School founded by Yusuf Islam shuts, fearing reprisals

LONDON, Sept 14 (AFP) - An Islamic school founded in London by Yusuf Islam, the singer formerly known as Cat Stevens, has been forced to close temporarily after the attacks in the United States, dministrators said Friday.

Islamia Primary School in northwest London, founded in 1984, is Britain's first state-funded Islamic school.

Zafar Ashras, chief administrator of the Islamia Schools Trust, said it was decided to close the school to ensure the safety of pupils and staff.

He said the move was vindicated after the school received threatening phone calls and a school secretary wearing hijab, or headscarf, was verbally abused while shopping.

A senior school and a college for girls on the same site have also closed temporarily. In total, around 500 pupils have been kept at home since Wednesday.

The Association of Muslim Schools said another college for boys in north London had also closed in response to harassment fears.

Ashras said there had been evidence of an attempted break-in at Islamia and staff had had two threatening phone calls.

"One was from a lady, it was words to the effect of: 'You scum, we will get you'.

"Blame for what happened in New York has yet to be laid at any door but we felt that as a matter of the children's safety, it would be wise to do this."

The school's plan to re-open on Monday, Ashras added, saying parents backed the measure.

Islamia Primary School was accepted into the state system in 1999, meaning that in return for funding it is legally obliged to teach the curriculum drawn up by the government and to undergo official inspections.