On the 25th February we were made aware by community members about a shocking and upsetting image used to characterise the Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him). The material being used by a teacher at All Saints Academy Dunstable is deeply offensive to the Muslim community in Bedfordshire and nationally.
We appreciate the Bishop of Bedford and leaders of the Church of England locally for reaching out to the Councils of Mosques in Luton to unequivocally condemn the use of such Islamophobic imagery and acknowledge the distress and hurt that this has caused to the Muslim community.
Over the weekend we have been in dialogue with those responsible for governance of the school. We are reassured to hear action has been taken to suspend the individual responsible and await the outcome of the investigation. The school has also published a public apology and has committed to an independent review in to the matter; alongside restorative measures to ameliorate the harm caused by the actions of this teacher. This includes providing support for Muslim students who have been harmed by this incident and, working with Muslim organisations to develop faith literacy in the school.
Notes:
The apology from the school can be found here:
