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Title: Research Paper

Of late, one of the streets of Birmingham was crowded with protesters outside Parkfield community school, chanting the slogans “let kids be kids” and protesting against the school authorities, especially the head teacher Sarah-Hewitt-Clarkson, over teaching children regardingCITATION The19 \l 1033 (The Guardian). This research paper will answer certain questions regarding the story which are as follows:

Main points of the story

The whole protest was against the program initiated by the respective school for teaching children about same-sex relationships and transgender issues.

Moreover the protest was against the “No Outsider” scheme designed by one of the faculty members of the school which had been initiated back in 2014 and aimed at educating children regarding Equality Act, diversity and teaching children about homosexuality and LGBT relationshipCITATION Wri19 \l 1033 (Wright).

Role of religion

The importance of religion concerning such an issue cannot be downplayed. In fact, in this incident religion was the main player, as the protesters who gathered around were mostly from Muslim community and who according to the teachings of their religion do not support homosexuality and LGBT teachings and rightsCITATION The19 \l 1033 (The Guardian). So yes! This wouldn’t be a hyperbolic statement that it was only religion which incited the protesters to gather around and protest against the school program that was designed to teach children LGBT rights and homosexualityCITATION Wri19 \l 1033 (Wright).

Religion Involved

The religion which becomes the focal point of the whole story is Islam. As protestors were mainly from the Muslim community of Anderton Park.

Teachings of the religion

As the main teachings of Islam do not talk about homo and heterosexuality only, but covers almost every prospect of daily life as well. So far as the context of this particular incident is concerned, teachings of Islam explicitly prohibits its followers for having same-sex or LGBT relationship. The religion promotes harmony and peace as portrayed by the reaction of Muslim community following the Christ Church mosque attack which annihilated tens of lives. But in this particular context Islam’s teaching are also clear. Had the Muslims community been not clear about the teachings of Islam regarding LGBT relationships they would not have gathered around for protestsCITATION The19 \l 1033 (The Guardian).

Religion was accurately portrayed or not

Religion was not accurately portrayed in the articles concerning such issue. If the religion had been portrayed accurately then the counter protestors who protested against the protestors and supported lessons being taught at the schoolCITATION Wri19 \l 1033 (Wright). According to the counter protestors religion ought to be taught only at home.

Was religion portrayed favorably

The answer to this specific question is no! If the religion had been portrayed favorably then counter protestors and school authorities would not have acted so rigidly against the demands of the parents of the children. If the religion had been portrayed, counter-protestors would not have labelled Muslim community has homophobicCITATION Wri19 \l 1033 (Wright). It’s the basic right of every Muslin and Non-Muslim to practice his/her religion freely and design his/her life according to the teaching of religion.

Part 2

Since the present world is at the cross road of the cultural supremacy, therefore every coming day brings about a new debate and a new aspect about our daily life issues. One among them is what has been raised in this BBC news story. The parents are standing in front of the school building and are voicing against what they feel are in clash with their civilization and cultures. Since they are not opposing what is now a part of their culture, but they are opposing just instilling that in the minds of the young ones. There are many reason as to why they are opposing this academic insight.

Muslims views this in clash with their religious teachings, Christians consider this as a threat to their conservative values and similarly many other religious followers consider this as indifferent to the teachings of their religion. Just not this they are also against instilling such values in their children, which have been admitted to a school in Birmingham. What this news story then reflects? There could be disagreement with the views presented in this blog, but it shows that the cultural diversity in England is at stake. A country with such hefty religious majorities should have a mechanism of regularizing this diversity in terms of protecting the religious values of people.

There is also another aspect to this incident. It shows the negligence of the school administration department in the city of Birmingham. Since the students find such things interesting and it also to some extent raises sensual emotions in them, therefore there remains no point of telling them about such things. This is what the most significant reason is. Once the students have been told that there is no harm in maintaining relations which are unnatural, they have been a little trained to divert them from the teachings of religion what their generations have been following. Therefore, in lieu of all these happenings, religion is being distorted in the name of diversity which could be daringly unacceptable to people and also threatening to the values of the United Kingdom.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY The Guardian. Birmingham primary school suspends LGBT lessons indefinitely. 14 march 2019. 25 may 2019. <https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/mar/14/birmingham-primary-school-suspends-lgbt-lessons-indefinitely-parkfield-protest-parents>.

Wright, Lisa. Birmingham LGBT row: The view from the school gates. 2019. 25 may 2019. <https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-48395868>.