Mosques are being urged to provide citizenship lessons for the thousands of youngsters they see daily. About 100,000 UK youngsters attend Islamic religious schools attached to mosques - madrasas - every day. A new curriculum aims to tackle extremism and counter messages about perceived clashes between Islam and British culture. It was drawn up by a group of mosques in Bradford and is being backed by the Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly. It comes after an independent study into radicalism in local communities by academics at Durham University suggested a “step change” in traditional religious leadership was needed to tackle radicalism.  Ms Kelly said: “We cannot afford to allow our young people to be intimidated and influenced by extremist messages.  

“Madrasas have a pivotal role to play in winning hearts and minds and supporting young people to reject the messages of extremist groups.  “This project ensures that young Muslim students learn the true teachings of Islam and encourages them to play an active role in their local communities and as citizens.  

“I would like to see citizenship on the curriculum of madrasas up and down the country, as this kind of grassroots action is key to facing down extremist messages.”  Ms Kelly’s department is working with Department for Education and Skills officials and representatives of supplementary schools to try to ensure good practice across the sector.

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