2.7m Muslims live in Britain according to the 2011 census, 4.8% of the total population Faith campaigners in Britain have urged the government to include Muslim history in the national curriculum, as a way of engaging young British Muslims, and educating non-Muslims about the contributions of the Islamic world to science and philosophy.
The call comes after the Department of Education\'s draft specification of a new history syllabus excluded reference to Islam and Muslims.
Campaign group Curriculum for Cohesion (CfC), backed by the Muslim Council of Britain, has called on the public to appeal to the government before the syllabus consultation ends next week.
CfC\'s Mohammed Amin told HuffPost UK the campaign was intended to advocate for the inclusion of the history for all faiths, not just Muslim history.
\"We have asked, for example, for the curriculum to include the persecution of Jews in the Middle Ages, and their eventual expulsion from Britain.
\"This is not just about educating Muslims. This is about those young pupils who hear nothing about Islam at school and grow up thinking Muslims have contributed nothing to the world about from terrorism. Those children could grow up to join the English Defence League.\"
The campaign is being led by Matthew Wilkinson, a former Eton head boy who converted to Islam, along with MP Sadiq Khan and Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger.
In a statement the group said: \"These inclusions are required to paint a true picture of the past. In their absence, British Muslim children will see no place for themselves in their country’s history, creating the risk of alienation.
\"At the same time non-Muslim children will grow up believing that Muslims have contributed nothing of value to Britain or indeed human civilisation, creating the risk of their acquiring anti-Muslim attitudes. Neither of these outcomes is good for Britain, or for the ability of Britons to do business in a world economy which is increasingly integrated.\"