Let's have more segregation

Not happy with wanting their own schools, religionists now want their own Scout groups. Is it ever going to be possible for harmonious integration of young people whose parents have plunged them into their own choice of “faith” if we continue to keep them apart by encouraging separateness all the time?

You may have already heard about this idea. It was in The Times (UK) a couple of days ago.

There’s already a Muslim Scout group in Scotland, but now Muslim “leaders” – whatever they are – want more.

“Scotland’s first Muslim troop, the 8th Blackford Salaam, was set up in Edinburgh last year,” says The Times. “Now the organisation has had requests from Muslims in Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and Fife to set up their own troops.”

Sohaib Saeed, aged 24, who founded the Blackford troop, says, “It is all about developing young people holistically.”

Holistically, if they’re getting only a Muslim view of things?

The Times says:

They will say Muslim prayers instead of Christian ones, and children in their Beaver colony, for those aged six to eight, may colour in pictures of mosques instead of secular buildings. The Beaver and Cub groups are mixed sex, whereas the Scout troops – for those aged 10 to 14 – are single-sex for religious reasons.

Subhan Anwar, aged 21, who is also a leader with the Edinburgh troop, is quoted in the story as saying that Scouting could help young Muslims, who sometimes feel alienated from society, to become more confident.

“We’re trying to give them challenges that they don’t get in education or after-school clubs. We have got a lot of talent in our community but Muslim youth need confidence to come across well and engage positively.”

Yeah, yeah. Wouldn’t they feel less alienated if they were encouraged to join Scout groups, rather than Muslim Scout groups?

But do they want community relations? I fear not. They want continued separation.