Counter-terrorism officers have raided an unlicensed Islamic school operating out of a back street in east London with links to the extremist group al-Muhajiroun and a controversial Islamic radical.
Officials at Tower Hamlets council and the Department for Education fear the Siddeeq Academy may be operating as an unregulated school beneath its guise as a tuition centre offering subjects including Arabic and Islamic studies.
In the raid last week, police arrested Mizanur Rahman – also referred to as Abu Baraa – whose radical activities date back a decade. He was later released on bail. Rahman had previously been identified with the Siddeeq Academy and had told safety inspectors who visited the centre that he was its manager.
Last month, the Guardian revealed that Rahman was giving a live online talk promoting the virtues of Isis’s goals.
Asked about his connection to the school, Rahman did not comment. The school was closed on Friday afternoon and no one could be reached for comment.
Tower Hamlets tipped off the DfE in the summer about the centre’s operation and Rahman’s involvement. In a letter, the council said it had “concerns about the possibility that a child attending the Siddeeq Academy may also be subject to an inappropriate curriculum”.
A council spokesperson said: “The council has reported its concerns about this tuition centre to the DfE. As local education authority, Tower Hamlets council has no jurisdiction over non-maintained schools or private tuition centres.”
Officials became concerned at the numbers of children attending the centre in Shadwell, with two rooms full of children aged between five and 10, as well as another group being taught in a hallway. It rejected planning permission for the building to be used for education. Assuming appeals are turned down, Siddeeq Academy would be forced to leave.
A DfE spokesman said: “We are aware of the police investigation in relation to the Siddeeq Academy and it would be inappropriate to comment further while that continues.
“ It is an offence for a school to operate without being registered. The police and Ofsted have the power to enter premises where they believe that full-time education is being illegally provided to children of statutory school age.”
A neighbouring businessman said police officers appeared to remove computers and documents during the raid, which began last Thursday morning, with police remaining inside until late into the evening. The centre reopened on Monday, with children attending classes from 9am.
Siddeeq Academy’s website says it is an Islamic education and tuition centre, “set up to cater for Muslim families wishing to home educate their children”.
By operating as a tuition centre, Siddeeq Academy was able to avoid requiring a licence to operate as a school, and so avoid inspection by Ofsted, the DfE or the local authorities.
Families told Tower Hamlets that their children studied there full-time four days a week, well above the limit of 19 hours that tuition clubs are legally able to offer.
Rahman’s mobile number could be clearly seen on leaflets pinned to the school’s noticeboard at the entrance. The leaflets advertise day and evening classes , with “Islamic Curriculum” studies at 9am-noon Monday to Thursday, and “National Curriculum” at 1pm-3.30pm.
The school’s website, also registered in Rahman’s name, is advertising several roles for full-time tutors to teach “Arabic, Qur’an, Islamic and national curriculum subjects” for children aged four to 10.
Videos on the school’s YouTube account show it also offers regular archery classes to children on weekday evenings. A neighbour said that a man, appearing to be carrying a target and archery set, would arrive on a motorbike, teaching children as young as five who could “barely hold the thing”
0 Response to "Police raid unlicensed Islamic school in east London"
Post a Comment