'Clear evidence' of extremist views in Birmingham schools

Many parents thought they would be speaking out "against Islam" if they had questioned changes to the school curriculum at Oldknow Academy, a parent has said.

More: Clarke: 'Aggressive Islamist agenda' in some schools

Mr Mohammed Zabar - a parent with a 10-year-old daughter at Oldknow - said the government report brought him "relief" that he had not overreacted after querying decisions made by the school.

Changes such as cancelling Christmas festivities and the teaching of Arabic over other foreign languages, were some of those challenged by Mr Zabar.

After the Clarke report was published, Mr Zabar said: "I think it now comes to a question of who was responsible for what."

More: 'Clear evidence' of extremist views in Birmingham schools

Labour's Liam Byrne said he has welcomed the installation of a new education commissioner after the 'Trojan horse' allegations but the first task would be to see teachers involved "resign" or "be removed."

A number of claims have been published in a Government-commissioned report on the 'Trojan Horse' allegations of a hardline Muslim takeover of Birmingham schools.

The report said that staff at Park View View school invited extremist preacher Shaykh Shady Al-Suleiman to address pupils in assembly.

The Birmingham Hodge Hill MP said that the task now is to "rebuild trust" in Park View school and to ensure that the reputation is turned around, "because its best years now lie ahead".

Read more: 'Clear evidence' of extremist views in Birmingham schools

A group of individuals tried to introduce an "aggressive Islamist agenda" into some schools in Birmingham, the author of a Government-commissioned report has said.

Former counter-terrorism officer Peter Clarke said his report had uncovered practices that have "no place in state non-faith schools".

Read: 'Trojan Horse' teachers 'thought Lee Rigby death a hoax'

The Education Secretary has called the findings of Peter Clarke's report on the 'Trojan Horse' plots in Birmingham schools "disturbing".

Nicky Morgan told MPs there was "compelling evidence" that hardline Muslims had tried to gain control of the governing bodies of a small number of schools.

She said there was a "clear account" that people in authority had "not promoted fundamental British values and had failed to challenge the extremist views of others".

Read: Pupils allegedly 'shown images of jihad' in class

Pupils at Golden Hillock school in Birmingham were allegedly shown images of jihad "in a classroom setting", including rockets being launched and battlefields.

It is one of a number of claims in a Government-commissioned report on the 'Trojan Horse' allegations of a hardline Muslim takeover of Birmingham schools

The report also says that staff at Park View View school invited extremist preacher Shaykh Shady Al-Suleiman to address pupils in assembly.

Read: 'Trojan Horse' teachers 'thought Lee Rigby death a hoax'

Social media exchanges between teachers at Park View School in Birmingham show an "intolerant Islamist approach", according to a Government report into the alleged 'Trojan Horse' plot.

The report's author, Peter Clarke, says the discussions on the WhatsApp messaging site give a "clear and disturbing insight" into the attitudes of some of the teachers at the school.

Among the topics discussed were Lee Rigby's murder, the Boston Marathon bombings, segregation in schools, along with what Clarke calls "explicit homophobia".

Clarke also said there was a "a constant undercurrent of anti-Western, anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment" in the postings.

Read: 'Trojan Horse' teachers 'thought Lee Rigby death a hoax'

Teachers at schools involved in the 'Trojan Horse' investigation allegedly claimed the murder of Lee Rigby was "some kind of staged event or hoax", according to a government report.

The report's author, retired counter-terrorism officer Peter Clarke, analysed the contents of a social media discussion between teachers at Park View School who called themselves 'The Park View Brotherhood'.

Clarke's report says the group of teachers exchanged "highly offensive comments about British service personnel" on the WhatsApp messaging service.

He also described the general contents of the teachers' discussions as "grossly intolerant of beliefs and practices other than their own".

Read: School chiefs and parents 'involved in promoting Islam'

A Government-ordered inquiry into the "Trojan horse" allegations in Birmingham found "clear evidence" that there are number of people, associated with each other and in positions of authority within schools who "espouse, endorse or fail to challenge extremist views".

The Government is set to release a key report on the allegations of a hardline Muslim takeover of certain schools in Birmingham.

Former counter-terrorism officer Peter Clarke was enlisted by then Education Secretary Michael Gove to look into the 'Trojan Horse' claims.

Birmingham City Council have already released their own report, saying there had been a pattern of behaviour from certain individuals who had been "moving between schools".

Former head teacher Ian Kershaw also said there were individuals "seeking to promote and encourage Islamic principles" and raising objections to "anti-Islamic" aspects of the school curriculum.

Read: School chiefs and parents 'involved in promoting Islam'