Author:
Publication: This Is London
Date: February 7, 2007
URL: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23384657-details/We+do+use+books+that+call+Jews+%27apes%27+admits+head+of+Islamic+school/article.do
The principal of an Islamic school has admitted
that it uses textbooks which describe Jews as "apes" and Christians
as "pigs" and has refused to withdraw them.
Dr Sumaya Alyusuf confirmed that the offending
books exist after former teacher Colin Cook, 57, alleged that children as
young as five are taught from racist materials at the King Fahd Academy in
Acton.
In an interview on BBC2's Newsnight, Dr Alyusuf
was asked by Jeremy Paxman whether she recognised the books.
She said: "Yes, I do recognise these
books, of course. We have these books in our school. These books have good
chapters that can be used by the teachers. It depends on the objectives the
teacher wants to achieve."
In another exchange, Dr Alyusuf insisted the
books should not be scrapped, saying that allegedly racist sections had been
"misinterpreted".
The school is owned, funded and run by the
government of Saudi Arabia. Mr Paxman asked: "Will you now remove this
nonsense from the Saudi Ministry of Education from your school?"
Dr Alyusuf replied: "Just to reiterate
what I said earlier, there are chapters from these books that are used and
that will serve our objectives. But we don't teach hatred towards Judaism
or Christianity - on the contrary."
During the programme Louise Ellman, MP for
Liverpool Riverside and chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, accused the
school of inciting racial hatred and hit out at Ofsted inspectors for failing
to discover the textbooks. She said: "This whole situation is unacceptable.
It is incitement. It is part of a deliberate Saudi initiative to install Wahabbism
extremism among Muslims and in the rest of society. If Ofsted has not drawn
attention to this, that is a failing of Ofsted.
"It is unacceptable and we should look
to see if this is happening in other schools as well. This is about teaching
children. I think the school should take immediate action and so should the
regulatory authorities."
In his employment tribunal claim Mr Cook,
who taught English at the school for 19 years, has accused it of poisoning
pupils' minds with a curriculum of hate. Arabic translators have found that
the books also describe Jews as "repugnant".
Dr Alyusuf initially claimed that the books
were "not taught currently", saying: "We teach a different
curriculum. We teach an international curriculum."
Asked by Mr Paxman, "Would you discipline
any teacher who has used these teaching materials?", she replied: "Of
course I would."
The principal, who has been in the post just
under six months, also claimed: "I monitor what is taught in the classrooms.
I have developed the curriculum myself."
Asked by Mr Paxman whether she agreed with
the suggestion in teaching materials that non-believers in Islam are condemned
to "hellfire", she said: "We don't teach that. We teach Islam
and it is important for our students to assert their identity."
Mr Cook, of Feltham, was earning £35,000
a year and is seeking £100,000 in compensation. In legal papers submitted
to a Watford employment tribunal, he alleged that pupils as young as five
are taught that religions including Christianity and Judaism are "worthless".
He also alleges that when he questioned whether the curriculum complied with
British laws, he was told: "This is not England. It is Saudi Arabia".
Pupils have allegedly been heard saying they
want to "kill Americans", praising 9/11 and idolising Osama bin
Laden as their "hero".
Mr Cook claims he was dismissed last December
after blowing the whistle on the school for covering up cheating by children
in GCSE exams.
He is bringing a tribunal claim for unfair
dismissal, race discrimination and victimisation. The school is vigorously
defending his claims.
