Muslim Free School Plans on Hold Over 'Extremism' Claims

The Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | 4/29/13 | John Bingham

[marshmallow]

Ministers have been forced to suspend plans to open a high profile Muslim free school amid allegations of links to “extremist” views.

The Department for Education has launched an urgent investigation into concerns surrounding the Northern Lights Free School in Halifax, West Yorks, which had been due to open in September his year.

It follows claims that Muslim families were coming under pressure to enrol their children at the new Islamic-led primary following a leaflet circulated in the area suggesting that they would go to Hell if they did not participate.

The local MP, Linda Riordan, and the local authority Calderale Council had both raised concerns that the plans could harm community cohesion.

The Northern Lights Educational Trust, the group setting up the school under the Education Secretary Michael Gove’s flagship scheme, has denied any links to hard-line views and insists that it supports a “modern, democratic Britain”.

It also insists that it neither endorsed nor supported the controversial leaflet, which was sent out by another group last year.

But Lord Nash, the schools minister, has written to Mrs Riordan to say that the plans would be put on hold until concerns had been investigated.

A spokeswoman for the DfE said: “We take any form of extremism very seriously.

“We are investigating — and if these serious allegations are confirmed we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.

“We will not take this project further until these matters are resolved.

“The Department carries out due diligence checks on all Free School proposals to make sure that only suitable people are able to set up and run Free Schools.”

[tomkat]

Burn it to the ground

/.02

[left that other site]

I thought it was a muslim-FREE school.

I misread the title.