Image source, bbc

Samena Dean, the author of Islamophobia in Edinburgh Schools, says there has absolutely been a dramatic rise in bullying of Muslim children.

Ms Dean says Muslim children face being called a "suicide bomber" or "terrorist".

She says children are having their hijab's pulled of their heads.

Ms Dean says a sorry is not enough for Muslim children who have faced this abuse.

She says the 33% of children who say they would tell teachers of incidents will be come 0% because nothing gets done.

Teachers need to recognise a racist or Islamophobic comment, she says.

Labour MSP Mary Fee says she is struck that guidelines are ignored when pupils want to remove themselves from religious education.

Ms Fee asks how it can be ensured that parents and pupils can be confident that children can be removed from religious education.

Charlie Lynch from the Scottish Secular Society says pupils can opt-out of things that they can not consciously agree with.

Mr Lynch says it is important to approach these things more compassionately.

Ms Fee asks if there is another way people can be taught about other faiths to breakdown barriers.

Mr Lynch says the Scottish Secular Society is for religious education but that the problem arises when pupils are only being taught about one particular faith or are singing hymns as a part of religious education.

In its submission the Scottish Secular Society says:

1. "Educators must avoid the implicit message that Christianity is the 'right one' amongst 'others'. This alienates all non-Christian Sturdents and families immediately."
2. "RO and RME must be taught with a balanced curriculum of several religious and moral vies and not (as is often practiced) by a proportional representation of the community."
3. "As stipulated by legislation since 1872 students who are withdrawn from religious teachings in school must not be made to feel they are different from other students nor be disadvantaged."

Read the full submission here., external

Image source, Scottish Secular Society

From the Scottish Secular Society website, external:

"The National Secular Society works for the separation of religion and state and equal respect for everyone's human rights so that no one is either advantaged or disadvantaged because of their beliefs.

"We work in the UK and Europe to challenge the disproportionate influence of religion on governments and in public life. We provide a secular voice in the media, defending freedom and equality as a counterbalance to the powerful religious lobby and some of the more destructive religious impulses that can threaten human rights worldwide.

"The National Secular Society is a non-party-political organisation with members from across the social and political spectrum. Our Honorary Associates include MPs and peers, as well as leading figures from politics, journalism, law and the arts."

Image source, bbc

Charlie Lynch from the Scottish Secular Society says there is a right to opt-out of religious observance but people are not told about it.

Mr Lynch says this causes problems with atheists and those of minority faiths.

He says there could be opting in rather than opting out.

Image source, Scottish Council of Jewish Communities

From the SCoJeC website, external:

"The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) is the democratic organisation that represents the organised Jewish community in Scotland.

"SCoJeC was established in 1999 in response to Devolution with the principal aim of providing the Jewish Community of Scotland with a single democratically accountable voice in dealings with the Scottish Parliament and Government, other communities, and other statutory and official bodies.

"This remains a core element of our work and SCoJeC is now widely recognised in the Jewish and wider Scottish communities as the representative umbrella body of all the Jewish communities in Scotland. Our remit includes a strong commitment to fostering integration and promoting dialogue and understanding between the Jewish community and other communities in Scotland, and we work in partnership with other organisations and communities to promote equality, good relations, and mutual understanding.

"The members of SCoJeC’s Council, external are the elected representatives of each of the formally constituted Jewish communities in Scotland – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Tayside and Fife – as well as three looser groups – Jewish people in the Highlands and Islands, Jewish students studying in Scottish universities and colleges, and Israelis in Scotland."

Image source, 2013 report Being Jewish In Scotland

The submission from the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities highlights excerpts from the August 2013 report Being Jewish In Scotland, external.

These included:

Read more of the submission here., external

Committee convener Christina McKelvie says it is clear that the systems is where we're being let down.

Ms McKelvie asks about the Holocaust's trust definition on anti-Semitism.

Scottish Council of Jewish Communities youth worker Brittany Ritell says that having a concrete definition will help to go a long way.

Ms Ritell says having the chance to educate teachers is important.

She says pupils and students do not seem to know what a bystander is and bystander training is one of the most important things that you can do.

Image source, bbc

Samena Dean, the author of Islamophobia in Edinburgh Schools, says schools that did take action left the children unhappy with the outcome.

Ms Dean says the children had their faith attacked and it left them really, really scared.

Children were scared of going to school just because they were a Muslim and they were scared of being attacked she says.

She says over 55% of the children had experienced verbal Islamophobia and over 40% of children had experienced physical Islamophobia.

Image source, Islamophobia in Schools

In its submission to the committee Scotland Against Criminalising Communities says:

"In October and November 2016 Samena Dean, as a personal initiative, carried out a survey into experiences of Islamophobia at school amongst Muslim Children in Edinburgh.

"SACC subsequently assister her in taking this work forward.

"Following a series of in-depth discussions of her finding, this culminated in our publication of an 18 page booklet Islamophobia in Edinbrugh Schools on 2 June 2017."

Image source, Islamophobia in Edinbrugh Schools

Read the full report here, at the bottom of the committee's papers, along with the full submission., external

Image source, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities

From SACC website; , external

"SACC campaigns against laws and policies whose effect is to criminalise political and community activity.

"We are particularly concerned about the extensive powers of this kind contained in Britain's anti-terrorism laws.

"These laws are shaped by foreign policy and are built on a dangerously broad definition of "terrorism." They are unjust and racist."

"Acts of terrorist violence are best prosecuted under the ordinary criminal law.

"Terrorism in the UK can only be prevented by ending the UK's involvement in aggressive wars and its support for oppressive regimes.

"SACC joins with the Stop the War Coalition in calling for an end to the so-called "war on terror" - in fact a war for resources and geo-strategic leverage - waged by the UK, the US and their allies.

"SACC stands against racism, especially state and institutional racism."

Samena Dean from Scotland Against Criminalising Communities and author of Islamophobia in Edinburgh Schools says young people do not have a support system in schools.

Ms Dean says it is difficult for Muslim children to hide their characteristics.

"You can't even hide your faith because it's visible," she says.

She says children are not telling their teachers because often the teachers do not have an understanding of Islam.

Ms Dean says a lot of the schools did not respond to the children that did report instances of bullying.

Image source, bbc

Rev Dr Richard Frazer from the Church of Scotland says there is an issue about religious and secular literacy amongst teachers.

Rev Frazer says young people sometimes feel they are singled out and asked to be experts in a faith or secular community despiter their level of literacy in it.

He says it is a legitimate thing to learn about the deifferent paths that people follow and "we need to learn that in the churches".

Rev Frazer says: "We have to learn to live alongside each other."

Anthony Horan from Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland says it is important to reach out to communities at a local level.

Mr Horan says a welcome day was recently held for refugees arriving from Syria.

He says it is a real concern that people can not be open about who they are, particularly young people.

Image source, bbc

Conservative MSP Jeremy Balfour says people who feel they are in a minority often feel they were victimised for that belief.

Anthony Horan from Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland says the problem is there is a culture of disquiet and fear about being open about one's faith.

Mr Horan says: "A lot of people feel very, very fearful about just being open about their faith."

The situation is exacerbated by social media which has become a platform to put forward hateful views and this must be dealt with he says.

Mr Horan says the behaviour of adults on social media exacerbates the situation, adding "if adults can't behave how on earth can we expect our children to behave".

Charlie Lynch from the Scottish Secular Society says he looks forward to contributing to discussions today.

Scottish Council of Jewish Communities youth worker Brittany Ritell says she works in Glasgow where the biggest concentration of the Jewish community are.

She says she has also worked in Edinburgh.

Ms Ritell says she works in and out of schools and attends school assemblies.

Samena Dean from Scotland Against Criminalising Communities and author of Islamophobia in Edinburgh Schools.

Ms Dean says her own children were exposed to Islamophobia.

Rev Dr Richard Frazer from the Church of Scotland says he is a minister at Greyfriars church.

Rev Dr Fraser says the church is committed to human flourishing and he would hate to think any young people coming to the church feel intimidated.

He says having read the evidence it is clear that young people are often singled out for being a part of a group and that group may be a faith organisation.

Rev Dr Fraser says the church try to support tolerance.