Editor
The Guardian
London

4th May 2008

Dear Sir,

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown of 'British Muslims for Secular Democracy' criticises the efforts of some British Muslims to establish faith schools and asks 'How is it that Sikhs and Hindus can live in democracy but not Muslims?' (The Guardian, May 2nd 2008).

The government already subsidises thousands of Catholic and Anglican faith schools throughout the country. Currently, over 50% of Jewish children attend Jewish faith schools. In recent years the government has also - contrary to the impression given by Alibhai-Brown - approved funding for Sikh and Hindu faith schools.

Whatever your position on the actual merits of faith-based schools, it is clearly discriminatory and unjust to help fund those of other faith communities and then complain about some British Muslims parents for seeking equal treatment under the law.

Yours faithfully,
Mr Inayat Bunglawala,
Assistant Secretary-General,
Muslim Council of Britain
PO Box 57330,
London
E1 2WJ