Muslim Leaders Demand UK Shows ‘Respect’ to Islam or Face Becoming ‘Like France’

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Local Islamic leaders in West Yorkshire will send a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding that Britain show “respect” to Islam or face becoming “like France” following controversy over a teacher showing students a picture of Mohammed.

The imam of the Al-Hikam Institute in Bradford, Adil Shahzad warned that there may be consequences from the Muslim community if action is not taken against the teacher, who has already been suspended and forced into hiding after a local Islamic group shard his identity online.

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A Muslim refugee publicly beheaded a French teacher, Samuel Paty, who had shown images if the Islamic prophet during a lesson of freedom of expression.

Shahzad said that if Batley Grammar School doesn’t do the “right thing” then Britain will “likely that we will follow the route that France has taken, for example, or other European countries where firstly it’s ‘let’s insult the prophet’, then we’ll start banning the burqa.”

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Schools are mandated by law in Britain to uphold free speech – but there is also a clause within the guidance that requires schools to promote respect and tolerance for religious beliefs. Free speech advocates have called on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson to add a sentence to the guidance which would ensure that if there is a conflict between the two clauses, then free speech should win out.

Formal blasphemy laws in England and Wales were officially taken off the books in 2008. These had been intended to protect Christianity, although, although in practice Christians have been fair game in Britain for many years — with the infamous ‘Piss Christ’ modern artwork showing a crucifix submerged in urine being lauded by the British establishment, for example.

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Some parents have vowed to remove their children from the school and send them to Islamic schools if the teacher is not sacked from his position. Islamic campaigners are calling for the school to hire a local imam to teach religious studies in place of the suspended teacher.

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Parents at the school have said that the class devolved into chaos after the teacher showed the Mohammed caricature, with students attempting to film the teacher.

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Concerns over the teacher’s safety have forced him into hiding, where he is currently under police protection. Fears have been raised that violent retribution may be taken against the teacher, similar to what happened to Samuel Paty.

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