Thread by @luminatus1

‘The Trojan Horse Scandal and the Problem of Equalities in Britain Today’.

The event examined the scandal from a broad range of perspectives, engaging with debates on #equalities, #liberalism, and #Britishness.

northernnotes.leeds.ac.uk/the-trojan-hor…

It also provided an opportunity to discuss and generate a dialogue about the significance of the 'Trojan Horse’ scandal and the duty placed on schools after the scandal to promote Fundamental British Values (FBV) in the promotion of #democracy.

Speakers analysed how both are reproducing narratives of racial discrimination & inequalities in a context that is informed by minoritising communities, #problematising specific religious #values, & essentialising the signification of social, religious, & cultural identities.

‘Trojan Horse’ and Fundamental British Values

In 2014, the UK’s Dept of Education published a detailed document on the obligation of schools to recognise/ promote FBV, including: ‘democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, & mutual respect/tolerance of those with

and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs’.[1] 
These values were associated with schools’ requirement of providing a #balanced #curriculum through promoting (SMSC) – #spiritual, #moral, #cultural, #mental, and #physical #development.[2]

The promotion of SMSC has long been considered an obligation of British schools & was associated with the duty to promote ‘community cohesion’. Interestingly, in 2014, after the scandal broke, the DfE declared that SMSC-linked purposes could be maintained through promoting FBV,

in 2014, after the scandal broke, the Department of Education declared that SMSC-linked purposes could be maintained through promoting FBV, & any ‘Attempts to promote systems that undermine fundamental British values would be completely at odds with schools’ duty to provide SMSC’

Professor Holmwood explained how the ‘Trojan Horse’ has shaped debates on community cohesion within the national curriculum: The criteria & strands which once were associated with the duty to promote community cohesion have since been linked & (re)incorporated with the duty to

The criteria & strands which once were associated with the duty to promote community cohesion have since been linked & (re)incorporated with the duty to promote FBV.

Through such a new #framing, British values became another medium used to #ideologically #theorise the #values

Thru such a new framing, #BritishValues became another medium used to ideologically theorise the values of certain cultural differences, while disregarding others. In a way, FBV is now being used to identify & reclassify the subordinate nationalities& ethnically marked minorities

Advancing the idea that there is only one way to be British, which is to abandon the values of your culture in favour of supposedly British values.

In the case of the ‘Trojan Horse,’ the less Muslim you are, the more British you became.

However, as Professor Holmwood pointed out throughout his presentation, what seems to be of most concern regarding FBV is how, after the #scandal, it has been imposed as a duty to #prevent #radicalisation and #protect #children from being #exposed to #extremism

radicalisation & protect children from being exposed to extremism,[3] cos #imposing FBV in this way implies that the British are immune toward any form of radicalisation & only those whose #values are #perceived as not or opposed to British Values are #potential #security #threat

Thus, the #securitization of #FBV in the wake of ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal paves the way to reinforce the existing hegemonic narrative regarding the attribution of #Muslims’ cultural background as opposing FBV & therefore #suspect of #radical and #extremist behavior.

The questions that one should ask are: First, how can #Muslim teachers and students access an #inclusive and #diverse #education #curriculum,
while their #religious #values have been conceived of as a potential #risk?

Second, if in Professor Holmwood’s words the religious values of Muslims have been ‘left outside of the school gates,’ how can Religious Education, a core part of the British curriculum, be maintained when the religious values of British Muslims are being erased?

If anything, these questions indicate the government’s contrary stipulation of Religious Education.
This is particularly evident, as Professor Higham clarified, when discussing the #EducationAct of 1944 and Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE).

The central purpose of both is to promote #CommunityCohesion thru bringing together the different religious dimensions of the community, including Islamic values

From this perspective, Professor Holmwood focused on the debate around the actual #Britishness of the so-called FBV

He argued that FBV ought to be considered as part of the liberal discourse of what is ‘right,’ instead of as British values.
For e.g, the ‘NoOutsiders’ curriculum, which seeks to promote LGBT rights, was part of the schools’ duty to teach FBV.

For example, the ‘No Outsiders’ curriculum, which seeks to promote LGBT rights, was part of the schools’ duty to teach FBV.
However, as Professor Holmwood clarified, there is a difference between #rights and #values.

However, as Professor Holmwood clarified, there is a #difference between #rights & #values.
In this case, the LGBT community has the right not to be discriminated against, but not the right to #impose its values on those parents & communities with different faith-based views.

Ultimately, Professor Holmwood concluded, FBV is a representation of the #LiberalSecular agenda. Specifically, its positions toward restricting Article 9 of the Human Rights Act, which ‘protects the right to freedom of thought, belief & religion,’ including ‘the respect for the

Specifically, its positions toward restricting Article 9 of the #HumanRights Act, which ‘protects the right to freedom of thought, belief & religion,’ including ‘the #respect for the liberty of parents to ensure the #religious & #moral #education of #their #children in conformity

toward restricting Article 9 of the Human Rights Act, which ‘protects the right to #freedom of #thought, #belief & #religion,’

incl. ‘the #respect for the #liberty of #parents to ensure the religious/moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions'

The Racial Grammar Bhind ‘Trojan Horse’ Investigation

2014 investigation of the scandal, which was conducted by #Ofsted (the official regulator 4 education in Britain), concluded that 5 of the 21 schools in Birmingham should be put in2 ‘special measures’ cos of potential risks

#Ofsted concluded that 5 of the 21 schools in Birmingham should be put into ‘special measures’ cos of potential risks of ‘extremism’ and ‘radicalisation’.

Nevertheless, as Dr Miah clarified, all the reports could not identify a single child that had been #radicalised

all the reports could not i)#identify a single child that had been radicalised, nor any #evidence of extremism or a conspiracy to promote an anti-British agenda. This contradiction reveals how the #Ofsted investigation was also #scandalous, portraying Muslim teachers and children

This contradiction reveals how the Ofsted investigation was also scandalous, portraying Muslim teachers and children in these schools and elsewhere as violent radicals.

Dr Miah discussed in detail the flawed #impartiality of Ofsted.

He argued that the official narrative of the 21 inspections demonstrates a racialised politics, evident through the following.
1st, the way that the Ofsted inspection team had altered the base of their investigation away from the regular, systematic framework of the Ofsted

First, the way that the Ofsted inspection team had altered the base of their investigation away from the regular, systematic framework of the Ofsted Inspection Handbook to the government’s #Prevent Extremism Strategy, specifically section 10 of the Prevent Strategy (2011)

Second, the selection of the main criteria for inspecting the 21 Birmingham schools were not based purely on evidence, meaning the ‘Trojan Horse’ letter, but rather on schools with a Muslim majority of students and teachers.

According to Dr Miah, approaching the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal with such a racialised grammar entails a deliberate alienation of British Muslims, reflecting the political nature of Britain’s contemporary educational discourse. This discourse is mediated thru a radicalised politics

reflecting the political nature of Britain’s contemporary educational discourse. This discourse is mediated through a radicalised politics and still influenced by the historical narratives of the racialised construction of ‘the other’.

‘Trojan Horse’ through the #Lens of #Liberalism and #Nationalism

Professor S. Sayyid described the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal as a floating signifier that ought to be analysed through situating it within the #overlapping #projects of  a national liberalism.

That is a form of liberalism that priviliges nationalism as a mode of political expression & is complicit with imperialism, colonialism, & racism.

According to Professor Sayyid, liberalism is not what it purports to be, as it is neither neutral nor universal.

Acc. to Professor Sayyid, liberalism is not what it purports to be, as it is neither neutral nor universal. One result is that liberal educational policies in Britain, especially after the scandal, have contributed to the #violation of several #human rights

especially after the scandal, have contributed to the violation of several human rights, unduly presenting Muslim communities as #suspects of violence & radical extremism. Nationalism as an ideology is also intertwined with the hegemonic liberal discourse

Nationalism as an ideology is also intertwined with the hegemonic liberal discourse, which according to Professor Sayyid can be argued through the way that both create specific ethnic foundations of the ‘national majority’ versus those who are constructed as ‘minorities’.

One side of this argument, I would say, is the question of the authority that is presumed by setting out such categorical identities: the ‘national majority,’ which has been conceived of as the authentic dominant model for the formation of any British public norms

the authentic dominant model for the formation of any British public norms (education, religion, etc.), is echoing the historical narratives of imperialism, colonialism, and racism. Meanwhile, the ethnic minorities are constituted as irrelevant others, who need to be grouped to

irrelevant others, who need to be grouped to protect the existence & the hegemonic power of the ‘national majority’

 Conclusion

The ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal reveals the hegemonic politics of #discrimination, racism & inequality that British Muslim communities are encountering

‘Trojan Horse’ scandal reveals the hegemonic politics of discrimination, racism & inequality that British Muslim communities are encountering in an assumed multiculturalism Britain, unveiling the normalised radicalisation narrative regarding the construction of Muslim identities.

In the wake of this intellectual & inspiring dialogue, broader concerns have been raised which are about the lack of a proper response by human right activists, academics & politicians to #uncover & #challenge the impact of the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal.

to uncover & challenge the impact of the ‘Trojan Horse’ scandal. Including: the negative hegemonic representation of Muslim communities, the misrecognising @
consequences of the current radicalisation & extremism policies on the schools’ #educations system, students, and society.

Equally important, the contemporary role of British values, especially when discussing the importance of the community cohesion, a sense of citizenship, and the equal integration of all British.

‘Why should I continue to be tolerant? When the world has been so intolerant of me.’
Based on real-life testimonies, ‘Trojan Horse’ is a #documentary #play that provides an insight into the #ethical impact of the scandal on the life of teachers, students and governors

documentary play that provides an insight into the ethical impact of the scandal on the life of teachers, students and governors who were directly involved in the 2014 extremism #allegation.
The winner of Amnesty International Freedom of Expression & Fringe First awards,