A TEACHER at a school in Rotherham is under police investigation after it was reported that he called a 14-year-old boy a “terrorist” in a lesson three days after the Paris attacks.

The parents of Aman Ghani filed a complaint to Clifton Community School after their son returned home “tearful and distraught”.

They claim he was sent out of the class after being told “stop talking, you terrorist”. The boy’s classmates allege the teacher then said that “Asian parents don’t know how to bring up their children”.

The grievance is one of 164 claims of Islamophobic abuse reported in the fortnight following the terrorist atrocities in France on November 13 to TellMAMA, an organisation that records anti-Muslim hate crimes. The group says it has seen a marked increase in cases since the Paris attacks.

Nazlie Shan, the pupil’s mother, said she had contacted the group for advice after the school allegedly failed initially to take action. “The teacher called my son a terrorist in front of the whole class,” she claimed. “Later when he asked, ‘Sir, why did you call me that?’ the teacher lost it. He asked Aman, ‘Is it because my God treats you better than me?’ implying Muslims think they are superior.”

Shan, a driving instructor, said her son had seen news reports of the Paris terror attacks and believed that they had prompted the alleged comments.

“It’s disgusting. I feel as if we are being victimised because of a small minority who have nothing to do with us. It’s a hate crime against our religion,” she claimed.

“My son keeps asking me why his teacher would call him that and I don’t know what to say. If there is a teacher promoting this kind of hatred, then what chance is there for the children?”

The school initially asked Rotherham council to investigate but now South Yorkshire police have confirmed they are investigating reports of a racially aggravated incident.

The school declined to comment last week.

Karen Borthwick, Rotherham council’s director for schools and lifelong learning, confirmed that a complaint had been received.

“We are working with the school to investigate the matter,” she said.

“It would be inappropriate to comment ahead of the outcome.”

The complaint is one of 22 reports of Islamophobic abuse against children received by Tell MAMA since January, with the youngest victim aged four.

Article printed in the Sunday Times on the 6/12/2015

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Reports have come in of an assault on a 16-year-old boy in Rotherham. The town has become a flashpoint where far right organisations have been agitating after the recent Rotherham grooming scandal.

The assault took place today around 1:10 pm and the young boy suffered head injuries.

We have repeatedly raised the fact that community relations in Rotherham are deteriorating and more recently, we reported on the killing of Mushin Ahmed in the town. Today, we have heard that a young boy on Rotherham was assaulted and suffered a head injury. South Yorkshire police have detained a 32-year-old male who was arrested nearby the scene and individuals who reported into us, stated that racially aggravated terms were used in the assault though this has yet to be confirmed with the police.

Witnesses also mentioned that tensions were heightened since it is alleged that it took about an hour and half for an ambulance to attend the scene.

This assault comes on the back of the recent demonstration by Britain First in Rotherham. No doubt the latest incident will further heighten tensions in this town that has been in the media limelight for over 2 years.

If you can help with lines of enquiry, please contact 101 and ask to be put through Rotherham Police on 101, quoting number 480 of the 9th of September 2015.

The post 16 Year Old Boy of Pakistani Heritage Attacked in Rotherham appeared first on TELL MAMA.

Reports have come in of an assault on a 16-year-old boy in Rotherham. The town has become a flashpoint where far right organisations have been agitating after the recent Rotherham grooming scandal.

The assault took place today around 1:10 pm and the young boy suffered head injuries.

We have repeatedly raised the fact that community relations in Rotherham are deteriorating and more recently, we reported on the killing of Mushin Ahmed in the town. Today, we have heard that a young boy on Rotherham was assaulted and suffered a head injury. South Yorkshire police have detained a 32-year-old male who was arrested nearby the scene and individuals who reported into us, stated that racially aggravated terms were used in the assault though this has yet to be confirmed with the police.

Witnesses also mentioned that tensions were heightened since it is alleged that it took about an hour and half for an ambulance to attend the scene.

This assault comes on the back of the recent demonstration by Britain First in Rotherham. No doubt the latest incident will further heighten tensions in this town that has been in the media limelight for over 2 years.

If you can help with lines of enquiry, please contact 101 and ask to be put through Rotherham Police on 101, quoting number 480 of the 9th of September 2015.

The post 16 Year Old Boy of Pakistani Heritage Attacked in Rotherham appeared first on TELL MAMA.

As the far right extremist group Britain First continues to play up and raise the temperature about marching in Rotherham, community activists have come out and have suggested that extremist groups should not be allowed to destabilise community relations in the town, some of which have been tested after the recent grooming scandals.

We have highlighted how Rotherham has become the touchstone for extremist groups as they hype up their demonstration. We have also highlighted the way that Britain First have blamed South Yorkshire police about changing their route on Saturday the 5th of September. It seems that after the killing of Mushin Ahmed and the history of what has taken place in the town, ensuring peace in the town is of no concern to Britain First.

We have therefore asked some community activists in Rotherham what their thoughts are on the inflammatory actions of Britain First. We have kept their details confidential for fear of reprisals from far right sympathisers and activists.

“The right to protest is a fundamental human right,  linking to the freedom of speech ensured to us all living in  a pluralist democratic society. 

However, I question that right, when it is abused and used to spew hatred, to further break down a cohesive community and even lead elements of a community to become fearful, due to the harm created by such protests and demonstrations.

I further question whether, it is in the interests of the people of Rotherham? To continuously March and demonstrate within a town, force ordinary hard-working people to close their businesses in times of austerity, whilst attempting to indoctrinate people to turn neighbour against neighbour!

I have lived in Rotherham all my life and I have never seen the level of Islamophobia that is now increasing as a consequence of these protests? We have an ongoing investigation, looking at racial hatred as a possible motive to the death of an innocent 81-year-old. To which, disgustingly one of the leading members of Britain’s First suggests is a consequence of the Rotherham grooming scandal. The same leader then wishes to enter the same town, with a group of misguided yobs to blame and vilify the same community of the crimes committed not by them but by vile criminals.”

“We fear that Britain First are not happy until someone seriously gets hurt. We have just seen the death of an 81-year-old and when will groups with vested interests stop using Rotherham for their own political gains?”

“Are such so-called marches going to do any justice for the victims of grooming? The answer is no; let the police and prosecutors do their job on the grooming issues and let the police handle prosecutions on the killing of Mushin Ahmed. Britain First are part of the problem and by no way are they a solution for the people of Rotherham.”

The post Statements from Rotherham Activists Suggest Extremists Stay Away appeared first on TELL MAMA.

This correspondence was sent into us and highlights the inflammatory nature and tone of e-mails sent out by Britain First.

The text below raises the temperature with a threat to march to Rotherham town centre. This coming after communities in Rotherham are trying to get to grips with the grooming scandals, ongoing investigations and the recent murder of a Yemeni Muslim male who was walking to Fajr prayers in the morning.

Text from Britain First to Newsletter Subscribers

“Recently, South Yorkshire Police banned Britain First from Rotherham town centre on our march next Saturday, the 5th of September.

We announced a new route in line with police wishes.

However, since then there have been two separate developments:

Firstly, despite Britain First not being allowed into the town centre to avoid disrupting trade and shopping, the openly violent leftwing vigilante group, the UAF, who regularly burn British flags, will be allowed to counter-protest in the town centre!

The new police strategy of sabotage is clear: Banish Britain First to the outskirts of town and allow the opposition to meet the public in the town centre.

Secondly, the South Yorkshire Police liaison unit have confirmed that the threatened Section 12 is not going to be served on Britain First until the actual day of the march.

What would happen then is that Britain First will have changed its plans in a massive way, then the accompanying legislation and paperwork would fail to materialise.

In other words, we would have been tricked into staying away from the town centre.

On both these accounts, we have scrapped the route the police wanted us to take and we will be going to the town centre.

Britain First will not allow itself to be bullied and sabotaged by Britain’s increasingly political police forces.

Please watch this important video update from Britain First leader Paul Golding.”

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81 year old Mushin Ahmed, the elderly man who was on his way to pray at a local mosque in Rotherham, has died.

Mushin Ahmed was attacked in the early hours as he was reportedly on his way to Fajr prayers at the local mosque. He was attacked off Fitzwilliam Road.

This is the statement released by Detective Chief Inspector Chris Singleton of South Yorkshire Police:

“It is with great sadness that we confirm to the public this morning the death of Mr Ahmed and our sincerest condolences go to his family and friends.

He was a much loved and respected member of his community and his relatives are receiving specialist support from officers.”

South Yorkshire police have charged two men in connection with the assault and they include Damien Hunt, 29, of Doncaster Road, Rotherham, and Kieran John Rice, 21, of Oakes Meadow, Rotherham. Both have been remanded in custody to appear before Sheffield Crown Court on Friday the 28th of August.

South Yorkshire police also made a further two arrests of a 29 year old and 24 year old man and they have been bailed as detectives carry our further enquiries.

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