What word would you use to sum up the last 12 months? For the first time, the Oxford English Dictionary wasn’t able to and instead decided to call 2020 “a year which cannot be neatly accommodated in one single word”. … Continue reading 2020: A word of thanks – dedication to educators
Many Muslims spend the final 10 days of the month of Ramadan in I’tikaf, during which they retreat into a mosque and cut themselves off from the world to focus their whole attention on worship, with the aim of experiencing … Continue reading I’tikaf: A Unique Experience
It is 12 summers since I qualified as a teacher. Joining the education sector has brought me countless blessings, opening doors to things I didn’t anticipate relatively early in my teaching career, including becoming Head of Religious Education at one … Continue reading Educating Rabwah
I have always wanted to write books. As a former journalist, and my father himself being an author, that probably shouldn’t come as any surprise. It has simply been about waiting for the right opportunity at the right time. That … Continue reading Textbook stuff…
I’ve had the great privilege of being invited by a number of schools and organisations to speak at student events and teacher conferences around the UK and abroad. I’m forever grateful for the positive feedback received from colleagues who have … Continue reading Testimonials
This article was published in the Birmingham Post on 23rd December 2009 during my first year as Head of RE at Kings Norton Girls’ School. It can also be read here. This year, in my new role as Head of Religious … Continue reading The Christmas message that all faiths believe in
What happened when a Jew, a Catholic and a Humanist walked into a mosque? A delicious curry for lunch, certainly, but more importantly, a huge helping of learning, and an even bigger serving of love. That was certainly the experience of well over 100 delegates who attended the second London … Continue reading Unity in diversity
This article was published in the ‘International Business Times’ online on Thursday 2nd June 2016. It’s been called “the biggest act of mass-religious observance of its kind”. US president Barack Obama referred to it as a time of “gratitude for the … Continue reading Why my children won’t be fasting this Ramadan
A shorter, edited version of this article was published in The Independent online on Saturday 16th April 2016 “O ye who believe… say not to anyone who greets you with the greeting of peace, ‘Thou art not a believer.’” (Qur’an 4: 95) … Continue reading When Muslims play God…
What a roller coaster of a year 2015 was – especially if you teach about religion. The frenzied debate about free speech post-Charlie Hebdo, spate of ISIS terror attacks and, yes, Donald Trump, propelled classroom practitioners like me into relentless … Continue reading What should we teach about Islam?
