Islamic School 'Favours Sunnis'
BBC: An Islamic state school in Britain has been told it is breaking the law by favouring Sunni pupils over Shia ones in giving out places.

England's schools adjudicator says the Madani High School in Leicester was set up in the state sector as a school for all Muslims.

But she says the school's admissions system favours four schools of Islamic law which belong to the Sunni sect.

The school transferred to the state system in 2007.

In her report on the school, schools adjudicator Dr Elizabeth Passmore wrote: "It seems to me to be clear that the school was expected to be a Muslim faith school, equally accessible to all Muslims and not one giving priority to a particular group of Muslims."

The expectation that the school would be accessible to all Muslims may have contributed to the strong support it received, she added.

"The documents I have seen all refer to a Muslim faith school and therefore priority for a place can be given to Muslims and not limited to members of a particular Muslim sect."

Sex discrimination

She also said the school's policy of admitting a fixed proportion of places to boys and girls might breach the Sex Discrimination Act, which prevents pupils from being disadvantaged because of their sex.

Dr Passmore said: "[The school] must allocate places without regard to the gender of the applicant as it is a mixed school." >>> | Thursday, March 25, 2010

Church Accuses Government of Favouring Muslims
THE TELEGRAPH: Church leaders have accused the Government of giving preferential treatment to the Muslim community because of "political correctness".

Parishes are being starved of state funds to help the poor as a result of money being diverted to other faiths, senior clergy told the General Synod, which is meeting in York.

A report endorsed by Dr John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, claimed that the Government had become "unbalanced" in its approach to faith groups.

It argued that the determination of ministers to tackle Islamic extremism in the wake of the London bombings on July 7, 2005, had led to a preoccupation with Muslim communities at the expense of Christian groups.

Subsequently, the report said, churches are facing a challenge to maintain their presence in poor parts of the country. >>> Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, July 11, 2009