Iqra Academy was Glasgow’s first Muslim school, now closed

CAIRO, October 18, (IslamOnline.net) – There were only two Muslim schools in Scotland, one was closed and the remaining one awaits a report by October 27, that is almost certain to recommend its closure, according to a report by a British daily.

The Sunday Herald further touched on the concept of Muslim schools in Scotland quoting a Muslim theologian and educational expert as accusing that kind of schools of “helping to foster Islamophobia”.

The expert, Amanullah De Sondy, a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Islam at Glasgow University, accused those in charge of Muslim schools in Scotland of having “no idea what they are trying to do,” adding “they have a cultural model brought from the Indian subcontinent”.

Others, however, did not share the same opinion, denying the closure of the Dundee girls’ Muslim school would be a setback for the cause of Muslim education.

“I wouldn’t view it as a setback. We’ve seen down south and in America that Muslim education can be hugely successful. In Scotland things haven’t gone so well . It can be successful but we believe the state should fund these schools,” The Sunday Herald quoted Osama Saeed, Scottish spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), as saying.

“Well-meaning people in the Muslim community are trying to set up these schools but because they are not in the state sector they are unable to attract qualified teachers. The state provides Catholic, Jewish, and Episcopalian schools but not Muslim schools, despite it being the largest faith group after Christianity.”

The debate came as the deadline for the Imam Mohammad Zakariya school to improve expires on October 27. According to the daily, the school closed Friday, October 15, for a holiday to coincide with Ramadan, adding it understands the school will definitely re-open late next month, “but it may not be open for long if improvements have not been made”.

The deadline followed a visit by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in April that found standards were so poor that a six-month deadline to improve or face closure was set.

“Problems at the school, which opened in August 2001, included the fact that none of the teachers had teaching qualifications, they were untrained in handling boarders and had an insular outlook.

“Without major improvements, it will not be allowed to rejoin the register of independent schools, making it the second Islamic school in Scotland in 18 months to be closed on educational and child welfare grounds. Iqra Academy in Glasgow was closed last May after an even more damning inspection report,” reported The Sunday Herald.

“I would be very surprised if the school has been able to bring about the necessary level of improvement,” the paper quoted De Sondy as charging.

“It is only surprising that it ran for so long. This was another damning report, just as happened to Iqra Academy. We are still not seeing the warning signs.”

De Sondy was fiercely critical of what he saw as an isolationist model of education he said was based on the Madrassa (schools) in some Muslim countries –- particularly Pakistan where some are seen as recruitment hotbeds for Islamic extremism.

“The people at the helm are mostly politicians out to build a name for themselves,” he said of Scottish Muslim schools.

“They have money but do an injustice not only to the education system but also to the Muslim community. There is already too much negative publicity about Muslims.

“With the international political climate , it is going to make people wonder about Muslims. They’re going to start thinking, ‘Why are these Muslims wanting their own school? What are they learning there?’

“When people are talking about the need to crack down on Islamophobia, a Muslim school is not going to help.”

Saeed, however, rejected De Sondy’s warnings about Islamophobia.

“Is he seriously suggesting the Muslim community is incapable of running a school? It is bizarre to say everyone else can run their own schools but Muslims can’t.”

Saeed said Muslim pupils were underperforming in non-denominational schools. “Despite being in the non-denominational sector for 30 to 40 years, some Muslim children still have to explain why they’re fasting in Ramadan.”