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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Quran School Incident

318 replies

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:05

The reaction to this non-incident is shameful. We're effectively charging this poor autistic boy with blasphemy and his mother is begging for his life.

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Untitledsquatboulder · 28/02/2023 13:08

OK well if you want to discuss this then a link or some more information might be nice.

DerangedViper · 28/02/2023 13:08

Link?

The only thing I found on google is an incident at a school in Wakefield after which 4 boys were suspended.

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:10

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-64757799

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Comefromaway · 28/02/2023 13:16

Reminds me of when my (also autistic) dd threw a bible in the bin. She had been off sick when the Gideons came but the school saved her a new testament. She took it but decided she didn't want it (we have a bible at home) so on her way to her next class she threw it in a nearby bin. A catholic child complained and dd was disciplined.

We stood up for dd. It was just a book of fairy tales as far as she was concerned.

HermioneWeasley · 28/02/2023 13:19

It’s a disgrace. There’s been no action against the people issuing death threats. We are having blasphemy laws imposed by stealth. It makes my blood boil

Lockheart · 28/02/2023 13:19

We're effectively charging this poor autistic boy with blasphemy and his mother is begging for his life.

Literally nothing in the link you posted suggests this.

HermioneWeasley · 28/02/2023 13:21

This case has reminded me that a teacher is still living in hiding for fear of his life after showing pupils a picture of Mohammed.

ScentOfAMemory · 28/02/2023 13:21

I'd imagine the truth of the incident is to be found less in the "it's only a book that he took in to school as a dare following a video game" and more in the 4 students suspended being involved in provocative behaviour towards those of other religions. I doubt a Quran was randomly taken into school and dissed in public.
Ultimately, it's either an attempt at fomenting hatred, (in the same way 4 Muslim kids doing the same to a Bible would be) or a non story. Or a bit of both.
Can't see anybody begging for anybody else's life. Does the mother think her son is Salman Rushdie?

HermioneWeasley · 28/02/2023 13:23

@Lockheart the mother went to a meeting at the local mosque to beg them to de escalate the situation as her son was receiving death threats. The local police have done nothing to protect them or to investigate the threats and charge the culprits

Lockheart · 28/02/2023 13:24

HermioneWeasley · 28/02/2023 13:23

@Lockheart the mother went to a meeting at the local mosque to beg them to de escalate the situation as her son was receiving death threats. The local police have done nothing to protect them or to investigate the threats and charge the culprits

Yeah, because the mother doesn't want to press charges.

Appearing to apologise isn't "begging for her son's life".

Untitledsquatboulder · 28/02/2023 13:28

I feel there's some missing information here. Why was the book taken to school and how was it damaged.

Death threats are of course unhinged. But taking a sacred text into school for the purposes of what- damaging it? - could be anything from a "harmless prank" to an act of religious hated. Without those details how can we judge whether suspension is appropriate.

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:28

@Lockheart but that is what she is doing, in effect. She wants to protect her son and she feels that apologising profusely is what she must do. Suspension, Islamic community, police? This is madness. Should not have gotten any further than a 15 conversation with the child(ren) involved about how sacred it is to the islamic faith. That is it.

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Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:29

@Lockheart we do not "press charges" in this country. You can choose to make a complaint or withdraw a complaint, or even refuse to testify. There is no "pressing charges".

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Lockheart · 28/02/2023 13:30

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:29

@Lockheart we do not "press charges" in this country. You can choose to make a complaint or withdraw a complaint, or even refuse to testify. There is no "pressing charges".

Then you might want to read your own link.

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:31

Its the tip toeing around religious extremists and disproportionate response designed towards a child to appease zealots that I find so offensive. A PP brought up Salman Rushdie, I expect that is exactly the sort of situation the mother fears.

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Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:32

I didn't write it. I sent a link at the request of PP.

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ScentOfAMemory · 28/02/2023 13:34

I see that a couple of months ago the OP was enjoying herself on a thread where a teacher didn't feel respected by (predominantly non white and non Christian) male students. Advocating that those students should be harshly disciplined nay, thrown out,for their behaviour. How come when it's non Muslims being disrespectful to others it's OK?

Vinvertebrate · 28/02/2023 13:36

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:38

ScentOfAMemory · 28/02/2023 13:34

I see that a couple of months ago the OP was enjoying herself on a thread where a teacher didn't feel respected by (predominantly non white and non Christian) male students. Advocating that those students should be harshly disciplined nay, thrown out,for their behaviour. How come when it's non Muslims being disrespectful to others it's OK?

Fine piece of archeology there.

So do you think the reaction to this by the school and the police is proportionate to a few school kids being stupid?

I believe it is a reaction of fear to what extremists may do rather than fair discipline.

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Lovinmyblanket · 28/02/2023 13:39

They might be suspended for mucking about or rude/disrespectful behaviour. We don't know what went on.
However if the copy of the Qur'an in the photo is the one they're talking about, that isn't even the real book as it's written in English. Doesn't a proper Qur'an have to be in Arabic, as translating it affects the meaning?

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:39

ScentOfAMemory · 28/02/2023 13:34

I see that a couple of months ago the OP was enjoying herself on a thread where a teacher didn't feel respected by (predominantly non white and non Christian) male students. Advocating that those students should be harshly disciplined nay, thrown out,for their behaviour. How come when it's non Muslims being disrespectful to others it's OK?

But to answer your point, it is because in that thread a female teacher felt that she was routinely disrespected and threatened. Here, a book was allegedly mistreated.

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3ormorecharacters · 28/02/2023 13:40

@Lockheart exactly what charges do you think could be pressed in this situation? I'm finding it hard to understand why the police are involved - I really doubt that the police would be getting involved if a Bible had been treated in the same way.

Everanewbie · 28/02/2023 13:43

@3ormorecharacters perhaps a complaint of harassment, malicious communications, I'm not sure. However I feel confident that complaints weren't followed up in order to not further inflame the zealots.

For goodness sakes, what is worse here, an autistic boy in ill judged high jinx or threats and intimidation towards a child by an adult?

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Brightshinylight · 28/02/2023 13:43

Really don’t understand how people get away with death threats when they consider themselves hugely offended.

It won’t always be the everyday people, but the ’leaders’ who want use it as a propaganda campaign to increase power and influence. Look at JK Rowling, Salam Rushdie… different causes, same tactics.