Mosques move to be more 'English'

Mosques and schools in Bradford are moving away from traditional teaching in a bid to ensure young Muslim men are not lured into extremist activities like the London bombers.

Mosque leaders say they are listening to the concerns of young people and tackling them head-on so they are not dragged on to more sinister paths.

Ishtiaq Ahmed, of Bradford Council for Mosques, said young people were making it clear they wanted a shift to a more English way of teaching in the mosques.

"They are saying there should be more English-speaking Imams in the mosques," said Mr Ahmed. "They are also saying that the means of in-struction should be mainly in English because it is their first language. They say there should be more home-grown Imams who understand and appreciate the British context.

"We are saying to mosques that they can't avoid addressing these concerns and if they don't then young people, because of their energy, will look for answers elsewhere. That is when they become vulnerable to more extreme elements.

"Some mosques are starting to do that and are addressing the issues.

"Once that begins to happen the whole culture and outlook of the mosques will change. I am excited about that. It's not going to happen overnight but we are seeing a willingness on the part of the mosques to grapple with the issues."

Mr Ahmed said young people felt an affinity with their religious institutions, but mosques needed to do more to cater for their needs beyond religious instruction. He said: "We are reviewing the Islamic syllabus being taught in supplementary schools to introduce a subject which deals with the rights and responsibilities of being British from an Islamic perspective."

Mr Ahmed said Muslim institutions needed to do more than they had traditionally, like providing prayer facilities and reading the Koran.

And he said the Muslim community had been in fear of a backlash after July 7, but it never materialised. "One reason was the prompt response from the Muslim community to distance itself from the atrocity and show its unreserved support and sympathy for the victims," he said.

"We were frightened and concerned that British youngsters from our own neighbourhoods could commit atrocities of this nature and scale."

Dr Philip Lewis, inter-faith adviser to the Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David James, said a lot of good work was being done, especially in Bradford.

Among the initiatives in the district was the Civic Network, involving the business community, voluntary and community sector, education, faith leaders and the media, which met after July 7 with police.

The inter-cultural leadership school, organised by leading Christians, Muslims and peace studies representatives, meets twice a year to discuss different faiths with young people.

Dr Lewis said: "It has been very successful and the people involved have become role models. These are positive stories, but they have to be part of a number of initiatives. There are home-grown youngsters around like the people involved in 7/7. It would be disingenuous to say it was a one-off."

e-mail: steve.wright @bradford.newsquest.co.uk

WHAT YOU THINK: VIEWS IF ISLAM AND TERRORISM

• Ashar Ehsan, 36, head of corporate communications at Bradford University, a married father-of-three, said: "The events of July 7 were horrific. My initial reactions to the bombings were horror and when it was revealed that all the bombers were of a Muslim background it was even further horror.
• "I thought this would be seized upon by the media and the perception of Muslims would be changed forever for the worse.

"While this report does not reveal anything new it recognises the need for Muslim communities and individuals like myself to come forward and let people know that our community is not represented by the actions of the few.

"I am all for promoting community cohesion and all the buzz words that seem to indicate that we are normal' people in this city. We contribute to every aspect of life and the Muslim culture is a rich and peaceful culture."

• Izrar Aziz, 20, of Victor Road, said: "When the word Islam' is linked with terrorism it makes me feel really bad.
• "It is wrong what the terrorists are doing, and Bradford does not have that kind of elements. Islam helps you if you do not want to get into bad things and want to stay as a good person."

• Aki Nawaz, 40, front man for the Bradford band Fun-Da-Mental and founder of Nation Records, said: "There has been a real dumbing-down of the issue and the debate is unintelligent.
• "The Government has not got a clue about the issues they are talking about and are just grabbing at really stupid examples of everything. What happened was a real tragedy.

"They talk about the bombings as though it came out of nowhere but they forget that you are a country at war and something is bound to happen."

• Irfan Ditta, 30, of Victor Road, a chauffeur, said: "It is sad that every time something happens we get a bad name. Many people in this country do not understand our religion.

"When we look at the teachings of Islam you realise that it has nothing to do with terrorism."

• Israr Khan, 20, of Victor Road, a student, said: "It is not good to see these things in the news. People get the wrong idea and they think Islam is a violent religion.
• "And when they see you in town and you have a beard they become frightened."

• Rehmat Khan, 70, of Heaton Road, said: " Those of us who are good Muslims do not like it. All five fingers on one hand are not the same and in the same way all people are not the same."

• Chaudry Karamat, 58, of Barkerend, said: "There are a few people who are ruining the reputation of Islam. We should protect our families from these people."