Gym club banned from holding classes at girls school after Muslim parents complain

[southernbelle]

A gymnastics club was forced to stop holding classes at an independent girls school after Muslim parents complained about boy members of the group.

Colin Perry, who runs the Shirley Gymnastics Club, said he was saddened by the decision which he said compromised the school's commitment to multiculturalism because of fears of offending a minority.
He is now desperately searching for a new home for the club's 250 members - including 36 boys - which had held mixed-sex classes at the junior school site of Old Palace School, in Croydon, South London, since January last year.

'It's unbelievable,' Mr Perry said.
'There is a group of Muslim parents with Muslim children at the school and they are the ones putting pressure on the headteacher.
'It makes me sad to say that.'

He was told about the decision at a meeting with headteacher Judy Harris a few weeks ago.
'She said some of the parents have said their children go to an independent all girls school and unfortunately they're concerned because we have got boys in the club,' Mr Perry said.
'She said to us that the school has got far more Muslim children than last year, so effectively we have to interpret that in our own way.'
Dudley Mead, a Tory Councillor in Croydon and governor at Old Palace school, said he was aware of the parents' concerns.
He said: 'That's the Muslim belief isn't it? They are very protective of their female children.'

The school did offer a compromise, that the gym club could stay but start later at 6.30pm, rather than 5pm as at present, by which time pupils will be off the site.
But Mr Perry says this would be impractical as some sessions wouldn't end until 9.30pm, which is way too late for many of the club's young members.
The club, which caters for young gymnasts aged between five and 21, has until April 3 to find a new home.

Mrs Harris released a statement and refused to answer any further questions.
In it she said: 'We were unable to accommodate the early starting time of the club as the school was still functioning.
'We had hoped that the club could be held at a later time but this was thought unworkable by the organisers.

'It has not been a decision taken lightly but we have to consider the needs of the school and the security of the site given the very young age of our juniors.'
On its website the school describes how it has a Christian Foundation and is devoted to unleashing creativity and innovation and 'celebrating multicultural understanding and respect.'
Last year the school scrapped halal food from the menu after complaints from outraged parents.

Gym club banned from holding classes at girls school after Muslim parents complain about boy members | Mail Online

How about teaching the Muslims about having "multi-cultural understanding and respect" by refusing to give in to their constant bullying and demands. Multi-cultural understanding should apply to ALL groups. If they want their kids to do things the Muslim way and ONLY the Muslim way, they need to put them in Muslim schools instead of browbeating everyone else into conforming to their beliefs.

[celeb_2006]

In London, figures.

[DitaPage*]

Ugh sometimes it's so hard not to be racist.

[twitchy2.0]

Try hard. It's not all Muslim parents. Like anything, there's some hardcore group of whiners trying to ruin it for everyone else.

[Popsicle]

Originally Posted by celeb_2006

In London, figures.

I'm from Shirley. It's majorly a 1930s built white middle class residential town with a lot of greenery and full of the retired etc, locals consider it to be part of kent or surrey rather than saying they're from London. However because the area has become affluent a lot of doctors etc have moved there for their familes.
The school they're talking about is a private school Old Palace that's £12,000 a year.
The DM as usual has taken things out of context, the school weren't 'forced' to give up halal meals last year, there just wasn't a demand for them.

[Mariesoleil]

I'm getting so sick of whiners.

[sparkly]

If the parents didn't like it, they should've pulled their daughter from gymnastics, instead of hurting the little boys' feelings and forcing the school to change the entire dynamic of the program. It's their choice to raise their daughter how they see fit, but this is bullshit.

[McJag]

It is hard to see small boys as perverts,spying on little girls! They uually can't stand girls at that age!

[DolceVita]

I thought this story would be from the UK. It is important to respect people's beliefs but this is going tot far.

[A*O]

Originally Posted by twitchy2.0

Try hard. It's not all Muslim parents. Like anything, there's some hardcore group of whiners trying to ruin it for everyone else.

That may be true but why don't we hear about the majority moderate, sensible Muslims telling their more extreme and vociferous minority brethren to just STFU and stop trying to find things to take offence at in the name of "religion". The UK is a secular country whether these Islamist fundies like it or not and behaving like this merely confirms people's negative attitude towards their cultural bullying. The fundies do it because they know that people are terrified of all the PC crap, much of it enshrined in the law these days, so they get away with it and the stereotype of the "crazy Muslim" continues. It's ironic that the more these people make fools of themselves by behaving like this in the name of religious equality and multiculturalism, the more people recoil from the belief system they are trying to promote.

[MrsDark]

Originally Posted by A*O

That may be true but why don't we hear about the majority moderate, sensible Muslims telling their more extreme and vociferous minority brethren to just STFU and stop trying to find things to take offence at in the name of "religion". The UK is a secular country whether these Islamist fundies like it or not and behaving like this merely confirms people's negative attitude towards their cultural bullying. The fundies do it because they know that people are terrified of all the PC crap, much of it enshrined in the law these days, so they get away with it and the stereotype of the "crazy Muslim" continues. It's ironic that the more these people make fools of themselves by behaving like this in the name of religious equality and multiculturalism, the more people recoil from the belief system they are trying to promote.

Thank you! If anything, the people who should be making the most noise calling out these fringe fuckers on their behavior are this so-called enormous group of moderates we keep hearing about. When they start doing this, maybe people will stop associating "batshit crazy" with their religion. And I'm not just talking about Muslims.

[ana-mish-ana]

They do - its just because no one wants to listen. The first thing news organisations do when something scandalous or stupid is associated with Muslims its always with the fucktards. It sells more papers and makes more of an impact. If the parents of those kids had a problem then dont let them attend the school. But its not like that the boys were attending classes they are in the gym and around 5 its the end of the school day. I think the parents of the kids who participate should make a huge stink out of this. This is PC crap and you shouldnt let a minority dictate this. There are loads of muslim children who attend mixed classes and sports events and they have no probs. This is definintely a couple of fundie parents blowing hot air.

[msdeb]

if they dont like it, maybe go back to their own country. harsh as it sounds.

[A*O]

These are probably second or even third generation immigrants, born and bred in the UK. Makes it even more puzzling why they cling to the customs and culture of whatever repressive third world regime their ancestors decided to leave in the first place.

[Grimmlok]

"Your stupid customs are your own. We don't care what you think. If you would like to practice said customs, do so on yourselves."