Thread by @docrussjackson

#THREAD

When the Trojan Horse story broke in 2014 it did so on a narrative wave characterized by terrifying headlines of a ‘plot to Islamicise British schools’. But it was a based on a fake letter, & reveals a complete failure of government & journalism.

transformingsociety.co.uk/2022/05/19/the…

In January 2022, The New York Times released an investigative podcast about the Trojan Horse scandal which characterized it as an "Islamophobic hoax" and compared it to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a historical antisemitic hoax.

nytimes.com/interactive/20…

The Trojan Horse Affair, sparked by a fake letter, had massive long term, national implications. The controversy led to the development of a new phase in the Prevent agenda & the affair & the letter were used by Govt to back the implementation of a Counter Extremism Strategy.

The fake letter gave rise to a ‘National Curriculum’ in ‘fundamental British values’, in other words an education policy - like every previous antidemocratic authoritarian regime in history - developed through the lens of nationalism & national security.

The fake letter also led to great personal injustices – to the poor, marginalised, mainly Muslim communities of East Birmingham, to the governors and teachers against whom misconduct cases were held, though ultimately dropped, and to the schools named and the pupils they served.

“What you realise is, sadly, it takes an enormous amount of effort and time to rectify an injustice perpetrated by a government in Britain – be that the Birmingham Six, #Hillsborough or the Trojan Horse Affair.”

“False narratives that divide communities & misrepresent British Muslims as self-segregating involve the scapegoating of some for political advantage. They are dangerous for democracy & demoralising for communities.”