Exam Factories
 
Almost all children now believe they go to school to pass exams. The idea that they may be there for an education is irrelevant. Leading companies are struggling to recruit teenagers with basic skills because schools have been turned into “exam factories”, business leaders have warned. Many employers had been left “disheartened and downright frustrated” by poor levels of literacy, numeracy, communication and timekeeping among school leavers and graduates. Overemphasis on sitting exams and hitting targets throughout compulsory education had robbed children of the chance to develop the “soft” skills needed in the work place. Business leaders believed the emphasis on passing exams at school meant children failed to develop other skills, including the ability to hold a conversation, display good work ethic, turn upon time and apply basic literacy and numeracy.
 
State, independent and faith schools have become exam factories and are only interested in A to C Grades. They do not educate children. The result is that anti-social behaviour, gun and knife culture, racism, drug addiction. binge drinking, high rate of teenage pregnancies and abortions, high divorce rate are common in society. Exam results do not reflect a candidate’s innate ability. Employers have moaned for years that too many employees cannot read or write properly. According to a survey, school-leavers and even graduates lack basic literacy and numeracy skills. More and more companies are having to provide remedial training to new staff, who can’t write clear instructions, do simple maths, or solve problems. Both graduates and school-leavers were also criticised for their sloppy time-keeping, ignorance of basic customer service and lack of self-discipline.
 
Even Muslim schools have also become Exam Factories, only interested in A to C grades just like state schools. There is a positive co-relation between faith, culture and language. Faith needs culture and languages to flourish. According to a research, children who study the language and culture of their parents may achieve more and become more involved citizens. Migrant Muslims speak variety of languages. State schools as well as Muslim schools give lip service to the community languages but majority of Muslim schools completely ignore or discourage community languages. The ex- chairman of the Association of Muslim Schools Mr.Idrees Mears, a native revert totally rejects the teaching of Urdu and other languages. The same opinion was expressed by the head of state funded Islamia School as well as by the ex- Chairman of the Nida Trust. They are not in a position to understand the needs and demands of the bilingual children because they are themselves monolinguals. It is a well known fact that social and emotional education comes with ones own language, literature and poetry. Pakistani children suffer more than other children. They speak different languages at home and when they go to the Masajid they are exposed to Urdu and Arabic. At schools they are exposed to English and at the age of 11 are exposed to European languages. Now European languages are introduced at Primary level, but Urdu is totally ignored and discouraged by the state as well as by the Muslim schools. English, Arabic and Urdu must be introduced at nursery level so that the children can grow up with three languages. We have already lost three generation and the fourth one is in the process of losing its linguistic and cultural identity by not learning Urdu. The Muslim community is suffering because of social and cultural problems of high rate of divorce, run away young girls, low academic achievements, drug addiction, drinking, teenage pregnancies, disrespect for their parents and elders, forced marriages and honour killings. It is all because our youth are cut off from their cultural roots and languages. I blame state schools because they have never been serious in the teaching of Urdu, Arabic and other community languages.  
 
An American research reveals in 2005 that bilingual learners with no education in their first language take longer to learn English and a bilingual learner with a good education in their own language do best of all. Muslim schools are committing the same mistake by ignoring community languages. Even OFSTED is not serious about the importance of bilingualism and bilingual education. Their priority is the teaching of English language. No body is denying the importance of English as an economic language but equally important is the first languages of the children for social and emotional literacy.
 
The Muslim community has been passing through a phase of fourth Crusades. The battleground is the field of education, where the young generation will be educated properly with the Holly Quran in one hand and Sciences in other hand to serve the British society and the world at large. A true Muslim is a citizen of the world, which has become a small global village. We are going to prepare our youth to achieve that objective in the long run. A true Muslim believes in Prophet Moses and the Prophet Jesus and without them one cannot be a Muslim. My suggestion is that in all state, independent and Christian based school special attention should be given to the teaching of Comparative Religion and Islam should be taught by qualified Muslim Teachers to make the children aware the closeness of Islam to Christianity and Judaism which will help them to think about Islam, as “A Pragmatic and Modern Way of Life,” during their life time.
 
British schooling and the British society is the home of institutional racism. The result is that Muslim children are unable to develop self-confidence and self-esteem, therefore, majority of them leave schools with low grades. Racism is deeply rooted in British society. Every native child is born with a gene or virus of racism, therefore, no law could change the attitudes of racism towards those who are different. It is not only the common man, even member of the royal family is involved in racism. The father of a Pakistani office cadet who was called a "***" by Prince Harry has profoundly condemned his actions. He had felt proud when he met the Queen and the Prince of Wales at his son's passing out parade at Sandhurst in 2006 but now felt upset after learning about the Prince's comments. Queen Victoria invited an Imam from India to teach her Urdu language. He was highly respected by the Queen but other members of the royal family had no respect for him. He was forced to go back to India. His portrait is still in one of the royal places.
 
Children should be taught about the contribution Muslims have made to civilisation in order to combat threats of extremism and discrimination. It will help native children to develop positive attitudes towards Muslims. It will bring divided communities closer together, by teaching children about debt west owe to Muslims - coffee and pinhole camera to the three - course dinner and advancement in maths. The teaching will bring together science, history,RE, citizenship and community cohesion - some of the most pressing problems for the minister responsible for the curriculum.One of the major reasons for the alienation of British Muslims is a lack of clear identity. It is crucial for the British society to understand the hugely positive impact that Islamic inventors have had upon the world, and for Muslims to take pride in it. At present there is a widespread mis-conception among many people worldwide that the state of science and technology during the period known as "The Dark Ages" was that of stagnation and decline. The Muslim civilisation flourished and contributed to thousands of essential inventions that still affect western life style. The open recognition of the contribution of the Muslims should be reflected in the National Curriculum. The mainstream history of scientific ideas has failed to acknowledge numerous Islamic scientists and their great efforts and achievements throughout the centuries.
 
A report by the Institute for Community Cohesion found that native parents were deserting some schools after finding their children out numbered by pupils from ethnic minorities. Schools in parts of England are becoming increasingly segregated. The study focused on 13 local authorities. Many of the schools and colleges are segregated and this was generally worsening over recent years. This is RACISM because British society is the home of institutional racism. My statement regarding Muslim schools where there is no place for non-Muslim child or a teacher is based on educational process and not on racism. Muslim children need Muslim teachers during their developmental periods. For higher studies and research, Muslim teacher is not a priority.
 
I have been campaigning for Muslim schools since early 70s because there is no place for foreign cultures, languages and faiths in state schools. Muslim children are victim of racial abuse and discrimination. Neither Muslim community nor the DFE paid any attention to my proposal. Muslim community kept on setting up Masajid for worshiping and for the education of their children. Masajid help Muslim children to recite the Holy Quran without understanding and teach them how to perform their prayers. DFE introduced Multicultural education for the integration and assimilation of the Muslims.
 
I regard Muslim schools not just Faith schools but more or less bilingual schools. I set up the first Muslim school in Forest Gate London in 1981. Special attention was given to Standard English, Arabic and Urdu languages along with National Curriculum. But due to its closure, it could not become a model school for others to follow. Islamia School, founded by Yusuf Islam became the model school where there is no place for the teaching of Urdu and other community languages and only Arabic is taught.
 
The sound knowledge of ones owns language would appear to help – not hinder the acquisition of a second language and bilingual children may even have cognitive advantages and that the ability to speak more than one language is going to be increasingly important for the world of the future. Therefore, Muslim children and young Muslims have potentially a major educational advantage, although sadly this is not being developed well at present. British policy makers now recognise bilingualism as an educational asset rather than a problem. Education plays a central role in the transmission of languages from one generation to the next. The teaching of mother tongues is essential in terms of culture and identity. Arabic is a religious language for the Muslims but for Pakistanis, Urdu is also essential for culture and identity. Blind Muslim children in Bradford are learning to read Arabic and Urdu Braille, by a blind teacher who travelled from Pakistan. Now blind Muslim children are not going to miss out on culture, religion, language and the social aspects and integration into their own community and identity.
 
Majority of Muslim children are from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India They need to learn Arabic and Urdu to keep in touch with their cultural roots and enjoy the beauty of their literature and poetry. Urdu is a lingua frankua of the Muslim communities from the sub-continent. The young generation learn Urdu from Indian/Pakistani films, more than two dozens TV Channels and couple of radio stations broadcasting round the clock in Urdu/Hindi. They can speak and understand but are unable to read and write Urdu literature and poetry. Bilingualism and bilingual education should be part and parcel of each and every Muslim school. The problem is that most of Muslim schools are running by British educated Muslims who are made monolinguals by state schools. They do not feel the charm of bilingualism. They have never been given the chance to learn Arabic and Urdu along with English. An English man is proud of his language, culture and faith or no faith. In the same way a Muslim should be proud of his faith, languages and cultures. In my opinion at least three hours a day must be given for the teaching of English, Arabic, Urdu and other community languages from nursery level. The teaching of Standard English will help them to follow the National Curriculum and go for higher studies and research to serve humanity.
 
According to a recent report, Muslim schools performed best overall, although they constitute only a fraction of the country's 7000 schools. Muslim schools do well because of their Islamic ethos and a focus on traditional discipline and teaching methods. They teach children what is right and what is wrong, because young children need structured guidance.
 
Bilingual Muslims children have a right, as much as any other faith group, to be taught their culture, languages and faith alongside a mainstream curriculum. More faith schools will be opened under sweeping reforms of the education system in England. There is a dire need for the growth of state funded Muslim schools to meet the growing needs and demands of the Muslim parents and children. Now the time has come that parents and community should take over the running of their local schools. Parent-run schools will give the diversity, the choice and the competition that the wealthy have in the private sector. Parents can perform a better job than the Local Authority because parents have a genuine vested interest. The Local Authority simply cannot be trusted.
 
The British Government is planning to make it easier to schools to “opt out” from the Local Authorities. Muslim children in state schools feel isolated and confused about who they are. This can cause dissatisfaction and lead them into criminality, and the lack of a true understanding of Islam can ultimately make them more susceptible to the teachings of fundamentalists like Christians during the middle ages and Jews in recent times in Palestine. Fundamentalism is nothing to do with Islam and Muslim; you are either a Muslim or a non-Muslim. Muslim children suffer from identity crises because their parents teach them Islam and their schools teach them something else. There must be a positive co-relation between school and home, otherwise, children will suffer academically, spiritually , socially and emotionally. They are also unable to develop self-confidence and self-esteem.
 
You better teach your children in your own schools and let migrant communities teach their children according to their needs and demands. British Establishment and society should concentrate on the evils of their own society and stop trying to change the way of life of Muslims. Muslim community does not want to integrate with the British society, indulging in incivility, anti-social behaviour, drug and knife culture, binge drinking, teenage pregnancies and abortion.  Prince Charles, while visiting the first grant maintained Muslim school in north London, said that the pupils would be the future ambassadors of Islam. But what about thousands of others, who attend state schools deemed to be "sink schools"? In education, there should be a choice and at present it is denied to the Muslim community. In the late 80s and early 90s, when I floated the idea of Muslim community schools, I was declared a "school hijacker" by an editorial in the Newham Recorder newspaper in east London. This clearly shows that the British media does not believe in choice and diversity in the field of education and has no respect for those who are different. Muslim schools, in spite of meager resources, have excelled to a further extent this year, with couple of schools achieving 100% A-C grades for five or more GCSEs. They beat well resourced state and independent schools in Birmingham and Hackney.  Muslim schools are doing better because a majority of the teachers are Muslim. The pupils are not exposed to the pressures of racism, multiculturalism and bullying.
 
There are hundreds of state primary and secondary schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. In my opinion all such schools may be opted out to become Muslim Academies. This mean the Muslim children will get a decent education. Muslim schools turned out balanced citizens, more tolerant of others and less likely to succumb to criminality or extremism. Muslim schools give young people confidence in who they are and an understanding of Islam’s teaching of tolerance and respect which prepares them for a positive and fulfilling role in society. Muslim schools are attractive to Muslim parents because they have better discipline and teaching Islamic values. Children like discipline, structure and boundaries. Bilingual Muslim children need Bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods, who understand their needs and demands.
IA
London School of Islamics Trust
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk

 



(I haven't listened to it yet, but I intend to inshaAllah, and I've heard it's good)

The Dates for the 9th & 10th of Muharram 2013

The 9th of Muharram is on Wednesday 13th November

The 10th of Muharram (Day of Ashura) is on Thursday 14th Nov. 

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said regarding the day of Ashura:

"It is a great day when Allah saved Musa (As) & his people & drowned Pharaoh & his people".(Muslim) 

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) also said: "Fasting on it expiates the previous year of sins." (Muslim) 

It is recommended to fast a day before or after the day of Ashura in order to differ from the Jews who also fasted on this day. Therefore we should fast either the 9th & 10th of Muharram (Wed 13th Nov & Thurs 14th Nov) or the 10th & 11th of Muharram (Thurs 14th & Fri 15th Nov). Alternatively one may fast on all 3 days.

Therefore let us make the best of this opportunity to fast on this auspicious occassion and to fulfill this Sunnah and gain immense rewards as well as a years sins forgiveness.

Surely we are all in dire need of as many good deeds as possible in our accounts before our imminent departure from this world which could be at any second. 

Recently through a hack of Adobe website/infrastructure, about 38 million passwords were leaked online.

After analysis, it has turned out that the most popular password, used by 2.9 million of the users was "123456".

According to BBC News, the top 20 passwords were:

1. 123456
2. 123456789
3. password
4. adobe123
5. 12345678
6. qwerty
7. 1234567
8. 111111
9. photoshop
10. 123123
11. 1234567890
12. 000000
13. abc123
14. 1234
15. adobe1
16. macromedia
17. azerty
18. iloveyou
19. aaaaaa
20. 654321

If yours is in the list, don't admit to it. Would potentially lead to people attempting to break into your accounts. (People other than the NSA/GCHQ - they are already in there and probably know almost as much about you as the angels on your shoulders).

Islamic new year has begun.

Inshallah for all of use the new year will bring improvements compared to the old.

Being held in Germany.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24788596

I should probably point out that I'm not against the original meaning behind Poppy Day: remembering how Britain twice sent a whole generation of its young men off to be slaughtered, and that future generations should be able to live without the fear of enduring such violence. Yet that meaning often seems to get forgotten as Remembrance Sunday becomes a celebration of jingoism and militarism, where the victims of British aggression in wars past and present are rarely mentioned. It's for this reason that I generally try and have a personal media blackout in the days directly before and after 11 November. Last year I fled the country altogether so as to avoid anything resembling 2011's mawkish campaign on the tube, where those ascending the escalators had to endure images of Helen Mirren telling us how our soldiers are 'the real stars.'

Such displays always remind me of a scene from Mark Twain's short story War Prayer: the one where churchgoers are giving thanks for the heroism and patriotism of their country's servicemen before a stranger claiming to be a messenger from God appears, reminding them of the implicit wish underlying their prayers: that all their enemies will be violently destroyed. After his grim and lurid descriptions of the horrors of war reach an end, the man is quietly ignored. The scene rings true especially when one sees the Church of England decking itself out in Union Jacks every year, which somehow seems far removed from the Biblical command of 'thou shalt not kill.'

As a practicing Christian and a pacifist, I am ideologically opposed to violence. I can appreciate this is a minority position; however I can't accept the notion that I'm duty-bound to show deference for what the armed forces do, largely because it's central to my belief system that state-sponsored violence is hardly more legitimate than any other form.

It's also an oft-ignored difference between current-day conflicts and the two world wars that the young men involved in the latter were conscripted, while today's servicemen and women enter the military out of choice. Although one can't help feeling pity for families that prematurely lose a loved one on the battlefield, that's hardly the same as a ringing endorsement of war. For moral and religious reasons I would never ask anyone to kill or die on my behalf, particularly as the decision to maintain an army is made by the state on behalf of everyone else - including those who would rather opt out. I've often heard it said that politicians are the ones that make the wars, not soldiers. That's certainly true. But it's a condition of being in the army that you might be asked to kill and die, and servicemen and women knowingly consent to that when they sign up. The decision to join is therefore one I can't respect.

Furthermore, there is something especially nauseating about listening to David Cameron lecture the public about being grateful for the British army in light of how Iraq and Afghanistan were political conflicts waged for morally dubious reasons, with it still being hotly contested as to whether the bloodshed and destruction involved has been essential to the national security of anyone. As such, they are not modern incarnations of WW2, although this is always a convenient strategy for politicians in a time of recession and unpopular economic policies. Glorifying the military as forever engaged in a Lord of the Rings-style struggle of good vs. evil, with every foreign enemy lampooned as the next Hitler, glosses over any debate about why wars are fought in the first place - and how they can be prevented.

I appreciate fully the right of anyone to disagree, and I don't wish to deny that there are probably some soldiers that do heroic things. But I do not believe being a soldier is a heroic action in itself, and I can't help but see a danger in allowing unconditional love for the military to so fervently be the modern message of Remembrance. As with any other cause, people have personal reasons for wearing the poppy, yet it should remain just that - something personal. Supporting a charitable campaign, particularly such a politically charged one, should not become a national obligation to be shouted at us from every billboard, bus, train poster and news channel.

The result is that I no longer feel comfortable wearing a poppy. What was meant to be a memento to the truly horrendous nature of war now seems nothing more than a symbol of aggressive nationalism - a reminder that both the media and the government have developed a mentality that sits far too comfortably amid the realities of conflict. If it continues, the moral ambiguities of how and why wars are waged, and the immense sufferings they often cause, risk being permanently forgotten.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/madeleine-fry/poppy-day_b_4169581.html?…