Abu Hanifah Foundation and "the best of British"

Former Foreign Secretary, the Rt. Hon, Jack Straw MP uses his column in the local paper, the Lancashire Telegraph, to sing the praises of a local madrassah which is raising young Muslims to be “the best of British”.

It was in 2006 that a column Straw wrote in the same newspaper unleashed a maelstrom of denigrating opinion on Muslim women and the niqab. His current column is no less controversial given the patronising letter sent by the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, to over a thousand mosques in the UK telling them to do more to tackle extremists.

Shining a light on the good work mosques and madrassahs are doing to inculcate “British values” in young Muslims, Straw observes the work of the Abu Hanifah Foundation in his Blackburn constituency.

Straw notes that the AHF has set out to develop a “broad and balanced education in Islam so that they [young Muslims] are God conscious and productive British citizens”.

Following a two hour visit to the AHF, Straw writes in the local paper, “Most mosques and Madrassa in our area make real efforts to inculcate British values, and institutions, along with understanding of the Muslim religion. AHF is by no means unique. But it was a brilliant example, thanks to the dedication of its founders, and parents. Their youngsters are being brought up to be the best of British.”

Great to see a politician speak about the good work of mosques and madrassahs after actually having visited one.