A convicted terrorist has been banned from being involved in the running of schools in order to protect children from “dangerous influences”.

Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, an associate of Anjem Choudary, was barred under Section 128 of the Education Act.

He was previously a proprietor of the unregistered Siddeeq Academy in Tower Hamlets, east London, which closed in 2015 after his arrest.

In 2016 he was jailed for five-and-a-half years, alongside Choudary, for inviting support for Islamic State.

Rahman was released from prison in October 24 last year, prompting Education Secretary Damian Hinds to issue the direction which was made last month but only published on Thursday.

It is the third time powers under section 128 have been exercised since it came into force in September 2014.

The direction states that Rahman is “unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school (including an academy or Free School)”.

It continues: “The barring decision also has the effect of disqualifying the person from being a governor at a maintained school.”

As well as the 2016 conviction, in 2006 Rahman was convicted of inciting racial hatred, the following year he was convicted of solicitation to murder.

The direction issued by Mr Hinds further states: “He (Rahman) also engaged in social media activity that was aimed at undermining fundamental British values and, in addition, was so inappropriate that, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, it makes Mr Rahman unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “The Government has a duty to protect children from dangerous influences and Mizanur Rahman, who has been convicted under the terrorism act, quite clearly has no place in our schools.

“We will always act swiftly and decisively to safeguard our young people and this order is evidence of that.”

The first ever barring order was issued in 2015 to Tahir Alam who was at the heart of the alleged Trojan Horse plot by hard-line Muslims to take control of governing boards.

It said he engaged in conduct “aimed at undermining fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”.

In 2017, Waseem Yaqub, former chairman of governors of Al-Hijrah School in Birmingham, was found to have engaged in inappropriate conduct which made him “unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school”.

The direction said that: “In his various roles on Al-Hijrah’s governing body, Mr Yaqub promoted, permitted or failed to challenge inadequate financial monitoring and decision-making on the part of the governing body.”

The Connecting Communities project is based on the ideas of enhancing, focussing and activating the power of communities who are of Pakistani heritage, and who are citizens and permanent residents of the United Kingdom. We are all aware of the enormous skills, energy possessed by diaspora communities of Pakistani heritage, the passion that many have for Pakistan, and their role in creating positive change for the country. With about 1,125,000 people in England and Wales of Pakistani heritage, there is a huge pool of individuals who can be help spur social change in Pakistan. We are looking to launch the Connecting Communities project so that it promotes the following message in news media in the UK and Pakistan:

‘Reinforcing and highlighting the importance of minority rights through interfaith activities, using religious- and community-based media messages, from the UK to Pakistan, and thus combating extremism and religious violence’

Persecution in Pakistan

We are all aware of the persecution and oppression directed against religious minority communities in Pakistan, whether they are Christians, Ahmaddiyas or Shias. Now is the time to ensure that British Asians of Pakistani heritage can play an influencing role for the new administration.

Particularly concerning to us is the way that some in Pakistan are targeting Christians for particular scrutiny and hatred. They are increasingly viewed not as Pakistanis, but primarily through the lens of their faith, which, together with the view promoted by some that Christianity is somehow alien to Pakistan, puts them in a very precarious position. With the new administration in Pakistan currently taking on the mantle of power, Pakistan is therefore in an uncertain and fragile position, with a few other civil society groups in the country already lobbying for the protection of minority rights.

Furthermore, through the project that Faith Matters is carrying out in Pakistan, (Musawaat), it is clear that a programme which uses UK media enthusiasm to inform Pakistani media, and which can enhance the grass roots action of Musawaat, is needed to ensure the maximum impact of the project. From our fieldwork in Pakistan over the last three years, one potential resource that has been noticeably untapped has been the ability of diaspora communities in the UK to promote positive messages and ideas of change, that can correspondingly promote minority rights in their home country. The Connecting Communities project seeks to fill this void. A fresh new approach is needed and it is this gap that the Connecting Communities proposes to fill.