The family of a 10-year-old Muslim boy demanded an apology Wednesday after he was quizzed by the British police for writing that he lived in a “terrorist” house instead of a “terraced” house during an
The family of a 10-year-old Muslim boy demanded an apology Wednesday after he was quizzed by the British police for writing that he lived in a “terrorist” house instead of a “terraced” house during an English class.
The police interviewed the boy at his home in Lancashire, northwest England, on December 7 and examined the family computer following his mistake, according to the BBC.
Since July, British teachers have been legally obliged to report any suspicious behaviour by pupils.
The UK government's anti-radicalisation Prevent strategy and the 2015 Counter Terrorism and Security Act places a statutory duty on schools and colleges to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.
“You can imagine it happening to a 30-year-old man, but not to a young child,” the boy’s cousin told the BBC. “If the teacher had any concerns it should have been about his spelling.
“He’s now scared of writing, using his imagination,” she added.
A terraced property is a British term for a townhouse that shares its side walls with others.
The Lancashire police said the issue was dealt with “by a joint visit by a police constable from the division and social services,” and that no one from the Prevent counter-extremism scheme had been involved.
“This was reported to the police but was dealt with by a joint visit by a PC from the division and social services, not by anyone from Prevent. There were not thought to be any areas for concern and no further action was required by any agency” a police statement said.
Miqdaad Versi, assistant secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Britain, Britain’s largest umbrella group for Islamic associations, blamed the government’s “Prevent” programme, aimed at countering radicalisation. “There are huge concerns that individuals going about their daily life are being seen through the lens of security and are being seen as potential terrorists,” he said.
