Why is the Telegraph basing a story on a letter to Ofsted by Christian fundamentalists?
Today’s Telegraph reports:
Anti-Christian bullying ‘ignored’ at Muslim schools
The story quotes Chris Hart, director of the Christian Institute (CI) claiming Ofsted is ignoring the ‘bullying of Christian pupils’ at the Birmingham schools investigated over the alleged ‘Trojan Horse’ plot.
There are two major problems with the story.
1. The schools were not ‘Muslim’
Some of the schools probed over ‘Trojan Horse’ were state schools, and some independent. But none of them were Muslim faith schools.
The Telegraph’s headline is erroneous and misleading.
2. The source for the story is a group of Christian fundamentalists
The Christian Institute’s website explains its mission is ‘the furtherance and promotion of the Christian religion in the United Kingdom’ and ‘the advancement of education’.
It believes the Bible as literal truth. As director Colin Hart, quoted by the Telegraph, writes:
“We believe that the Bible is the supreme authority for all of life and we hold to the inerrancy of Scripture.”
The CI has sought to fulfil its mission by influencing the education system.
The group campaigns against teaching children about homosexuality in schools. Its newsletter, written by Hart, has criticised sex education in schools unless it promotes ‘sexual restraint’.
The CI also campaigned for the UK government to retain the homophobic Section 28 legislation.
Why is the Daily Telegraph basing a story on a letter to Ofsted by Christian fundamentalists?
A Christian group which tries to push its religious beliefs on British schools is in a weak position to complain about Muslim plots to do the same.
When this includes trying to reverse the progress made to tackle homophobia in schools, the group is a poor authority on the bullying of pupils for being different.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter
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7 Responses to “Telegraph lets Christian bigots slam imaginary ‘Muslim schools’”
Mo
The growth of islamofascism is the big threat to western liberal civilisation.
krishnan gurning-leftie
i think you have missunderstood the problem the fact that they WERE state schools and gave their children a muslim education IS the problem