Men of Influence magazine


In March, there were protests outside a school in Batley, West Yorkshire, over the use by a teacher of an image depicting the Prophet Muhammad. The school apologised and the teacher was suspended.

There are no specific national rules in the UK about using images of the Prophet Muhammad.

Guidance in England from the Department for Education says religious education should provoke questions about beliefs, and also teach pupils to “develop respect for… people with different faiths and beliefs”.

Religious education syllabuses are often influenced by local bodies which advise on whether they are suitable for the particular area.

In Kirklees borough, where Batley Grammar School is located, the syllabus says, external children should be “give[n] reasons why visual representation of God and the prophets is forbidden (haram) in Islam,” by the end of Key Stage 2.

Pupils should also understand “key religious values including democracy, human rights, rule of law, secularism, freedom of expression and tolerance” – this is taught in Key Stage 3.



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