students in an outdoor classroom study and read the Koran at the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India
students in an outdoor classroom study and read the Koran at the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India

Imams promoting extremism in British madrasas, report claims



Imams training in 48 British madrasas are promoting extreme ideas breeding intolerance and misogyny, according to a secret UK government report.

Among them is Darul Uloom, an organisation with a madrasas across the UK including London, Manchester and Glasgow.

The government document reportedly says that Quranic verses are interpreted in a hardline, literal interpretation by foreign-born imams who moved to the UK from other countries especially from the Indian subcontinent.

Schools regulator Ofsted has previously criticised four Darul Uloom madrassas for teaching its pupils that music and dancing were acts inspired by the devil, while boys were taught stereotypical views about women.

"British-trained imams are not any better than the ones trained in the Indian subcontinent because both are taught the same Dars-E-Nizami syllabus. The Darul Ulooms have a problem with extremism," anti-extremist expert Haras Rafiq told the Daily Mail.

It adds that the Darul Uloom High School in Birmingham as an example of an "extremist madrasa".

Darul Uloom's High School head teacher in Birminghan David Bone responded to criticism of the school.

"If you examine our latest Ofsted report, you will find that the school is rated as good in every area. In the past leaflets (on music) were found in the mosque that had been left by an outsider and these were removed and destroyed, as we would any such literature", he said.

"That Ofsted report has been superseded by more recent inspections which highlight the progress the school has made," said a spokesperson for the school.

"Inspectors said that teachers ensure pupils understand the importance of freedom of speech and individual liberty."

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Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

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Brief scores:

​​​​​​Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field

​Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55

Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out

Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets