Documentary about hijab in primary schools featuring st Stephen's parents (and me) Tonight at 8pm on BBC Radio 4 and is then available to listen online here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09zxlsc

AMANDA SPIELMAN CONFRONTED OVER HIJAB BAN IN PARLIAMENT! AMANDA SPIELMAN was forced to respond to the joint submission to the Education Select Committee from **Newham Women's Association & Newham Stand Up To Racism** in Parliament this morning. Watch from 10.49 - 10.57 for the questioning over St Stephen's and the hijab. http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/395539d9-06f6-4801-984a-30f3c31f01ad The chair of committee confronted the Chief Inspector of Schools with the following part of our statement: "We thus find it deeply shocking that Chief Inspector of Schools for Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, has proposed inspectors question very young Muslim girls on how they dress; she has lent her support to those calling for headscarf bans and echoed prejudiced and demonising stereotypes of the Muslim community in Newham. We therefore have no confidence in Ofsted’s ability to fulfill its safeguarding responsibilities while she retains her position." She floundered. Nastily. But she floundered.

Good report on Newham SUTR meeting in Newham Recorder! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Newham’s Stand up to Racism held an open discussion with councillors, campaigners and residents in St John’s Church to discuss how to reduce targeted racism in the borough. It came following a joint statement from Newham’s Stand Up To Racism and Newham Muslim Women’s Association, which called for the defence of Muslim women and an end to the demonisation of the Hijab. Councillor Mas Patel said: “We have today a build up of attitudes similar to that which Jews faced in the 1930s. When the state targets a particular community, that is wrong. What we have now is the respectability of Islamophobia.” One of the key themes was the now-overturned Hijab ban in St Stephen’s School, which faced huge backlash within Newham and gained the attention of councillors and ministers city-wide. Talha Ahmad from the Muslim Council of Britain condemned the ban, arguing a “climate of fear” had been created by these types of policies. Maz Saleem, whose father was murdered by far-right terrorist Pavlo Lapshyn in 2013, said: “This risks reinforcing an anti-Muslim political culture. “Every woman must be able to move freely in public without harassment and discrimination, no matter what she does or does not wear. “There’s nothing feminist about telling women what they can or cannot wear. We need to recognise this is racism.” The meeting came following the conviction of Paul Moore in Nottingham Crown Court last week for the attempted murder of Zaynab Hussein and attempted grievous bodily harm of a 12-year-old girl. They were both targeted by Moore for wearing a hijab. In the joint statement, Naila Naidoo of Newham Muslim Women’s Association wrote: “Statements that demonise the wearing of the headscarf put our children at risk and contribute to the marginalization and othering of Muslims. “Instead of building resilience and cohesion, such targetting tears communities apart.” Stand Up To Racism will be marching on UN Anti-Racism Day as part of a national demonstration on Saturday, March 17. Newham’s marchers will meet at Stratford tube station at 11 am Story from Newham Recorder : http://www.newhamrecorder.co.uk/news/crime-court/stand-up-to-racism-confronts-islamophobia-in-newham-at-meeting-with-councillors-1-5423371

Please try to attend this important meeting!