Comments on: Why we must start regulating religious schools

By: Lamia

Lamia — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 17:08:00 +0000

The article mentions not wanting to shut down “madrassahs, yeshivas or Sunday schools”, which is an understandably tactful way of referring to the problem, though few will be under the delusion that many (or indeed any) yeshivas and Sunday schools in Britain are teaching extremism and churning out extremists.

Left Foot Forward then garbles this in the subheader to imply that there is some kind of parity of threat from madrassahs and yeshivas. And as if that’s not enough daftness, it chooses to illustrate the article with… Jews.

Of course.

I had come to expect a bit better of Left Foot Forward. Evidently the ‘socialism of fools’ is too hard to resist.

By: Austin

Austin — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 00:41:00 +0000

In reply to jj. I'll do a search when I can, but I'm going off of the fact that Jews are the most attacked religious group in America, by far, and in France they make up 51% of all ethnic/racial hate crimes committed. Combined with the reports of an increase in hate crimes as of late I sort of put 2 and 2 together. I should've made it more obvious that that was an assumption and not a well-researched answer though

By: Austin

Austin — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 00:41:00 +0000

In reply to jj. But you are right in that Christians are most persecuted worldwide

By: jj

jj — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 00:30:00 +0000

In reply to Austin. Do you have stats? Worldwide it is Christians that are most widely persecuted. Not sure about the Uk. We are about as liberal as you can get towards religious minorities. Jews don't deserve any hatred, what they have contributed to the UK has been nothing but beneficial. The pretty tiny population has lived very peacefully too.

By: Austin

Austin — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 23:36:00 +0000

In reply to jj. The vast majority of hate crimes in the UK are against Jews, and Jews are leaving the UK in mass while the population of religious minorities grows in Israel

By: Mukesh

Mukesh — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 20:06:00 +0000

Only reason I could justify why the author chose to place a Jewish picture is to remove the stereotypical image of the general Islamic affront. Regardless of how it’s perceived by the reader we cannot dispute the absence of critical debate to challenge the religious dogmatic intrusion on young lives on their vulnerability is extremely dangerous and life changing.

By: jj

jj — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 16:04:00 +0000

In reply to Austin. I'd say not, you only have to look at the thriving Jewish communities in Gateshead and Golders Green to see you're wrong. If you replaced Israel with Afghanistan, Pakistan or Jordan, I would agree.

By: Austin

Austin — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 07:23:00 +0000

Curious- why did you choose a picture of Jews? Are you really trying to suggest that Jewish schools are the real problem?

By: Austin

Austin — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 07:22:00 +0000

In reply to jj. It's still safer to be Muslim or Christian in Israel than it is to be Jewish in the UK

By: martinmgraham

martinmgraham — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 15:43:00 +0000

Unfortunate choice of picture, makes me hesitate while recognizing that extremism in the jewish community is not new, Zionism ensured that. But also this is not just about religious schools, which are of course sectarian by nature, but also other institutions, like the boys scouts, very right wing and racist here in france. i think maybe we’ll get correct legislation when we stop considering children the property and therefore the responsibility of only their parents.