Mosques oppose madrassa registration

[Tank]

Mosques oppose madrassa registration

An organisation of mosques says it "unequivocally" rejects government proposals to require madrassas in England to be registered and inspected.

The Northern Council of Mosques, representing 400 mosques, says this "encroaches" on religious freedom.

The Muslim supplementary schools would have to comply with plans for tighter scrutiny over "out-of-school education settings" if the plans were introduced.

The government's consultation on the proposals closes on Monday.

And the Department for Education has indicated that it makes "no apology" for wanting to ensure children are properly protected.

David Cameron has warned that "teaching intolerance" had to be stopped.

But in a response, the mosque leaders say the plans are based on "the flawed assumption that radicalisation takes place within some madrassas" and that such "control and monitoring" over lessons would "effectively lead to a form of state sanctioned religious expression".

They say the registration and inspection plan "unduly encroaches on the legitimate right of faith providers to teach their children their faith".

The mosque leaders also take issue with the use of the term "extremism" saying it is vaguely defined and "potentially all-encompassing"...

A good thing or an infringement of freedom?

[Recusant]

I don't see any problem with this, as long as equivalent Christian, Jewish, Hindu, etc. systems are required to register.

[Tank]

I don't see any problem with this, as long as equivalent Christian, Jewish, Hindu, etc. systems are required to register.

Now that is an interesting question. My initial thought was that would have to be the case. However there are only a handful of Muslims in the legislative process while there are considerably more Christians and Jews. It will be interesting to see.

[Insoluble]

A good thing or an infringement of freedom?

Is an infringment of freedom precluded from being a good thing?.
"Fifty-two civilians were killed and over 700 more were injured in the attacks"
Efficiency is efficient, target the most likely, resources are limited.

[Firebird]

Inspected for what, exactly?

[Recusant]

I appreciate the disingenuous way that the Northern Council of Mosques' response is worded. 

One thing I did learn from that page is the government is planning on applying standards governing "out of school" settings for religious education to all such programs, not just those instituted by Muslims.

[Icarus]

That has the sound of a serious dilemma. Truly being stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The members of the mosque or madrassa will rightfully see such government interference as a fascist beginning. The Hassidic Jews will be equally upset because they do things their own fundamentalist way and they stubbornly believe that their interpretation of religious practice is the only correct way.  The Hassids are definitely militant but not to the extent of flying planes into buildings or massacring groups of people at restaurants. That is equally, fortunately, true of some of our most rabidly fundamental congregations here in the US.

The New York City  police department is one of the largest and quietly intrusive ones anywhere. They have their own international equivalent of the CIA which is believed to be astoundingly efficient. In the past, NYPD has infiltrated mosques and madrassas with operatives whose sole function was to monitor the activities and tendencies of the Islamic organizations. They have uncovered only very small number of causes for suspicion.  The infiltrators were strictly under cover so that push back was not a factor.  If there had been open inspection or known surveillance, the Hue and cry would be enormous. Other religious bodies would almost surely have joined the outpouring of protests.

Because of our collective apostasy, here and elsewhere, we can sensibly endorse the monitoring of any aggregation of people who have a well demonstrated propensity for violence.  But we are a minority. The dilemma is not just the property of we heathens. It is the property of the traditionally more  peaceful religions too.