Thaher Tarawneh’s parents say staff at Ark Soane Academy in Acton, west London, should not ‘challenge’ their son when he is praying (Picture: BPM)
A Muslim schoolboy was left ‘terrified’ after a teacher at a secondary school in west London allegedly grabbed him and forced him to stop praying.
The prayer room at Ark Soane Academy in Acton was closed so Thaher Tarawneh asked for an alternative quiet corner – but was reportedly told this ‘is not a religious school’.
Instead, the 12-year-old and some of his classmates decided to pray outside, in line with their religion.
As some other pupils left the playground, he claims a staff member aggressively told him ‘to stop at once’, ‘manhandled’ him and pulled his blazer, which he was using as a prayer mat.
He was sent home for the afternoon and says he was forced to sign a statement, which did not reflect the truth – with school staff changing words like ‘grab’ to ‘guided’.
His dad Muhammed Tarawneh told MyLondon: ‘We were called by the teacher in question later that day and she explained that she was a Muslim and that Thaher shouldn’t be praying there.
‘We try to educate our children to have certain beliefs and it should not be up to any member of staff to try to challenge them.
‘It is my understanding that the other children ran away because they were terrified of this staff member shouting.
‘Thaher knows to not stop his prayer unless there is something urgent.
‘So for this member of staff to interrupt that and then proceed to manhandle my son, it’s not acceptable.’
The family is now considering removing their son from the school because they cannot believe he is ‘being discriminated against because of his religion’.
More: News
Thaher’s parents asked to see CCTV footage from the incident but when they arrived at the school, their request was denied.
Elizabeth Znider, a family friend, claims the headteacher treated his lunchtime prayer as an ‘act of defiance’ and he could be facing expulsion.
She said: ‘It just makes no sense because they have a prayer room, three quarters of the schools pupils are Muslim and it is a legal requirement to be able to practice your religion freely.
‘Thaher’s mum has had several calls about how bright and brilliant her child is and now suddenly the tables have turned and this act of prayer is being made out to be an act of defiance.
‘Thaher says he was forced into signing a statement where what he was saying was not what was being typed out.
‘He used the word “grab” and they wrote down “guided”. He’s terrified now.
More: News
‘He was really, really upset and he said that he felt he had no choice but to agree to the statement because he was told it would create a huge problem for him if he didn’t.’
According to Ark Soane Academy’s website, all members of their community are expected to show respect for other people and ‘their feelings, opinions, culture and their right to be individuals’, with ‘bullying of any kind’ not tolerated.
When Thaher returned home, he was ‘weeping’ and ‘terrified’, according to his dad, who has filed a formal complaint with the academy.
Mr Tarawneh added: ‘Initially I was demanding the headteacher stand on the side of truth and communicate professionally even if that means going against his own staff but we are considering withdrawing him from the school because he came out weeping and terrified.’
Principal Matthew Neuberger confirmed the incident was being investigated, including reviewing all available evidence and interviewing those involved.
He added: ‘A formal complaint has now been made and normal procedures will be followed to ensure this is dealt with fairly and appropriately.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Get your need-to-know
latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more
https://metro.co.uk/2022/02/07/acton-muslim-boy-ordered-to-stop-praying-at-west-london-school-16062829/
