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AsianVoiceNews
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23 - 29 March 2019
LGBT lessons temporarily suspended in school Priyanka Mehta Parkfield Community School in Saltley, Birmingham which ran educative sessions on LGBT rights as part of a programme to challenge homophobia has suspended these lessons indefinitely until a resolution is reached with protesting parents. Andrew Moffat, the deputy head teacher, who had introduced the 'No Outsiders Programme' that attempted to promote LGBT equality and challenge homophobia in primary schools had earlier reported that he was threatened and targeted via a leaflet campaign for his efforts to raise awareness. “I am personally a supporter of Andrew Moffat, a dedicated teacher trying to bring diversity, equality and inclusion in the school. “As someone who identifies himself as a gay, I think it is a significant breakthrough that he is trying to achieve in breaking the stigma and taboo existing within the Asian community with regards to the LGBT group,” Khakan Qureshi, Founder, Birmingham South Asians LGBT. According to Qureshi, 98% students in the school are followers of Muslim faith and parents have claimed that these lessons are promoting gay and transgender lifestyles. Reports indicate that this month close to 600 Muslim children, aged between 4-11 years old, were withdrawn from the school for the day. However, the school would not confirm the number. But some inspectors said that there was only a “small, vocal minority” of parents who believed that the school’s equalities curriculum focused disproportionately on LGBT issues and was not taught in an age-appropriate way, but they found no evidence to support this. In a letter dated 8th March
Khakan Qureshi, Founder, Birmingham South Asians LGBT
2019 to Councillor Ian Ward, a woman named Fatima Shah wrote about her “deep concern and dismay” at Birmingham City Council's support to the 'No Outsiders Programme'. In the letter, Shah argues about how statements were made by the council without “communicating with the parents or attempting to understand their concerns”. Qureshi who has personally interacted with the various stakeholders of the protest including the school authorities and, the protesting parents
explains that the concerns spill over to the bigger challenge of mis-representation of the issue. “But the parents are also concerned that the narrative being amplified by the media is that they don't want their children to be taught “gay lessons” where a majority of them are saying that it is not in their faith or ethos,” said Qureshi. However, reports have also surfaced where parents have argued that these lessons are pre-dominantly promoting a “western lifestyle” and encouraging a “homosexual trend”, something that is completely unacceptable to them and their culture. “That mindset is very arcade because although they may come from different parts of the world, they are now in the UK. If they don't want their children to be brought with a western ideology then they must look to settle in a different country,” Qureshi argued. Earlier in the week, parents of Parkfield Community and
members of the LGBT+ community came together for a discussion over the on-going protest where some emphasised how marginalised communities should not be pitted against each other. Salma Yaqoob one of the members present at the curry night discussion tweeted about how the “school needs to apologise to parents & LGBT community for promoting LGBT issues as “de-radicalising” Muslim kids”. According to reports, school have said that the 'No Outsiders Programme' lessons, which teaches tolerance of diverse groups, including those of different races, genders and sexual orientation, will not be taught “until a resolution has been reached” with these protesting parents. Moffat, who has been shortlisted for the world’s best teacher award, has resigned from another primary school in Birmingham, Chilwell Croft academy, after a similar dispute.
#FreeJaggiNow: Supporters take social media as Johal spends 500th day locked up Theresa May last week said that the case of British Sikh murder suspect Jagtar Singh Johal, currently in an Indian jail for over a year was being dealt 'actively' by ministers. But supporters of Jaggi Johal, who is allegedly tortured by police in India, took to social media to highlight his case as he spent his 500th day locked up. Jaggi was detained in the Punjab region after his wedding in late 2017 and is accused of funding a Sikh group that allegedly killed right-wing Hindu figures and has spent more than one year in jail. Martin Docherty-Hughes, the family's local MP, called upon Foreign Secretary Jeremy
Hunt to meet with the Johal family, which includes Johal’s solicitor brother Gurpreet. Docherty-Hughes, the MP
Jagtar Singh Johal
for West Dunbartonshire, tweeted: “500 days no evidence & trial by media – time for @Jeremy_Hunt to stop passing
the buck to officials & other Ministers – time to meet me & the Johal family.” Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: “The British Sikh community is disgusted that Jagtar is being treated as a 2nd class citizen by the Foreign Office. “Jagtar appears not only to be at a disadvantage because of his Scottish identity and being represented by an SNP MP, but also because he is a Sikh activist. “Quite simply the lack of action taken by the Foreign Office to date to protect Jagtar smacks of racism and being frightened to stand up to the Indian authorities.”
in brief 'SAATHI' NIGHTS FOUNDER PASSES AWAY Perdes Simplay, the founder of one of the UK’s longest running Asian LGBTQ’s nights, has passed away. Famous for setting up the popular ‘Saathi’ club night in Birmingham, Perdes Simplay Simplay died in Torquay. According to reports he appeared to be attempting to climb a drainpipe when he fell about 20 feet to the ground. The ‘Saathi’ club-night was set-up in 2001 and has fast became one of the most popular South Asian gay nights in the UK. It is not known if ‘Saathi’ will take place this month, which has been scheduled for 29th March 2019.
KILLER IN UDAYAKUMAR CASE DETAINED Risaan Udayakumar, an 18-year-old civil engineering student, who lived with his parents in Wembley, died in hospital after being stabbed three times in the heart at his girlfriend’s home in Watford. His 17-year-old killer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, fatally stabbed Risaan after Risaan Udayakumar finding him hiding in the property’s adjoining garage on July 10. A jury found him guilty of manslaughter due to a loss of control but cleared him of murder. The 17-year-old boy who stabbed his sister's secret boyfriend to death has now been detained for seven years. In a statement his grieving parents said they did not attend the sentencing by “way of protest” at the “weak legal team” and that the sentence was “not proper justice for our innocent son”. They said- “As a family we cannot put into words how completely devastated we are and how Risaan’s untimely and cruel death has impacted our lives.” St Alban’s Crown Court heard that before the stabbing a member of the public called police after he discovered Risaan crouched in the corner of the garage with multiple stab wounds, following a disturbance. The parents of the boy and his 19-year-old sister were away on holiday at the time of the killing but had left strict instructions that she and her brother were not to have friends over to the house. Because of the parents’ “strict views” about relationships, their daughter had decided not to tell them that she was in a relationship with Risaan.
SOUTHALL STABBING, SEVEN INJURED IN KNIFE BRAWL One man was slashed while six others were injured in a knife brawl at a restaurant in Southall. According to the paramedics, seven people were treated for injuries out of which three of them were taken to hospital after the fight at a restaurant on The Broadway in Southall. Emergency services, including three ambulance crews and police officers, were sent to the scene shortly after the incident at 11am. Reports suggest that one of the victims is in his 20s and has suffered a slash injury, which according to the Met Police are not life-threatening. Scotland Yard said officers believed two groups of people were involved. Two people have been arrested. A Met Police spokesman said- “Officers are in Southall Broadway following calls at around 11.10am on Monday, March 18 to an assault in a restaurant. At this early stage, we believe two groups were involved. The identities of the victims are still not known.