The development of autonomous and awesome Islamic educational facility is important. Translating a dream into an institutional reality is difficult though. Confounding factors for UK experimentation and consolidation include some important internal, external and boundary issues. Last night's Panorama/Policy Exchange Report/Govism gives a good picture of the external posture.
It was like riding a poorly conceived rollercoaster through a car crash.
The concept appeared to be to string together wierd exceptions to 'prove' a general rule and propel idiotic Policy Exchangism into policy and public conciousness to justify a new Due Diligence Unit in the Department for Education, castrate/frustrate Islamic institutional possibilities and assert a peculiar idea of 'narrative of british patriotism' into educational reproduction.
In late 2010 how much rehashed, soap operatic footage can you broadcast on Panorama and maintain journalistic credibility? Some of the stuff John Ware cut and pasted together was 8 years old! I am not a particular fan of Shayk Haytham Haddad, but the randomly edited snippet shown of him from the internet, used to denigrate a primary school in ilford (he spoke at one of their fundraising dinners) was really telling. The method known as 'guilt-by-interpolating-levels-of interdependancy-that-dont-stand-up-to-scrutiny-but-prey-on-peoples-ability-to-forget-and-be-superficial'.
This particular specimen 'recruits' a young saudi to go 'under cover' to find some books for his brother. In another act of credibility raising, he drives to Liecester, parks outside an institution, pervily captures lots of footage of young niqabis and goes on the internet to check a fatwa website. jeepers.
How can you talk segregation and fail to mention the power differentials. Why do so many Muslim parents feel that white british institutions are so exclusivist and unresponsive? Is it a mistaken perception?
BTW. Who goes to saudi run supplementary schools anyway?
Internally i feel its sad at how idealistic and intellectually able folks end up bogged down in administration and conservative forces when they start working in Islamic Schools.
