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'Girls could be sent overseas'

9:14am Monday 14th May 2007

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Muslim schoolgirls in Oxford could be sent to Pakistan or will not get an education at all if the county's only Islamic school is forced to close.

Fozia Tenvir, headteacher at the Iqra School, in Littlemore, warned some girls will just 'disappear' if the school, which offers same-sex faith education to more than 100 girls aged 11 to 15, cannot continue.

The Lawn Upton building, which is owned by the Diocese of Oxford and Oxfordshire County Council, where the school is based, is set to go on the market at the end of the month with a £2.5m to £3m price tag, which the school cannot afford.

Mrs Tenvir said: "We are in a grave situation. The school has developed to such an extent now that we cannot just close our books and go home - there are girls' futures at stake, especially our present year 10 class who are in the middle of their course.

"This venture was started to safeguard the interests of girls who needed this kind of education and this is why we opened, to educate Muslim girls and get them into higher education.

"I have absolute nightmares about what's going to happen to them. A few might go to Manchester or Bedford to Islamic boarding schools and will have to leave their families, but some will be shipped back to Pakistan.

"There are also a few who will disappear from the registers beneath the surface, who will be in homes in this country but will not be allowed to go to any other secondary schools. Only a few will move back into the state system."

So far the school has raised about £500,000 and chairman of trustees Dr Hojjat Ramzy was confident £1m could be pledged.

He asked for more time to come to some kind of agreement with the interested parties.

Dr Ramzy said: "We would like to make an appeal to the diocese and also to Christian people in all of Oxfordshire to help us and give us more time and extend the lease."

Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell said: "We have a share in the proceeds of that site with the church. We have committed that money to our development scheme for schools as a whole in Oxfordshire, so we cannot allow the continued use of that site forever.

"We are keen to help the Iqra community to meet their educational needs, which is a faith-based need. We have had a meeting exploring a number of options, one of which is to see if the school in the longer term could come into the state sector."

Mr Mitchell said he had written to schools minister, and former Oxford city councillor Andrew Adonis about the issue.

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Your Say Yourthisisoxfordshire

Kathryn, Oxford says...
9:56am Mon 14 May 07

Teaching religion as a way of life is a matter for parents and religious leaders. Suggesting that girls will be ill treated if this school is not funded is plain emotional blackmail. Opting out of education is illegal and all schools should be secular to prevent this kind of discrimination and exclusion.

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Peter, oxford says...
2:03pm Mon 14 May 07

AND - The sooner people realise Britain is a christian country and if people choose to come here or live here thay should be taught according to and live by our way of life not theirs. the sooner this country stops pampering to the minority the sooner great britain will become great again.

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mike, wantage says...
2:17pm Mon 14 May 07

HERE HERE PETER ABSOLUTELY BANG ON THE MARK!!!!!!!

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Michael, Oxford says...
4:20pm Mon 14 May 07

I've got to agree with Peter. if I were to move to another country I'm possative I won't be living by brittish rules I'd have to live by theirs why should Britan be an exception?

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Amira, Oxford says...
4:43pm Mon 14 May 07

Do you live in Oxford or even the UK for that matter? Or have you been on holiday for the past 100 years? If you stepped out side of that box you seem to live in, you would see we have a very diverse community in Oxford and indeed the UK, and I think it is what makes this country great. As a muslim convert I am proud to call this city & country my home. Your comments that eithnic minorities are asking to be pampered are absolute rubbish. So what about my children, As a WHITE person bron and bred living in the UK, do I not have the right to ask for my children to be schooled according to their religon? last time I looked we where not living under the rule of Oliver Cromwell!!! You say this country is ‘christian’and we should live by british 'rules', as you seem to be such an authority on the subject, Can you please tell me where I can look up these rules? and please also tell me when was then last time you attended church and lived by 'british cristian rules'?

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Mo, Oxford says...
4:55pm Mon 14 May 07

Response to Peter... According to Cristian scripture homosexuality is wrong..... and according to state education it is perfectly normal. As you can see state education contradicts the teachings of the bible..... By the sounds of things you are a god fearing Christian..... Would you still send your offspring to state schools????

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Mo, Oxford says...
5:00pm Mon 14 May 07

To add.... Did you know that their are 390,000 registered Jedi's in the UK....... very diverse indeed ; )

May the force be with you...... and not with Darf Peter

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Peter, oxford says...
7:13pm Mon 14 May 07

Before you all have stress related heart attacks by what I said let me clarify. What I meant wasn't you cannot and should not expect to go to another country and be able to live and do as you please. All people entering another country should be expected to abide by the laws of that country, and not scream racism at the first sign of somebody trying to stop you. Oh and Amira I am the son of a Methodist minister so I do know what I am talking about when it comes to religion but I would not expect or be allowed to go to Islamabad and build a Methodist church to begin on my arrival.

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Mo, Oxford says...
9:03am Tue 15 May 07

Peter

Guess where the churches in this link are??? Pakistan!

http://pakistaniat.com/2006/12/21/atp-photo-quiz-the-churches-of-pakistan/

Hardly looks as if the missionaries who built these were too hindered by local custom....

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Kathryn, Oxford says...
10:00am Tue 15 May 07

We are a diverse community. It would help community relations if schools taught about all religions in an impartial way and allowed people to believe what they like. I was educated in a Christian school, but I don't think they should be allowed any more than those of any other faith. Children should live and learn together, and share and discuss their beliefs.

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S. Hussain, Oxford says...
10:46am Tue 15 May 07

The article s very interesting. firstly i would like to comment on todays article that states that children as young as 5 in state schools are being suspended for violent behaviour. Should Muslims and other faith children be forced to go to these schools that have such a bad reputation? Faith schools are much more disciplined, and i have been to Iqra school to look around... the girls are so well behaved. In a state school you would never see such disciplined children. why should we try to stop these girls educating in the environment they are comfortable with? They are tommorow's children who deserve every right to succeed. Being sent back to Pakistan is the only hope for some girls is a reality that needs to be addressed. The girls are rocks of determination and need that space to do well.

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aneesa, oxford says...
10:58am Tue 15 May 07

As a english convert and a british born citizen,i must say im disgusted that once again i am reading critizing and racist comments from so called christian people,have you nothing better to do with your time? do we effect your lives that much?is this the society that my 2 daughters have to face when they grow up?Whats wrong with an all girl school we used to have them before or is it because its a school for muslims?of course it is.Has the school ever caused you a problem? has it ever asked for your wages or dole money?the answer is no.we are not comitting crimes we want our children to have a clean lifestyle and a good education.IF YOU DONT WANT TO SUPPORT US DONT BUT DONT JUDGE OR CRITIZE ON THE EFFORTS OF OUR WORK TO SAVE IQRA SCHOOL.

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Anon, Oxford says...
11:01am Tue 15 May 07

The mentality of some readers is very apparent from comments given. Diversity is accepted throughout the world, and the fact that some people in Britain want to keep it 'British' (whatever that means) just shows that people have yet to enter the 21st century. So, lets go on to keeping Britain British. It makes me wonder how many holiday makers would have nowhere to go if the rest of the world did not cater for them anymore. No alcohol perhaps, no nightclubs(because that is not the local culture), no half naked bodies lining the beaches. Ah, and the national dish in Britain is the curry now, I believe? I rest my case...Let's all start to be intolerant of other faiths shall we? Starting with demolishing all churches in every country except 'christian' ones. Because they have no right to be able to practise their religion there. Those of you who actually think that Britain is Christian are not people of the faith at all. Jeseus was not a divider, he promoted love and tolerance. And if you were a 'christian' you would know that God made the world, and if he wanted certain countries to be labelled as Christian, I'm sure he would have added numerous chapters in the Bible to state exactly which ones they were...

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SAF, oxford says...
11:19am Tue 15 May 07

If we all had views like the ones im reading,what kind of world would we live in,I fully support Iqra school and wish you every sucess and look foward to the day my twin daughters attend.Keep up the strenght to fight all the barriers and the bigeots that stand in your way.

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Kathryn, Oxford says...
11:42am Tue 15 May 07

Some state schools are inadequate, but not all of them. Bad parenting, apathy and a lack of resources make a bad school. Responsible parents from all backgrounds want their children to go to a good school. Accepting good children from good families with different religious backgrounds does not make a bad school. The Britain I want to live in is a place where decent people share common values.

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S.Hussain, 317 -348 says...
11:58am Tue 15 May 07

reply to kathryn,
Children from all faiths and backgrounds are accepted at Iqra school. You would be surprised that they are extremely diverse. Iqra has pupils from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, Algeria, Saudia Arabia... just to name a few. Not to forget the British white Muslims too. Iqra has also been recently asked by a few christian families if they could send their daughters there because they loved the ethos of the school. So to call the school 'unwelcoming' other faiths and backgrounds is baseless. I hope that clarifies a few concepts.

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Feroz, Oxford says...
12:03pm Tue 15 May 07

Cut it short! Why the trust (Diocese of Oxford) does not put, other sites it owns, up for sale?

For those who think that Britain is a Christian country, think again! What is Christianity and where it came from, LOL?
Be Fair! Please leave prejudice aside and support what is right!

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siobhan, oxford says...
12:11pm Tue 15 May 07

I am a sister of a white british convert and an aunties to her daughters,First the veil now the school what are we heading for next?Why cant the muslims be left alone ,my sister enjoys her life and is part of the muslim community where she was accepted from day onewith no racism or abuse.Please leave the muslims alone their not doing you any harm,they just want to practice their religion and get on with their lives.Come on good people of britain help support the school.

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An Oxford Student, Oxford says...
1:43pm Tue 15 May 07

Being citizens of a democratic Britain, we believe in freedom of choice. If a particular group of people wishes to educate its children in a faith environment, there should be no objection to that. Further, if the children are happy in their school and wish to continue studying in it, then the school should be supported. 100 students is not a small number. There must be something in their school that they prefer to attend it rather than going to any other type of school. I admire the committment of Head teacher and devotion of girls towards their school.

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Jane, Oxford says...
2:51pm Tue 15 May 07

I think its excellent that there is a school in Oxford for girls who want to learn! Iqra school is a peaceful but hard working educational establishment, and their results are amazing.

The trouble with our secondary schools is that its just not "cool" to do well and to want to learn. My daughter found that out to her cost, and was bullied so much I had to take her out of school and now home educate her.

Having visited Iqra school my daughter is going to do flexi schooling there for a few hours a week.

And no, we are not Muslim but Christian.

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Rebecca Ladbrook, Oxford says...
6:33pm Tue 15 May 07

As an English teacher, I have taught at Iqra school and can say that it is one of the best schools I have worked in, with a welcoming atmosphere, well placed sense of achievement and open attitude to diversity and other faiths. Faith schools have an important role to play in education and Iqra is no exception. Now that there are no single sex alternatives it is no surprise that there is a real need for this school to continue to exist in Oxford, providing pupils and their parents with the choices that they should not have to fight to expect. As a Christian, I found the ethos of the school to be all that I would expect of any faith school; high expectations of personal morality and standards in an atmosphere which encourages an empathetic response to other faiths and promotes positive community engagements. It is an educational environment that i would not hesitate to place a child of mine into to ensure that she received a high quality, well balanced school experience.

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Latifah, oxford says...
7:11pm Tue 15 May 07

As an english convert i fully support the school with everything which it is doing for the children. The school teaches the girl respect, good morals, manners and beliefs and about islam as well as the normal subjects. I am sorry to say you can't find this in the schools of britain today. when i was i school i learnt all the wrong things like disrespect no morals or manners thank Allah for my mother which had to tech me this. we all have to think long and hard these children are the children of the future and if there is a school which is as good as iqra then we should support it plz help. help with your heart not your mind.

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Shabnam, Oxford says...
11:50pm Tue 15 May 07

Why should a child attend school?
To gain the best possible education? To develop the skills needed to benefit and improve the world they live in, on a local, national and international scale?
To develop social skills needed to interact with people from all walks of life?
To appreciate and respect the world we live in and how to take care of it?
To strive for excellence in everything they do?
How many schools actually set such goals?
Iqra school does.
Iqra school is open to all those who want to succeed academically but also morally and ethically.
I wish Iqra every success as a teacher,a parent and a citizen of Oxford.

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Shabnam, Oxford says...
12:05am Wed 16 May 07

Sorry i forgot to mention the most important thing to teach kids...RESPECT for parents, teachers,fellow pupils and the general public...yes i know it sounds like a thing of the past but it still exists...in Iqra School anyway.

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Khan, says...
11:35pm Fri 18 May 07

Dr Ramzay is a money grabbing Jew, he tried getting it on with a white teacher at his school! dont send your kids there.

P.S Shabnam is a teacher at Iqra and shes aweful at it too! lol

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Kevin, Taiwan says...
9:05am Sun 20 May 07

Unbelievable ! If those girls NEED the school, or else must be sent back to Pakistan (THIS school or Pakistan, no other way ?), it means that they are already living in a ghetto, and this is a standing shame. No religious ghetto should be allowed in Europe in tne 21st century. What is going to be their life in the UK, anyway ? Marry a ghetto husband, give birth to ghetto children, be burried in the ghetto burial plot ? What sort of contribution to British society can be expected from them, apart from keeping their children in the ghetto or maybe trying to lure some outsider inside ?

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Girls from the Iqra Muslim school worry about their future Girls from the Iqra Muslim school worry about their future

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