I know we are often told that we should not judge a book by its cover, although often we are right to, but this one caught my attention immediately. I thought both the title and the cover were a little lacking in subtlety and my first thought was that this might be the case with the book. I suppose it worked in getting my interest though.
The novel is the story of an experiment by two eminent European scientists of the 1800’s to determine how racial superiority asserts itself. Two infants, one white one black are left with a mute nurse on a deserted island with instructions that no love or affection must be shown towards them and nothing is to be taught to them. The objective is not to prove that the white race is superior as this is assumed by all involved. The aim of the experiment is shown to be whether the white child will show its superiority by more advanced development as one scientist believes or by destroying the other child as the other scientist predicts.
The period that the book is set in witnessed the explosion of scientific thought and of the study of mankind. This is reflected in the book which is heavily laden with the scientific language and beliefs of that time: Phrenology, Craniology, the first inklings of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Running through the whole story is also a love story.
Something that also stood out for me was that not only is the book set in 1855, it feels as if it was written during that time also. The language is very formal and descriptive in a way that puts me in mind of classic literature such as that of Jane Austin or the Bronte’s.
Despite all of this, the word that comes to mind regarding this book is one I rarely use – boring. I struggled to finish and on finishing did not feel particularly moved or enlightened. Considering the subject matter I should have felt passionate about this book, instead I ended up feeling a little indifferent and depressed.
The novel is the story of an experiment by two eminent European scientists of the 1800’s to determine how racial superiority asserts itself. Two infants, one white one black are left with a mute nurse on a deserted island with instructions that no love or affection must be shown towards them and nothing is to be taught to them. The objective is not to prove that the white race is superior as this is assumed by all involved. The aim of the experiment is shown to be whether the white child will show its superiority by more advanced development as one scientist believes or by destroying the other child as the other scientist predicts.
The period that the book is set in witnessed the explosion of scientific thought and of the study of mankind. This is reflected in the book which is heavily laden with the scientific language and beliefs of that time: Phrenology, Craniology, the first inklings of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Running through the whole story is also a love story.
Something that also stood out for me was that not only is the book set in 1855, it feels as if it was written during that time also. The language is very formal and descriptive in a way that puts me in mind of classic literature such as that of Jane Austin or the Bronte’s.
Despite all of this, the word that comes to mind regarding this book is one I rarely use – boring. I struggled to finish and on finishing did not feel particularly moved or enlightened. Considering the subject matter I should have felt passionate about this book, instead I ended up feeling a little indifferent and depressed.
The demand for Muslim schools comes from parents who want their children a safe environment with an Islamic ethos.Parents see Muslim schools where children can develop their Islamic Identity where they won't feel stigmatised for being Muslims and they can feel confident about their faith.
ReplyDeleteMuslim schools are working to try to create a bridge between communities.
There is a belief among ethnic minority parens that the British schooling
does not adequatly address their cultural needs. Failing to meet this need could result in feeling resentment among a group who already feel excluded. Setting up Muslim school is a defensive response.
State schools with monolingual teachers are not capable to teach English to bilingual Muslim children. Bilingual teachers are needed to teach English to such children along with their mother tongue. According to a number of studies, a child will not learn a second language if his first language is ignored.
Bilingual Muslim children need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual
Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. Muslims
have the right to educate their children in an environment that suits their
culture. This notion of "integration", actually means "assimilation", by
which people generally really mean "be more like me". That is not
multiculturalism. In Sydney, Muslims were refused to build a Muslim school,
because of a protest by the residents. Yet a year later, permission was
given for the building of a Catholic school and no protests from the
residents. This clrearly shows the blatant hypocrisy, double standards and racism. Christians oppose Muslim schools in western countries yet build
their own religious schools.
British schooling and the British society is the home of institutional
racism. The result is that Muslim children are unable to develop
self-confidence and self-esteem, therefore, majority of them leave schools with low grades. Racism is deeply rooted in British society. Every native child is born with a gene or virus of racism, therefore, no law could change the attitudes of racism towards those who are different. It is not only the common man, even member of the royal family is involved in racism. The
father of a Pakistani office cadet who was called a "Paki" by Prince Harry
has profoundly condemned his actions. He had felt proud when he met the
Queen and the Prince of Wales at his son's passing out parade at Sandhurst
in 2006 but now felt upset after learning about the Prince's comments. Queen Victoria invited an Imam from India to teach her Urdu language. He was highly respected by the Queen but other members of the royal family had no respect for him. He was forced to go back to India. His protrait is still in
one of the royal places.
There are hundreds of state schools where Muslim pupils are in majority. In my opinion, all such schools may be designated as Muslim community schools with bilingual Muslim teachers. There is no place for a non-Muslim child or a teacher in a Muslim school.
Iftikhar Ahmad
www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk