schools are “particularly vulnerable” targets for groups such as extreme Islamists or BNP members.
A spokesman for the department for education said: “We will not accept any proposal where we have concerns about the people behind the proposal or if we think the school will undermine British democracy. All Free Schools will be inspected by Ofsted just like maintained schools.”
British Schools Muslim Rules: Panorama will be broadcast tonight at 8.30pm on BBC1
Reader views (22)
If I am not mistaken Arab funded schools have been teaching these sorts of things all over Africa for years.
This isn't a British problem. Its a global western/Christian vs Islam problem.
- shell, london, 23/11/2010 22:04
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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
- Mark, Clapham, 23/11/2010 10:46
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Sharia law is up there with female circumcision as cultural norms in backward far away places, that are incompatible and unacceptable within a progressive modern society.
- Scotty, London, 23/11/2010 10:05
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@ Jack Fertig, San Francisco, California, USA
Islam has no place in a progressive western society including the US. Islam is 500 years behind Christianity and it shows.
PS: I am an atheist, religion is politics in another guise. However I prefer the more mature politics of Christianity. It makes for nicer societies.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 23/11/2010 09:13
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As an American Muslim I’ve learned two important things: (1) that any bad news about Muslims will be exaggerated horribly; and (2) the truth is often bad enough already. That 40 Saudi clubs with weekend programs teaching homophobia and religious prejudice is bad enough already, but if a mere 40 places with hateful weekend classes is a real threat to British society the foundation of your national culture must already be rather precarious. But I would assert – and expect that a great many Muslims, surely a majority in both our countries would agree – that such teachings should be nipped in the bud. They are very much against the teachings of the Qur’an and against common decency in any religious or secular morality.
- Jack Fertig, San Francisco, California, USA, 23/11/2010 00:21
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As before.
- deb beamon, kansas, usa, 22/11/2010 23:07
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Have we not forgotten something " This is England " not some third world country which you are turning it into.
- Davey-Buoy, Chertsey, 22/11/2010 20:21
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You've got to put this down to Labour and years of 'multiculturalism' and political correctness.
This has allowed Islam to insidiously insinuate itself into our culture.
I think we're already too late to prevent sharia law from gaining a foothold here in the future.
Thank you politicians, we entrusted our culture and our homeland to you,- and you've given them away.
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 22/11/2010 19:23
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I'm truly amazed that the BBC is putting this out.
There has been no stronger advocate of multiculturalism & mass immigration than the BBC. Readers will recall that the BBC recorded a private conversation of Nick Griifin's in which he said that islam was wicked , & the BBC got him prosecuted for his opinions. I've no time for the BNP, but it's pretty mild compared with islam,
which the BBC regularly promotes.
- The Convenient Truth, Reading, England, 22/11/2010 16:41
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Hands of thieves and robbers amputated? Rapists executed? Don't let us be too hasty in denouncing Sharia Law - might improve life here!
- Roy G, Solihull, England., 22/11/2010 16:24
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There is no place for Sharia law in this country it must be outlawed immediatly.
- Vince London, West London, 22/11/2010 16:13
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Where the hell is quilliam coming from since when has the BNP had the clout or money to fund such teachings as islamophobia or supply the books that don't exist, stay with the main concern which is the funding of muslim weekend schools to teach such lessons, Saudi Arabia has been funding this type of extremism for well over a decade and been allowed to get away with it knowing full well when they snap their fingers the British government will kow tow to their demands, it always has done and always will we the electorate have no say in the matter.
- James, Grays, 22/11/2010 15:59
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This material from Saudi Arabia has been prevalent for years. The very nasty and virulent Wahhabi Islam has been imported by the Saudi government for sometime, but because we need their oil our politicians turn a blind eye. I do not expect this current bunch of Muppets to be any different.
I am very surprised the BBC are putting this one out. I wonder which brave producer fought the entrenched left-wing establishment that is the Beeb?
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 22/11/2010 15:31
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Panorama is an excellent investigative programme and I think that we do have a problem in these Saudi curriculum schools. I hope the Coalition will bring some sense into the education arena; we had years of Labour political correctness which gagged logical criticism of inappropriate and extreme Islamist teaching.
- Derek, London, 22/11/2010 15:22
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Sorry this is unacceptable in 21st century Britain. Sharia law is outdated and barbaric. It has no place in Western Europe and I am appauled that teachers are allowed to poison the minds of children with it.
- Paul Humphreys, Essex, 22/11/2010 15:02
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Actually I don't think I went far enough with my last comment. Any teacher who exposes an innocent child to materials that incite racial or religious hatred should be jailed - and locked up with the paedophiles, for child abuse. Because that's exactly what it is.
- Nigel, London, 22/11/2010 13:53
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Films are vetted, and some are banned as corrupting or obscene, even though they are intended to be viewed only by 18+ adults. Time to start vetting all children's books as well, starting with allegedly "educational" ones used by schools? Children are much more vulnerable to having their minds corrupted.
- Nigel, London, 22/11/2010 13:50
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I wonder if the broadcast will actually go ahead or if the BBC will pull it because of threats of violence from the Muslim community.
As did Newspapers in this country when they refused to publish the Danish cartoons.
- Adam, Harrow, uk, 22/11/2010 13:46
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If it had been a Christian School no doubt it would have been shut down and the head teacher would be at court on race hate crimes. When will our leaders realise that Islam just isn't compatible with a 'FREE' Western Christian Democracy.
- Paul McCarthy, Barton upon Humber, Nth. Lincs., 22/11/2010 12:20
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I wonder how long it will be before someone in the UK will stand up and say "enough is enough"I hate to think what will happen in the future because as Andrew says serious trouble lies ahead.Enoch Powell was the only politician to understand the dangerous situation that was developing in the UK.
- linda tricker, italy, 22/11/2010 12:05
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This is the real cancer within Britain today. This kind of rot prevailed in Europe in the 1940s and sooner or later, something unpleasant will happen in Britain
It did Andrew love, 7/7, yet still the powers that be bend over backwards to facilitate this "enemy within"
Whats more suprising is the BBC actually highlighting this issue,they more than anyone have promoted the multi-cultural experiment without, it seems to me,any analys whatsoever....
everythings really groovy...shut up & pay your licence..
In times like this one can only humm these immortal lines
"Chewing out a rhythm on a bubble gum
sun is out & i want some
its not hard,not hard,to reach"...etc
- doris l pugh, london, 22/11/2010 11:17
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This has happened before. I remember a similar situation at a "school" in Acton, West London, where the text books taught elementary school children that Jewish people were Pigs, and Christians were apes. It also advocated all kinds of degradations toward women. When interviewed, the headteacher refused to admit that these books were removed from their daily teachings, and also refused to accept that they were untrue and immoral.
This is the real cancer within Britain today. This kind of rot prevailed in Europe in the 1940s and sooner or later, something unpleasant will happen in Britain, especially if children are indoctrinated from a young age by people they see as role models, and are supposed to believe what theyre being taught. Very scary. The government knows about it, but apparently it is "free speech", and supposedly part of the religious teachings of an islamic school.
Well, Mr Prime Minister Cameron, NO IT IS NOT. Do something about it immediately.
Ah, sorry, I forgot. We must allow people to think freely and express themselves.
Thank G-d I dont live there, serious trouble lies ahead.
- Andrew, Tel Aviv, Israel, 22/11/2010 10:26
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