By Majed Iqbal- Rochdale’s campaign against the introduction of compulsory sex education for 5 year olds stepped into the next phase with the first of its public events.
At Kashmir youth project, Rochdale, over 50 members of the local community, consisting of teachers, Deputy heads, Parents, Primary School Governors, Councillors, Mosque representatives, Youth parliament delegate, local activists and parents gathered together to listen to the key discussions on the pressing issue of governments proposals on sex education for 5 year olds onwards.
After over four weeks of galvanizing support through public stalls in busy areas in Rochdale, an active online campaign through face book, YouTube and a local blog which has grew exponentially over the last weeks, presenting information packs to all Rochdale Mosques, visiting churches, dialoguing with local councillors, the event was held to present the detailed propositions made by the government and its effects it would have on the local community in Rochdale.
Majed Iqbal, organiser of the event introduced the event to a well balanced and mixed audience of Muslims and non-Muslims and a healthy attendance by women.
“Are Muslims just jumping up and down after hearing a headline in a paper about Sex and relationship education being taught to 5 year olds or is there something more substantive?” he quizzed the audience
The first Speaker, The Imam of Rochdale’s central Mosque (Idara Masjid), Mufti Mohammed Zaid highlighted why the Muslim community has objection to such proposals.
“There are core values in Islam like Hayaa (bashfulness, modesty) which form the way in which Muslims behave between sexes. By introducing such measures such values will be eroded” he said
Nasar Hanif, a science teacher by profession and a member of the SRE Islamic team leading the campaign nationally presented the keynote speech highlighting what exactly the government was proposing.
In his PowerPoint presentation he detailed the ‘ill-devised’ thinking behind the plans and presented a range of points of activism for the audience on their role in how this can be counter-acted.
“Become governors of Primary Schools where you can have more of say in the education of your child and be a in a position to question such proposals and challenge them” he encouraged the audience with one of his proposals.
The audience quizzed the speakers from the effects of such measures on faith schools and home schooling to re-confirming their disgust at the plans which the speakers has talked about.
Audience participant, Amir Khan, a local Primary School Governor said “As governors and parents, we work in unity with families and schools we attend to make sure that the education our children receive is apt so that their future is set on a good footing. Educational subjects therefore need to be timely suited for children’s ages and not devoid of a moral framework which hampers children’s understanding of what is good and what is bad”
A teacher in the audience pointed out that that such proposals were piloted with a gay week at a Primary school in London and those who objected were cited as “illiberal” and not tolerant to British values.
“On the same hand this is exactly what the government has defined as someone who is an extremist who says that homosexuality is a sin against God. In my view both seemed to be linked in some way or another”.
A mother in the audience said “There are challenges even outside the school environment too like billboards, magazines and television which we as parents have to explain to our children within a framework of good and bad. So how can serious life topics like sex education be left to teachers which conflict our Islamic social principles”
More events are planning to take place in Rochdale in various areas as well as stalls to resume with the petition signing for the campaign.
At the event it was announced that Rochdale would be participating in the National Consultation and puting forward its proposals for rejection on the plans for compulsory sex education for five year olds.
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