Prayer refusal pupils 'disciplined'

6:30am Saturday 5th July 2008

An education authority is investigating claims that two school pupils were punished for refusing to kneel down and pray to Allah during a religious education lesson.

Parents complained after the boys, Year 7 pupils at Alsager High School in Cheshire, were given detention for being "disrespectful" to the prophet, the Congleton Chronicle reported.

Parent Sharon Luinen told the paper: "This isn't right, it's taking things too far.

"I understand that they have to learn about other religions, I can live with that, but it is taking it a step too far to be punished because they wouldn't join in Muslim prayer. Making them pray to Allah, who isn't who they worship, is wrong and what got me is that they were told they were being disrespectful."

The school is believed to have received complaints from five sets of parents since the alleged incident on Tuesday.

Another parent, Karen Williams, said: "I am absolutely furious my daughter was made to take part in it and I don't find it acceptable. I haven't got a problem with them teaching my child other religions and a small amount of information doesn't do any harm.

"But not only did they have to pray, the teacher had gone into the class and made them watch a short film and then said 'We are now going out to pray to Allah'. And then two boys got detention and all the other children missed their refreshments break because of the teacher."

She added: "My child has been forced to pray to Allah in a school lesson."

The incident is believed to have taken place during a practical demonstration of how Allah is worshipped.

Cheshire County Council confirmed that parents had complained about the lesson, and said the circumstances of the incident were to be "thoroughly" looked into.

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