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Projects to tackle Muslim extremism unveiled
9:47am Wednesday 30th July 2008
Comments (25)VIOLENT EXTREMISM in the Muslim community is set to be tackled with a series of community projects unveiled by Wycombe District Council this week.
The projects will be funded by government money and some will be trying to reach youngsters before they become vulnerable to radicalisation.
Organisations that applied for funding, such as Action 4 Youth, Buckinghamshire New University and Wycombe Race Equality Council, were asked to take into account four different themes.
These included working with children and young people between five and 15 years old, strengthening participation and leadership in the community, developing inter-community and inter-faith co-operation, and working with vulnerable groups such as short term offenders.
Karen Satterford, chief executive of WDC, explained the ten projects chosen, including the Muslimah Empowering Women and Girls initiative, were taking measures to prevent any future extremism.
She said: "Things like the Muslimah project have been supporting young women and girls to question extremist views, to ask those sort of questions. To challenge those sort of things when they come up in conversation."
A total of £144,500 is being spent on projects in the coming year, with more funding allocated for a further two years.
Last year the area received funding for a similar Pathfinder' project to target extremism following the terror raids of August 2006.
But the latest initiative is one of many rolled out across the country, and the council says it has nothing to do with extremist activity in the area. It explained the funding was administered on the basis of how many Muslim people lived within the district.
Cllr Tony Green, cabinet member for younger and older people , said: "I don't think we're saying there's a problem in this area."
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Elmo, High Wycombe says...
12:14pm Wed 30 Jul 08
DaveG, Wycombe says...
12:32pm Wed 30 Jul 08
It would also help if we were to see normal Muslims come out and demonstrate against the wrongdoings of Muslim fanaticals in the same way they do when someone draws a cartoon of a prophet. It's up to normal Muslims to start showing these fanaticals that they are not carrying out the word of Allah at all - they are just madmen.
influxuk, terriers says...
3:14pm Wed 30 Jul 08
i wander how many muslims live inm wycombe and cant even speak a word of the queens - and were poloughing money into tackling extremism in 5 year olds - JOKERS!
Elmo, High Wycombe says...
3:38pm Wed 30 Jul 08
Clear and concise as usual.
Wycombe Live, Shop, Work, High Wycombe says...
3:44pm Wed 30 Jul 08
influxuk, terriers says...
4:26pm Wed 30 Jul 08
missy, high wycombe says...
4:52pm Wed 30 Jul 08
As a normal practicing Muslim, i try to help those around me understand the true Islam, i.e. the 5 pillars, believing in 1 God, praying 5 times a day, giving Charity to the poor, fasting in the month of Ramadhan and pilgrimage.
its a shame but most dont even know what the 5 pillars of Islam are! all they associate with it is flipping terrorism!! but when they are explained what day to day islam is they are amazed. its a beautiful religion, its a shame a handful of madmen are using it as their excuse!!
Iftikhar, Forst Gate London says...
6:13pm Wed 30 Jul 08
Muslim youths are angry, frustrated and extremist because they have been mis-educated and de-educated by the British schooling. Muslim children are confused because they are being educated in a wrong place at a wrong time in state schools with non-Muslim monolingual teachers. They face lots of problems of growing up in two distinctive cultural traditions and value systems, which may come into conflict over issues such as the role of women in the society, and adherence to religious and cultural traditions. The conflicting demands made by home and schools on behaviour, loyalties and obligations can be a source of psychological conflict and tension in Muslim youngsters. There are also the issues of racial prejudice and discrimination to deal with, in education and employment. They have been victim of racism and bullying in all walks of life. According to DCSF, 56% of Pakistanis and 54% of Bangladeshi children has been victims of bullies. The first wave of Muslim migrants were happy to send their children to state schools, thinking their children would get a much better education. Than little by little, the overt and covert discrimination in the system turned them off. There are fifteen areas where Muslim parents find themselves offended by state schools.
The right to education in ones own comfort zone is a fundamental and inalienable human right that should be available to all people irrespective of their ethnicity or religious background. Schools do not belong to state, they belong to parents. It is the parents choice to have faith schools for their children. Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. There is no place for a non-Muslim teacher or a child in a Muslim school. There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim children are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools. An ICM Poll of British Muslims showed that nearly half wanted their children to attend Muslim schools. There are only 143 Muslim schools. A state funded Muslim school in Birmingham has 220 pupils and more than 1000 applicants chasing just 60.
Majority of anti-Muslim stories are not about terrorism but about Muslim
culture--the hijab, Muslim schools, family life and religiosity. Muslims in the west ought to be recognised as a western community, not as an alien culture.
Iftikhar Ahmad
SBJones, Wycombe says...
6:25pm Wed 30 Jul 08
tom, marlow says...
6:33pm Wed 30 Jul 08
tiger, high wycombe says...
6:37pm Wed 30 Jul 08
No1buzz, Princes Risborough says...
9:04am Thu 31 Jul 08
DaveG, Wycombe says...
10:05am Thu 31 Jul 08
People coming to the UK from Islamic countries over the past 40 years surely knew they were coming to live in the modern West??? It's no use now complaining that the UK state education system is not quite right for Muslims. I have absolutely no desire to go and live in Saudi or Pakistan because I would hate to live in countries with backward, religious-based laws. So why do so many Muslims want to come and live in the UK? I've never been able to understand what the attraction of this country is, with its liberal values, drink culture and mainly Christian beliefs.
Why not live in a country where there are Muslim schools and Sharia law instead of trying to make this country into something it is not? The majority of people in this country see religion as very dangerous when used to define social behaviour, laws and education. Going down this path will lead to futher segregation, further suspicion and further violence and ghetto-ing.
By wanting to segregate yourselves from the rest if UK society you are creating a massive problem. The one thing UK citizens want to see from immigrants is to integrate and try to get along. How does having separate schools do that???
Maybe you can actually explain why Muslims WANT to come here if it so obviously inappropriate for them?
How is it that Seikh, Jewish, and Christian immigrants seem to do OK without requiring the taxpayer to fund specialist shools?
I'm really puzzled by this whole being-a-Muslim-but-h
ate-the-UK-thing. If I was so angry about where I lived as you are Iftikhar then I would leave and go and live somewhere I DID like. Maybe that's why so many people are leaving this country to live in France, Australia, New Zealand, USA???
missy, high wycombe says...
12:35pm Thu 31 Jul 08
asking for state funded islamic schools is just a case of declaring that we dont want our kids a part of society, which isnt the case. as Muslims we can practice our faith and be 'British.' it just takes some will power!
dave g: we dont hate the UK, i could never ever imagine living anywhere else, this is all i know. i dont think any1 does, they just want things to be a little different.
DaveG, Wycombe says...
1:02pm Thu 31 Jul 08
sharon, says...
3:41pm Thu 31 Jul 08
quote
missy, high wycombe says...
4:31pm Thu 31 Jul 08
As for elders doing anything, like with parents from all other walks of life, they don't know where their teenage/early 20 yr olds are half the time!
All i know is that spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on educating those as young as 5 isnt going to help. they need to change the age range to 15+.
missy, high wycombe says...
4:50pm Thu 31 Jul 08
tom, marlow says...
5:04pm Thu 31 Jul 08
500 years ago the christian churches in this country and the rest of eurpoe were in a similar position and maintained a huge influence over peoples lives. Over time education in general and science in particular have led to large proportion of the population regarding them as largely irrelevent. The churches have acquiesced to that and have settled into their niche where they add singificant value to a few peoples lives and occasional value to a lot of peoples lives (weddings and funerals - but they are losing that market too).
As Islam interacts with a secular society is power base is eroded and it reacts - this is the tension and conflict we see. Hopefully, with time and better education its grip will loosen as children realise that actually you dont have to do X, Y and Z in order to lead a happy and valuable life.
I've said this before, but teach children how to think, not what to think.
DaveG, Wycombe says...
5:14pm Thu 31 Jul 08
tom, marlow says...
6:02pm Thu 31 Jul 08
wayne, wycombe says...
11:33am Mon 4 Aug 08
tom wrote:Agreed 100%
Religion has no place whatsoever in schools. It should be practiced by consenting adults in private.
Lo_Wycombe, Bowerdean Rd says...
5:23pm Mon 4 Aug 08
J B Blackett, Chepping Wycombe says...
5:27pm Tue 5 Aug 08
History proves they do no good for anyone , particular their own adherents , who they turn on when times get rough.
In good times they turn and turn the religious screw as tight as the powers -that-be allow.
This is the history of all religions the world over. For whose benefit I wonder. I think it really for the people at top of their particular pyramid (or put it another way 'faith' or prejudice ). Very like politicians , don't you think. And with all their faults , foibles and wicked ways. The only difference appears to be that God (or gods ) talk to only Them and then They tell how to run your lives. And They usually have a book ,which was written (possibly centuries ago) under guidance from God (or gods) so it is reported. And They usually ask for money or something more important like control of your mind/conscience/body etc.
Good story isn't it ,if you believe it ?
In passing , it should be noted that a lot of these people appear to be old men (lots of grey or dyed beards) and talk to God (or gods) every day.
Am I barking at the moon or just barking ?
Makes one think , doesn't it not ?
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Lo_Wycombe, Bowerdean Rd says...
12:04pm Wed 30 Jul 08
... you dont need to, we had Police in the woods for nine months...