by Craig Simpson, Telegraph
Image: Unsplash
North Yorkshire employees who handle anti-terror work told in training that Islam’s attitude to women did not conflict with Western values
The Virgin Mary “wore a hijab”, staff at a council have been told.
In a talk about Islamophobia, North Yorkshire council staff who handle anti-terror work were taught that Islam’s attitude to women did not conflict with Western values.
An example used was that “Mother Mary wore a hijab”.
The lecture was part of a publicly funded training programme titled Project Unity, which The Telegraph understands has also been presented to students, police officers and civil servants responsible for the counter-extremism Prevent programme.
The presentation also said that “Jesus grew a beard”, as Muslim men are instructed to, and stated that “the hijab was prevalent in the UK only 100 years ago”, with images showing shawls common in early 20th-century Britain. These have no relation to Islam.
No images of either Mary or Jesus were made for centuries after their lifetimes, and Jesus was initially depicted as a beardless youth.