NationStates Jolt Archive


First Catholic Priests, now Muslim Imams...

Lt_Cody
22-03-2006, 06:05
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4831184.stm)
Warning on Muslim schools 'abuse'
By Dominic Casciani
BBC News community affairs

Muslims could face a child abuse scandal on a par with the Catholic Church, a report has warned.

A group of Muslim leaders says the community is in denial about child abuse in religious schools, known as madrasas. The UK has about 700.

They want ministers to regulate the schools, saying 100,000 children do not have appropriate legal protection.

The government said recent changes on the vetting of those teaching children automatically included madrasas.

Most of the madrasas in the UK are attached to local mosques or Islamic institutions.

Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, co-author of the report and head of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain, a campaign group, said that child abuse existed in all societies - and that it would be naïve of Muslim communities to think it did not affect them.


Failing to protect the children in madrasas because of 'cultural sensitivities' is nonsense - it is racist to differentiate between children and to fail to offer that protection
Ann Cryer MP


He said despite anecdotal reports of abuse, it was a taboo subject with little discussion within the community.

This, he said, meant victims had no-one to turn to.

"Sweeping the issue of child abuse in madrasas under the carpet is not a solution," said Dr Siddiqui.

"If nothing is done now we may face an avalanche of child sex-abuse scandals, decades afterwards, similar to those that rocked the Roman Catholic Church."

"To protect the integrity of these valued institutions, it is important that all madrasas put in place transparent and accountable polices and procedures."

Traditional schools

Madrasas are similar to Christian Sunday schools. Children of school age attend to learn the Koran and ethics of the faith.

While many madrasas are small community organisations associated with local mosques, the largest educate hundreds of pupils.

The schools play a central role in many Muslim communities - but Dr Siddiqui said very few had policies in place that meet the requirements of the Children Act 1989, a key law.

The report praised two councils which had taken steps on child protection in madrasas - Kirklees and Blackburn - but accused most of being reluctant to engage with the Muslim community.

Ann Cryer, MP for Keighley, said she commended the authors for speaking out and attacked local authorities for not acting.

"I have had reports of physical abuse in madrasas in my own constituency," said Mrs Cryer.

"Failing to protect the children in madrasas because of 'cultural sensitivities' is nonsense.

"Are we saying that British Asian children are not entitled to the protection of the law? It is racist to differentiate between children and to fail to offer that protection."

'Vetting and barring'

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills, which has responsibility for child safety, said that recent changes to improve child safety automatically included madrasas - and that the schools had to act within the same law as others.

"Under the new vetting and barring system, there will be requirements on employers to check all those who frequently teach, care for or supervise children - including all those in madrasas," said the spokesman.

"Employers should carry out criminal record checks on anyone working closely with children, including in madrasas. Any allegations of abuse should be immediately reported to the police."

Children's charity the NSPCC said it welcomed the report and called for robust research into incidents of child abuse within Muslim communities.

"We are concerned that madrasas are not required to follow the same child protection procedures as schools and other statutory bodies," said Diana Sutton of the charity.

"The government must require them and other faith groups to put safeguarding policies in place and ensure that these are rigorously enforced."

Very interesting, seems the more bent out of shape you are about sexuality, the more likely you are to abuse it.
Undelia
22-03-2006, 06:12
Further proof that all organized religions are hypocritical by their very nature.
Lt_Cody
22-03-2006, 06:14
Further proof that all organized religions are hypocritical by their very nature.
You're not still on your "emotions are teh evil instituted by religion" rant, are you?:rolleyes:
Undelia
22-03-2006, 06:28
You're not still on your "emotions are teh evil instituted by religion" rant, are you?:rolleyes:
Always.
H N Fiddlebottoms VIII
22-03-2006, 07:21
Very interesting, seems the more bent out of shape you are about sexuality, the more likely you are to abuse it.
Or perhaps it indicates that pedos will do what it takes to get to kids. And if one were to go looking for a job that might allow them, say, access to children and the trust of their community, then the three most obvious ones are Teacher, Doctor, or Local Religious Figure.
Becoming a local religious figure is generally easier, and it has the added benefit of making you part of a group that may cover your ass to avoid the media frenzy that such incidences generate.
Kryozerkia
22-03-2006, 07:26
Or perhaps it indicates that pedos will do what it takes to get to kids. And if one were to go looking for a job that might allow them, say, access to children and the trust of their community, then the three most obvious ones are Teacher, Doctor, or Local Religious Figure.
Becoming a local religious figure is generally easier, and it has the added benefit of making you part of a group that may cover your ass to avoid the media frenzy that such incidences generate.
Until it becomes too costly and people are driven away from the faith...
Undelia
22-03-2006, 07:29
Until it becomes too costly and people are driven away from the faith...
Ahh, but acoring to Fiddle's theory the Pedos care little for the actual religion.

Plus, I don't see any evidence that Catholisism has taken any huge population hit sense the scandals broke, unfortunatly.
Gauthier
22-03-2006, 07:54
Organized religion should be treated like any other business. Applicants thoroughly screened for unwanted background material. Like a history of pedophilia for instance.
[NS]Simonist
22-03-2006, 08:44
Though I know I'm temporarily overlooking how bad a thing this is in general, right now I'm personally celebrating how much ass-kissing I'm going to get from the crowd of people who were all about "OMG Catholics are evil!" during the Catholic sex scandal. So much for refusing to believe it could ever happen in any other religious organizations, eh? So much for the Catholic Church in particular being a veritable magnet for pedos, eh?

On the other side.....yeah, this is even more bad news on top of what's already quieted down some.....I'm a little concerned about the backlash, but the selfish part of me knows it won't personally get to me much, 'cause my area has a very very low Islamic population, so it won't be quite as bad as the whole Catholic ordeal was....
West Pacific
22-03-2006, 09:08
I think this should be handled like the Army handles 18 year olds drinking on bases in Texas, better to let them do it in a controlled environment rather than going down to Mexico and getting themselves killed. Now before anyone jumps to conclusions what I am saying is that they should just let the priests and imams have families and have kids of their own, rather than resorting to abusing children because they have no other way to vent.

The saddest part, 98% of these priests and imams are innocent and truly believe they are doing the work of god let they will all be hurt by what the other 1% did.

In other news, 88% of all statistics are made up and I got a D on my last math test, quite the improvement!
The Half-Hidden
22-03-2006, 12:11
Simonist']So much for the Catholic Church in particular being a veritable magnet for pedos, eh?
Catholic priests form a disproportionately high number of convicted paedophiles.

I always suspected that they go for children because they are driven mad by the demand for celibacy in the Church. This theory is supported by the very low number of paedophiles in Protestant Churches.
Anarchic Christians
22-03-2006, 12:31
Catholic priests form a disproportionately high number of convicted paedophiles.

I always suspected that they go for children because they are driven mad by the demand for celibacy in the Church. This theory is supported by the very low number of paedophiles in Protestant Churches.

It's the whole 'no married priests' thing. My parents are both ministers and remain a happy couple (though I wish they had thicker walls on their bedroom *shudder*).

If you don't get rid of your drive one way you'll always look for another.
Also, Catholic preists have closer relations with their congregations as standard practice which makes it more attractive to closet pedophiles.