Muslim Matters

Abstract

The recent publication of The Satanic Verses has helped to unmask Muslimdiscontent in British society. Athough the initial outrage ditected at theauthor seems to have subsided, advocacy by Muslims living in Britain whoare concerned about their children's educational needs will not disappear. Thispaper addresses the difficulty of making adequate provisions for Muslim childrenin the maintained (i.e., public) school sector as well as the call for separate and publicly funded schooling. Attempts to modify certain aspects ofschooling (i.e., physical education) are discussed, as is the movement towardsscrutinizing the entire curriculum to eflsure that it reflects cultural diversity.The extent to which the common school curriculum can accommodate all pupilsis also explored in light of statutory requirements imposed by the NationalCurriculum. Finally, administrative adjustments and the resulting implicationsfor schools trying to meet Muslim needs are discussed, as are the legalalternatives to state education available to Muslim parents.Muslims are the third largest religious minority in Britain today; RomanCatholics and Anglicans are larger in number (Ashraf 1986). While multiracial,multicultural, and multilingual in nature, they m united by a religiousdimension within their lives (Nasr 1975). The powerful Islamic revival amongMuslim populations, which the West views as "Islamic fundamentalism," hasdeeply affected the thinking of Muslim minority groups in the "unsympathetic"West (Anwar 1982; Hulmes 1989; Qureshi and Khan 1989). Indeed,Islam can be seen as a religion, a social and moral code, and "as a bulwarkagainst modem atheistic Concepts" (Union of Muslim Organisations 1976).While some view Muslim communities as cores of resistance in liberal democracies,Muslims see themselves as fighting a tide of secularization. Beneaththis rather superficial description, however, lie major issues conceming socialcohesion, cultural diversity, and the extent of minority rights in a democracy ...